Chaos was mostly absent on Monday as schools in the District and Prince George’s County reopened, including the many schools with larger class sizes and skinnier budgets than in years past. Portions of J.O. Wilson Elementary were without air-conditioning as the morning bell rang, and the central office rushed fans and water over while the unit was repaired. In Fort Washington, the bathroom situation at J. Frank Dent Elementary became precarious after a water main break.
In any given school year, things will go awry — it’s guaranteed that a slew of wayward dogs will eat children’s homework, for instance. But on Monday, school staff and students said that most i’s were dotted, most t’s crossed.
More than 47,000 students showed up for roll call at D.C. Public Schools, where enrollment increased last year for the first time in 41 years.
“Everything’s going more smoothly than it ever has — probably the best ever,” said Richard Trogisch, principal of School Without Walls Senior High School.
The Foggy Bottom magnet lost $320,490, or 7 percent, of its budget and had to add more than 60 students while laying off six employees. Trogisch said Walls was about 40 textbooks short and would have to order more while students used classroom sets.
“There’s not so many small classes anymore, let’s put it that way,” he said. But, “We have an open campus, and everybody but one came back from lunch on time. Out of 520, I think that’s pretty great.”
Students at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School were excited to reclaim their Tenleytown campus, after spending a year at the University of the District of Columbia while the school was renovated. H.D. Woodson students enjoyed a new $124 million campus, while a handful of other city schools preened in renovations.
“It’s gorgeous, all the glass,” said Wilson senior Dashawn Lemons. “It’s more space. It feels more like a school.”
Lemons said many of the teachers were new, following 206 city-wide teacher firings based on Impact, D.C.’s teacher evaluation tool entering its third year.
Shanti Colbert, a junior, said her new teachers are “good, and nice. And strict!”
Atasha James began her first day and first year as the principal of M.C. Terrell Elementary School in Congress Heights. “Today was awesome,” said James, adding everything was in order. “We definitely had a seven-day work-week getting ready, and it was worth it.”
Public schools in Montgomery and Loudoun counties welcome students on Aug. 29. Fairfax County, Arlington, Prince William and Alexandria schools are scheduled to re-open on Sept. 6.
In Prince George’s County, students at Dent were re-directed to working bathrooms, and bottled water and food were brought in from offsite. That flap aside, Superintendent William Hite reported, “Things are going smoothly, knock on wood.”
Opening days marred by missing schedules were officially in the past, as school officials posted schedules online for the second year in a row, Hite said. “Many of our students arrived with their schedules in hand.”
