Council of the District of Columbia

Committee of the Whole

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

MEMORANDUM

TO: Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

FROM: Phil Mendelson, Chairman

DATE: July 8, 2021

RE: Request to Place Emergency Measures on the Agenda for the July 13, 2021 Additional Legislative Meeting

Please place the following measures on the agenda for the July 13, 2021 additional legislative meeting:

§ Bill 24-295, Wilkinson School Disposition Authorization Emergency Act of 2021

§ Bill 24-296, Wilkinson School Disposition Authorization Temporary Act of 2021

§ PR 24-278, Wilkinson School Disposition Authorization Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2021

These measures approve a 25-year lease, with the option for a 25-year extension, of Wilkinson Elementary School. Wilkinson is located at 2330 Pomeroy Road, S.E., in Ward 8. The lease is with DC Preparatory Academy Public Charter School (“DC Prep”). As part of D.C. Law 23-149, the “Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Support Act of 2020,” the Council approved the Mayor giving the right of first offer of lease, purchase, or otherwise use to a charter school facility incubator that leased, or a public charter school that occupied, all or a portion of the former Birney Elementary School building as of October 1, 2020. DC Prep satisfies the latter requirement, as its middle school is currently located at the former Birney Elementary School and will remain there through School Year (SY) 2021-2022. DC Prep’s middle school will relocate to Wilkinson at the beginning of SY 2022-2023.

Additionally, D.C. Law 23-149 provides for a modified disposition process with regard to Wilkinson, and as part of that process, the Deputy Mayor for Education and the Department of General Services held a surplus and disposition meeting on March 30, 2021. DC Prep has also participated in nine community meetings and received support from ANC 8B (Wilkinson is located in ANC 8B). As the final step in the process, the Executive has transmitted these measures, as well as Bill 24-294, the “Wilkinson School Disposition Authorization Act of 2021” to the Council for approval. Although the Committees on Government Operations and Facilities and Business and Economic Development are holding a hearing on Bill 24-294 on July 12, 2021, the Committees will not have time to mark-up the legislation before the Council goes on summer recess due to the Executive’s late transmittal of the measure. However, DC Prep needs to begin construction immediately in order to have Wilkinson renovated for the beginning of SY 2022-2023 and thus needs Council approval of these measures as soon as possible.

The measures are attached. Please call me or Ms. Christina Setlow if you have any questions at (202) 724-4865.

cc: All Councilmembers

Council Officers

Thanks,

Christina K. Setlow, Deputy Committee Director

Committee of the Whole, Chairman Phil Mendelson

Council of the District of Columbia

1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 410

Washington, DC 20004

Ph: (202) 724-4865

Fax: (202) 724-7139

www.chairmanmendelson.com