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Foggy Bottom / West End has had a public elementary school for over 140 years. Closing Francis Stevens EC would end that tradition and history. This school is in-boundary for the White House!

City leaders point to FSEC out-of-boundary enrollment (75%) as a weakness, yet the majority of these out of boundary families live within 2.5 miles in Wards 1, 2, 3 & 4. Enrollment and in-boundary attendance will increase when the community sees that FSEC is here to stay. DCPS cannot cede ground to Charter schools in neighborhoods like Foggy Bottom, where the combination of demographics and location give Francis Stevens a competitive advantage vis-à-vis Charter schools, especially for families that have a wage-earner working on K St corridor or in one of the large institutions on the West End.

Climate indicators describe Francis Stevens students as feeling safe in their school. Safe and supported children learn – and they show up. Francis Stevens suffers from none of the truancy issues experienced in other DCPS schools. Improving Satisfaction is one of DCPS' strategic goals...Francis Stevens is already a success!

Mayor Vincent Gray’s economic development strategy calls for making DC a walkable, transit-oriented city. How does removing a school from a location easily accessible by public transportation and removing it to locations further from the city center advance this goal?

Focus on addressing the quality of education and the quality of customer service and you will see the rise of the neighborhood school model!