Potential Closing of Shaed in Edgewood

***Update*** Thanks to Aaron for sending in a copy of the letter sent from DCPS. I have attached a picture of it above. Also, note there is a community meeting scheduled for January 11th at 6:00 p.m. at Shaed.

I tweeted about the potential closing of Shaed in Edgewood last week, but wanted to followup with a post and the article. Due to the poor performance at Shaed and low enrollment I would be for this if they transformed the building into a library and recreation center combination for the community. I am not sure if the money for the Edgewood Recreation Center will remain in the budget or not with the cuts, but if it does I would think this could be an ideal solution. Everyone who lives here knows that the recreation center is inadequate and the nearest libraries are in Woodridge and Shaw. We are adding many new residents to the area and I really think this building could fill a current and future need for Edgewood and surrounding neighborhoods.

Here is the article:

DCPS wants to close Shaed, River Terrace; open Montessori
By Bill Turque

DCPS has proposed a series of closures and consolidations that would take effect this fall. It wants to shutter two lightly-enrolled schools in Northeast and open a Montessori school at the old Logan Elementary building near Union Station.

According to notices posted on the school system web site, River Terrace Elementary in Ward 7 would close at the end of the current academic year and merge with Thomas Elementary in Parkside. Students at Shaed Education Campus, a PS-8 school in Ward 5, would join those at Emery Education Campus PS-8,in relocating to the former Langley School building next to McKinley Technology High School.

In a letter to the Shaed community, Interim Chancellor Kaya Henderson said Shaed's current enrollment of 146 makes it difficult to sustain a full PS-8 program. Emery's building, she said, lack some of the physical amenities of a PS-8 school. Both, she said, would benefit from the move to Langley, which is vacant.

Twenty-seven schools were closed or consolidated in the Fenty-Rhee era, generating considerable political pushback. Henderson will likely get her share when she meets with both school communities after the holidays. A final recommendation to the mayor's office will follow.

Expansion of Montessori, a response to burgeoning demand, is part of a larger set of moves in the works for Ward 6 schools. The current Montessori program, housed at Watkins Elementary, runs through fourth grade. DCPS wants to move it to Logan and extend it an extra year, through fifth grade. Watkins would then pick up the fifth grade currently housed at Stuart-Hobson Middle School.

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