Janney Elementary School

Janney Modernization

Frequently Asked Questions

March 16, 2010 

Below is a compilation of questions asked and points discussed as part of SIT meetings, outreach meetings, Principal’s coffees, staff meetings, parent conversations, and community meetings.  As additional questions arise or information changes, this list will be updated here.  Updated copies of this FAQ will also be available in the main office and on the community board.  Thanks to the SIT team, especially John Bender, Allison Feeney, Kirk Rankin, Jack Richotte, Heather Roy, and Elizabeth Snee for their contributions to this list of questions.

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Where can I find the current plans for design and construction phasing?

The most recent designs will be posted to the SIT page of the Janney website and on the community board (first floor hall).  As designs are updated and provided to the SIT committee, the posted plans will also be updated.  Although the core designs are set, small alterations, primarily to outdoor space, continue to be made.

Plans for the two phases for construction are also posted.  Weekly schedules and access points will be posted when provided by the construction team.

What is the expected start date?

Construction preparations have begun, with the crews swinging into full force over Spring Break of 2010. 

What is the expected completion date?

The completion date for all major construction has been set as August of 2011 (prior to the start of the school year). 

Phasing and Staging – General

Where can I find the phasing/staging plans?

The phasing and staging plans are posted on the SIT page of the Janney website and on the community board (first floor hall).

How will play space be maximized during construction?

In both phase 1 and phase 2 we will experience a significant loss of play space.  We will have several approaches to ensuring that our students still enjoy outdoor play, a critical component of the Janney program: scheduling to maximize space per student, utilizing alternative locations in the surrounding community, organizing explicit adult-monitored activities/stations along with free play, and augmenting our club schedule to manage the number of students who are outdoors at one time.

What work will be in the school building while students are present?

Aside from the occasional walk-through by a contractor who is planning their work, at no time should work be done in the building while students are present.  All work in the current building is scheduled for the summer of 2010 and 2011.

Do the contractors envision any need to move Janney students off-site to “swing space” during any part of the construction?

No.

Will any additional classes be taught in demountables during construction?

No.

Will classes be relocated during the course of the school year?

In December 2010, the library, art, science, music, therapy space and gym will be relocated to the new addition.  PreK classes will determine if they will move through a conversation among teachers, parents and administrators and considering class needs.

What alternative community play spaces have been arranged for the duration of construction?

Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of several community members, we will have access to Fort Reno during spring 2010 mornings (permits could not yet be provided beyond that time but will be pursued) and the Georgetown Day School gardens.  St. Ann’s has also agreed to accommodate our PreK and K students through shared use of their playground and big wheels.  We continue to work in a positive direction with the Yuma center to provide use to their vacant lot (until their own construction project begins in September) and with American University for the use of their athletic fields just off Yuma Street.  The closer locations will likely be used for recess and gym periods, while those at a greater distance will be used for school celebrations, field days, and class field trips.  Classes will also be free to use the green space at the front of the school.  Off-campus visits will require parent permission and will benefit from additional adult supervision.

Where is the construction access route?

Construction equipment vehicles will access the site from 42nd street.

What kind of barrier will be there when students return from 2010 Spring Break?

A fence will be installed across the entire length of the staging area.  We have been told that the fence will be wooden, similar to the one that separates our current field from the library construction site. 

If the parking lot is used as play space in phase 1 and as a construction area in phase 2, where will faculty members park?

Parking alternatives are currently being pursued by DDOT and representatives from Councilmember Cheh’s office.  We are looking at neighborhood options, parking at a satellite lot and using a shuttle, obtaining visitor’s passes for street parking and providing incentives for those who take public transportation.

Where will the kids eat?  Will the lunch and recess schedule change?

Throughout the modernization and even after the building is finished, students will eat in the current cafeteria space (although it will look much better and have a full-service kitchen upon completion of the project).  We see scheduling as our greatest weapon against disruption, so the schedule is likely to change.  More updates will be provided as these details are finalized.

Where will JED be located?  What play space will it use?

