D.C. Council Promises Millions to Fix Schools

By Eric M. Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2006

The D.C. Council unanimously approved the largest investment ever in the city's crumbling school buildings yesterday, pledging to dedicate $100 million a year in sales tax revenue for renovations and expansions.

Combined with the pledge this week by the city's Board of Education to close 3 million square feet of underused school space, school proponents said the pieces are in place for the biggest transformation of the city's long-troubled school system since the District won home rule in the 1970s.

"The symbolism should not be lost in the midst of all this debate over baseball," said council member Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7), during a day dominated by drama over a baseball stadium lease. "It is not a question of baseball versus schools. Today we're taking the greatest action in supporting our children and our schools."

Some council members said better oversight of the new money is needed; others said they want some of the money to be spent on long-neglected vocational education. But members were unanimous in saying that addressing bricks-and-mortar issues is the vital first step in improving the school system educationally.

"This is the closest we've ever come to a true commitment to turn our schools around," said Bonnie Cain, a parent and activist with the D.C. School Modernization Campaign. "This time they really do have a plan."

Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) said after the vote that he supports the use of sales tax revenue to secure school building funds.

Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz said: "I'm really thrilled. This is something we've been working on one way or other since we came into office [in 2000]. It's been an arduous path. I'm ecstatic we've gotten over all the bumps. Everybody from the mayor, to the city council to the school board has worked together to make this happen."

Polls also show that education is the top issue among District voters, who this year will elect a new mayor, a new council chairman and several new council members. School proponents have leveraged the political desire for improving schools into dedicated dollars.

Plans for school modernization funds were first put forward by council member Adrian M. Fenty (D-Ward 4), who called the condition of schools "a citywide embarrassment," and Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D). Both are mayoral candidates.

But the measure approved on first reading yesterday was crafted largely by council members Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), chairman of the education committee, and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), the council's finance and revenue committee chairman. The amount would be built into the city's budget and would be in addition to the roughly $100 million the city borrows each year for school construction.

The city's chief financial officer, Natwar M. Gandhi, said last week that the council would have to make offsetting cuts to other city programs or it would create a $100 million hole in future budgets.

Evans disagreed and said he expects city tax revenue to increase more than $100 million in this and subsequent years, which would be enough to fund the school modernization. He said Gandhi is scheduled to release an updated revenue estimate Feb. 15, before the legislation's second and final vote.

"The funding mechanism is there, it works and it provides full funding," Evans said. "And the oversight that Ms. Patterson crafted provides the checks and balances to make sure the funds are spent wisely and efficiently."

Although Patterson and Evans implored their colleagues not to micromanage how the school money is spent, a majority of council members voted to advise that a vocational education facility be the first priority.

Council member Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large) said that promises are not enough and that the council must send a message that the city has to revive vocational education to provide training for jobs that do not require a college education.

Cropp said she understood that some members were skeptical about the school board's ability to spend the money wisely and that they wanted a stronger council voice in how the money would be spent. The bill provides for an oversight board appointed by the mayor, council, Board of Education and chief financial officer.

Cropp said a compromise could be reached with school officials before the school bill comes back for a second vote next month.

Also yesterday, the D.C. Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of a "living wage," $11.75 an hour, that would be paid by government and private employers who benefit from government tax breaks, incentives or other assistance.

The living wage proposal is part of a package of employment measures Williams proposed last year, dubbed the Way to Work bill. More than 130 communities across the country have adopted similar living-wage legislation, including Alexandria and Arlington, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

The requirement would apply to city employees who do not earn $11.75 an hour.

Council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5), the bill's sponsor, said it is unclear how many workers would be affected and how much the measure would cost. He said some of the answers would come before the bill's second and final reading next month.

The lone dissenting vote was by Carol Schwartz (R-At Large). She said she preferred an earlier version of the bill that would have allowed employers to pay $10.50 an hour if they provided employee health coverage.

Staff writer V. Dion Haynes contributed to this report.