Lafayette Elementary School Pre-K | Military Road School
In late November 2020, the Commission learned of a proposal to relocate all of the Lafayette Elementary School’s pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) classes to the historic Military Road School located in Ward 4 across Rock Creek Park, established in 1864 to educate free people of color–the first and only school for Black children in Northwest DC. The Commission heard from school officials and the community about this proposal at its December 14, 2020 and January 11, 2021 meetings.
After hearing from the community, consulting with ANC commissioners near the Military Road School, and receiving an analysis from the Task Force on Racism, the Commission adopted a resolution on January 11, 2021, recommending that the Military Road School be a standalone early learning center available to pre-K students anywhere in the District.
The Mayor followed the Commission’s advice. The resolution also asked the Mayor and the Chancellor to work with the Commission and the community to address overcrowding issues at Lafayette Elementary School. Commissioners subsequently met with the Chancellor in an effort to find both short- and long-term solutions to Lafayette overcrowding.
On September 2, 2021, Mayor Bowser celebrated the opening of the Military Road Early Learning Center and highlighted the importance of early childhood learning here with video recording here.
Here is how Chevy Chase News & Notes reported the work that the Commission undertook to meet the needs of families in Chevy Chase DC (see: home page):
FUTURE OF LAFAYETTE PRE-K4 (1/12/21)
ANC 3/4G devoted most of its 7-11:20pm, January 11 Zoom meeting to hearing from parents, elected officials, and DCPS representatives on the DC Public School’s proposal to relocate all of the Lafayette Pre-K4 program to 1375 Missouri Avenue, 2.5 miles from the Lafayette campus. There are several reference items on this subject on the ANC website:
- Results of the just completed survey
- DCPS’s written responses to the community’s questions
- A letter from the Ward 3 and Ward 4 Councilmembers to DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis Ferebee on the Lafayette proposal
- A letter from the Ward 3 and Ward 4 State School Board Representatives to Mayor Bowser and Chancellor Ferebee on the Lafayette Proposal.
- A Community Petition Seeking to Keep Lafayette Elementary School in the Neighborhood (263 signees)
The ANC passed a resolution which urged DCPS to (1) find an alternative place for Lafayette’s Pre-K4 within the school’s boundaries, (2) retain the Pre-K4 program on the Lafayette campus to the extent that it can be accommodated in whatever space can be made available, and (3) establish a city-wide, standalone early learning center on Missouri Avenue that adds additional Pre-K capacity and will be open to all with a possible preference for Lafayette and Brightwood students depending on input from the Brightwood community.