Mayor Shakes Up Funding at Hill Schools

One Capitol Hill school is set to have more than $7 million cut from its budget, while two others will get financial boosts.

Mayor Muriel Bowser seeks to reallocate nearly $49.5 million in 2015 capital funds for D.C. Public Schools, documents published by The Washington Post show.

The budget changes will help the school system meet its overall goals, Bowser said in a letter to D.C. Council.

“The reprogramming of [the] capital funds budget is to support the cost of school modernizations, phased modernizations and small capital projects,” Bowser said.

A cut of $7,275,800 is planned for Watkins Elementary School (420 12th St. SE), the documents show. Repairs will be made to the school’s heating system in financial year 2015, but construction will be postponed, with planning and design completed this year. Funds for construction will be requested for FY 2016-2021, according to the documents.

Stuart-Hobson Middle School (410 E. St. NE) is slated to get an additional $4,775,000. The boost is needed because of “cost escalation, informed market conditions, unforeseen conditions and scope of work alignment,” the documents say. The work will be done in FY 2015 and 2016.

And Payne Elementary School (1445 C St. SE) is set to see a boost of $9 million. The funds will go toward classrooms, an elevator, a playground and a connector that will bridge two wings of the building, the documents say.

D.C. Council has until early next month to review the plan. Meetings on the Watkins renovation will be held tonight (Monday) and Jan. 29.

Photo via DCPS