Photo by Bill Adler

Photo by Bill Adler

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced two initiatives today to cap off Education Reform Week.

The first will give thousands of dollars in scholarship money to outperforming high school seniors. Valedictorians and salutatorians graduating from DCPS and D.C. public charter schools will be able to attend the University of the District of Columbia free of charge, plus receive housing stipends—for four years. Another reason to get students interested in attending, the District’s only public university opened its first new building in 40 years last month—as part of its ten-year, campus-wide renovation.

The second initiative will provide previously closed DCPS buildings as long-term home bases for charter schools.

The District is making Keene Elementary School in Ward 5 and P.R. Harris in Ward 8, two former DCPS schools, available for charter schools to sign multi-year leases. Currently, Keene is occupied by DC Bilingual PCS, and PR Harris houses Ingenuity Prep PCS and National Collegiate Prep PCS.

“Today, through Mayor Bowser’s leadership, three public charter schools will be able to stay in the buildings in which they’re currently located. This is good for our students, parents and community because our schools can focus on teaching instead of looking for new space,” said Scott Pearson of the DC Public Charter School Board.

In addition, MC Terrell School in Ward 8 will be awarded to the Charter School Incubator Initiative so that programs can vie to use the building to serve children and adults.

In response to the charter news, Catharine Bellinger of Democrats for Education Reform, said in a statement, “Mayor Bowser’s decision to move forward today resolves a lot of uncertainty for hundreds of families, and is a clear signal that she is thinking about the needs of the 44 percent of D.C. public school children who attend charter schools.”

As part of Education Week, the mayor also announced on Wednesday that thousands of District students will have longer school years beginning this fall.

Filed Under: bowser, charter schools, mayor bowser, udc,