2 Closed Schools Go to Charters

Five Will Be Leased to City Agencies, Fenty's Office Says

Five recently shuttered D.C. public schools will be leased to various city agencies and two to charter schools, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's office announced yesterday.

The seven schools are among 23 that Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee decided this year to close because of low enrollment.

"These reuse plans represent an excellent opportunity to bring quality services into our communities," Fenty (D) said in a statement. "These moves will reduce rents, increase efficiencies and make programs more accessible to District residents."

But charter school advocates said yesterday that more of the vacant schools should have gone to charters. They said the city violated a law that requires it to offer the buildings first to charters.

"We're looking into whether it makes sense to initiate legal action," said Robert Cane, executive director of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools, a charter school advocacy organization. "We're really disappointed the mayor isn't following the school reform act in giving [charter schools] the right of first offer."

Deputy Mayor for Education Victor A. Reinoso disputed that the city is breaking the law, saying it attempted to balance the space needs of charter schools and other District agencies. "Throughout the community process, we said we would consider education uses and other government uses," he said. "Other buildings [that haven't been announced] may be made available for use by charters. It's too early for them to say they haven't gotten a fair bite of the apple."

District officials decided that Backus Middle School in Northeast Washington will become a Department of Motor Vehicles center; Merritt Middle School in Northeast will become a social service cluster; Meyer Elementary in Northwest will be used by the Department of Public Works; Patricia R. Harris Educational Center in Southeast will be used by the Department of Corrections and the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department; and Young Elementary in Northeast will be used by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Benning Elementary in Northeast will house an incubation center for start-up charter schools, and Slowe Elementary in Northeast will be leased to an undetermined charter.

District officials had previously announced that Bowen Elementary in Southwest will become a police department substation, Douglass Transition Academy in Southeast will be leased to KIPP D.C. public charter school, and Hine Middle School in Southeast would possibly be redeveloped. Officials have not yet announced what will happen to the other 13 buildings.