Athletics Find a Booster In Janey

Under the $10 million proposal, which would have to be approved by the Board of Education and the D.C. Council, the system would make major repairs to the five high schools, including renovating stadiums, replacing bleachers and refurbishing swimming pools and basketball courts, officials said.

In addition, Millet said, work at Dunbar would include installing a new scoreboard in the gym, new stadium lights and a baseball batting cage; repairing the public address system in the stadium and gym; and purchasing a tractor mower for the field.

"We need more emphasis on extracurricular activities to keep the youths off the streets and to make them proud to be D.C. public school students," said the Rev. Lionel Edmonds, president of the Washington Interfaith Network, the organization that spearheaded the facilities campaign. "We will put our political pressure -- 50 churches with 75,000 members -- behind this issue."

After weeks of negotiating with officials of the church alliance, Janey has tentatively agreed to $600,000 in emergency repairs at Dunbar, addressing nearly every concern raised by the organization.

According to Millet, Janey has arranged to have police patrol the school at night to stop homeless people from entering the school grounds through holes in a chain-link fence and defecating on the field. He agreed to eventually install wrought-iron fencing around the campus. He also agreed to purchase uniforms and equipment for most of the school's teams, hire an additional custodian and try to have the condemned running track fixed by spring.

Janey gave approval to repairing the boys' weight room, which contained rusty secondhand equipment and benches with ripped vinyl covers. "It was the filthiest room I've seen in any D.C. public school," Millet said.

Meanwhile, Dunbar students are getting ready to celebrate their national exposure: ESPN Zone in Northwest will honor the Dunbar and Coolidge teams Thursday.

The recognition, Arrelious Benn said, "means a lot to us."