New Charter Schools to Bid for Gibbs Elementary Building

Three charter schools are vying to take over the former Gibbs Elementary School building in Rosedale.

The Department of General Services expects that three schools will submit bids due this evening for the longterm lease of the vacant 500 19th St. NE school: Community College Preparatory Academy; Monument Academy and Washington Global, DGS closed schools manager Althea Holford said.

Monument Academy and Washington Global received approval from the D.C. Public Charter School Board in May. Monument would run a residential school for children in foster care. Washington Global would teach middle school students and emphasize language learning, their website says.

Community College Preparatory Academy, approved in April, would help adults prepare to attend community college.

Representatives of the schools will speak with residents about their plans at a community meeting 6 p.m. Monday at Rosedale Recreation Center (1701 Gales St. NE).

“They are going to give us a snippet of their offer and what they’re proposing for the site,” Holford said.

Gibbs Elementary has been vacant since 2008.