The DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) is accepting comments on Rocketship’s application to open a new campus in two warehouses at 5450 3rd Street NE off Kennedy Street near Fort Totten metro station. Part 1 and Part 2 of the school’s application are available on DCPCSB’s website. Comments are due by September 16, 2019. A public hearing will be held on September 16 at 6:30 pm. DCPCSB will hold a vote on October 21, 2019.

ANC 5A is holding a special public meeting on August 21 to hear more from Rocketship. School leaders presented a high level overview at the ANC’s meeting in June. The new campus will be located in the single member district (SMD) of ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08). Interestingly enough, Commissioner Fletcher provided a letter of support dated August 1 that was included with Rocketship’s August 2nd application to DCPCSB. If you have questions or concerns about the school, please plan to attend the special meeting. If you cannot attend the special public meeting, I highly recommend reaching out to Commissioner Fletcher with any questions or comments before the special meeting.

At Commissioner Fletcher’s SMD meeting on August 12, school officials stated if all goes well, they will begin construction renovating the interior of the warehouses some time in October, finishing in July 2020. They plan to open in phases accepting students for grades PK3-2 for fall 2020. Recognizing the plethora of charter schools in Ward 5, including highly ranked charter schools in close proximity to the proposed campus, school leadership stated in their application that there is still unmet need in Ward 5 for high quality schools. They believe they can help to fill that need by offering a personalized blended learning currciulum with a STEM focus, as well as Spanish instruction starting in kindergarten.

A traffic study is currently being conducted, and school leaders hope to present results of that study and more design plans at the ANC special meeting. There will be a small parking lot on the campus. The school will offer transit subsidies to staff and encourage staff and parents to take public transportation to the campus.

The school has to document its community engagement efforts, a challenging task during the summer months. DCPSCB expects that any issues will have been raised before the public hearing on September 16 in order for the school to address them, so it is really important that residents share any share any concerns with Commissioner Fletcher and submit comments to DCPCSB.