JED will continue to function in its current spaces, modifying the play space plan in the same vein as the school.  Soccer will now take place off-campus, with parents and families responsible for transporting students to practices and games.

How will students be educated about the construction process?

We will discuss the plan, safety (which will be repeatedly modeled), and effects on students during Jamboree, in classrooms and at lunch and recess.  We will also work to create projects around architecture and construction and ask for secure visits to the construction site so that students feel they are a part of the process.   

Phasing and Staging – Phase 1

What are the dates of the first phase of construction?

The first phase of construction is scheduled to take place from March to December of 2010.

What will be accomplished during phase 1?

The construction staging area will be set, the play space will be modified, and the entire addition to the western side of the building will be completed. 

What space will be used for construction in phase 1?

The western and southwestern parts of the Janney campus will be used for construction and staging. 

What will remain as play space and how will that space be used?

Part of the greentop, the current parking lot, and the south side of the field will be used as play space.  Play equipment (swings, tetherball and parallel bars for our older students; the full play equipment set for our younger students) will be moved to the southern side of the field.  The parking lot and remaining greentop will be used as open space.  Construction workers will cover the play equipment area with wood chips per safety regulations and to mitigate water collection.

Which demountable classrooms will be moved?

In march, the JED/Science/Therapy and music demountables will be relocated.  Both will be relocated (the current JED demountable and a new music demountable to ensure structural integrity) to the northern portion of the soccer field. 

How will students exit the building during phase 1?

Because of the addition, the construction team currently plans to block off the western entrance to the school.  In order to have appropriate exits in case of an emergency, the plan is to build a hallway through the east end of Ms. Morgan-Williams classroom so that students on the west side of the building can exit.  This plan is currently being reviewed by the fire marshal.  We are also looking at the possibility of installing double doors on each side of the multipurpose room to maximize traffic flow during normal entry/exit.  The first floor and the eastern side of the building will enter and exit as they do now.

What work will be done over the summer?

Throughout this phase, the primary objective will be the completion of the western addition.  During the summer, however, some changes will be made inside the current building.  The current conference room, principal’s office and teacher’s lounge will be converted to a PreK classroom with a shared bathroom.  The library and fourth-grade demountable classes will switch places (so that the fourth grade does not have to switch classrooms at the start of phase 2 and because the library will have an entirely new facility in December.  The current library will be converted to two classrooms (all grade-level classrooms will then be in the building) and the demountable will be converted into a media center (one room) and reading center (the other room). 

Where will Jamboree be held during phase 1?

Jamboree will move a bit to the southeast on the current greentop and faculty parking lot.  The multipurpose room will be used during inclement weather.

Will there still be pedestrian access via the Yuma alley during phase 1?

Yes.

Phasing and Staging – Phase 2

What are the dates of the second phase of construction?

The second phase of construction is scheduled to take place from January 2011 to August 2011.

What will be accomplished during phase 2?

With the addition complete, phase 2 will begin with the underground parking facility (during the school year), will move on to the renovation of the current building (during the summer of 2011) and landscaping.

What space will be used for construction in phase 2?

With the addition complete, the west hillside will be landscaped and available for student use.  The demountables will be removed from the field, opening the entire area.  However, the central portion of the southern campus will be used for construction staging.

What will remain as play space and how will that space be used?

The current soccer field and a newly landscaped and terraced western slope (along 42nd) will be in use.  Additional play equipment will be moved the soccer field, preserving an open space for field play.  Because a new multipurpose room is part of the addition, we will use that space for recess as well.

Which demountable classrooms will be moved?

During phase 2, we will no longer have a need for demountable classrooms (JED, therapy, science, music and library will all have spaces in the addition).  All demountables will be removed from the campus.

Where will Jamboree be held during phase 2?

Although a final decision will be made once the full scope of the addition can be physically observed, Jamboree will likely take place on the newly-terraced western slope when outdoors and in the new multipurpose room when indoors.

Will there still be pedestrian access via the Yuma alley during phase 2?

No.  Access will be blocked by the construction area for the underground parking lot. 

Arrival and Dismissal

How will drop-off and pick-up be affected?

We are going to use the construction as an opportunity to improve our drop-off and pick-up procedures.  Although more detail will be provided by the Safe Routes to School Committee (led by Pippa Trench and Tawana Franklin) and we are still in the community feedback stage, there will now be a heavily-supervised drop off lane on Albemarle street with strict enforcement of the no parking zone.  Parents will be able to drop off their students without getting out of the car.  Those who choose to park further away, take metro, bike or walk to school will continue to enter through the front door.  We will support this initiative with the “Walk and Roll” incentive system. 

Although we continue to look for solutions to pick-up time, all 1st -5th students will meet their parents in the Jamboree area at 3:15.  PK – K students will continue to be dismissed from the front of the building at 3:10.

Will you consider a staggered start time?

Our school day must fall within the DCPS range, so we cannot consider a staggered start time at this point.

How will JED dismissal work?

Glenn Sitney and the JED board are aware that the parking lot will no longer be an access point for pick up.  They are currently devising a plan and will distribute it to JED parents as soon as possible. 

Neighborhood, Community and Communication

How will the community and neighbors be kept informed?

We have asked that the construction team provide us with a schedule and more specific timeline to be posted on our website and community board.  They will also develop a schedule board, similar to the one at the library site, so that community members can see the timeline and observe progress.  We will also continue to hold committee meetings to provide updates through the construction period.

What other nearby construction projects may affect Janney?

The Yuma Study Center is slated to begin construction in September and library construction should be completed at the end of this calendar year.  OPEFM is acting as the link between these projects to ensure that material delivery and space is appropriately managed. 

Will a mixed-use building be constructed above and around the new library?

According to OPEFM, there is no solid plan in place at this time.  However, large footers were used in the construction of the library that can support such a structure.  If and when further plans are made, the Janney community will be active in examining potential impact on the school.  We plan to fully use the current soccer field for play equipment now, and in the face of the construction of a mixed-use building.  Specific feedback on the construction of a mixed-use building is best communicated to local officials such as the ANC, Council and Mayor’s offices.

Will neighborhood children be able to use Janney School play space?

The campus will continue to be open outside of school hours (before 8:40 and after 6pm).  St. Ann’s students will continue their shared use of our play space, though likely on a different schedule.

How can we ensure that construction and, ultimately, the use of the Janney campus, are not disruptive to neighbors?

OPEFM and the construction team will operate only within permitted hours.  Later, as we schedule weekend events such as soccer games, we will do so with our neighbors in mind.  Very early morning and late evening games and events will be limited.   

Safety and Security

Will the addition hinder MPD police surveillance of Janney school ground from 42nd or Albemarle street?

MPD’s primary form of current surveillance is by bicycle with the campus accessed via the Yuma alley.  We will work with MPD to continue this surveillance by bicycle and on foot.

We’ve heard that DCPS is putting fences around all modernized schools.  Will neighborhood children, teens, and adults be able to use the Janney School grounds?

The campus will continue to be open outside of school hours (before 8:40 and after 6pm).  Formal use of the property will require a building use agreement with the school and the DCPS Realty Office.

The public alley is narrow, has parking on one side and no sidewalk.  Will alley improvements be made as part of this project?

We have consulted DDOT and, at this time, no improvements are planned.   

Student Population

What is the target population for the modernized Janney?

The SIT team set a target population of 525.

What is the planned grade-level composition?

We are set to have 3 PKs, 4 Ks, 4 1sts, 4 2nds, 3 3rds, 3 4ths, and 3 5ths,  but that plan will be closely monitored for feasibility and capacity throughout the next several years. We will add the third PreK class during the 2010/2011 school year.

Will Janney’s administration have control over how we grow to the target capacity?

Janney administration and DCPS officials will plan and monitor the growth of the student popultion.  Our goal is to grow smart and grow slowly so as to not significantly exceed our target population; however, all students within our boundaries are promised the opportunity to enroll.

What is the contingency plan in the even that the student population exceeds the target capacity?

We have asked for a few swing classroom spaces – spaces that do not currently have an assigned use or have a use that can be modified.   

Features and Facilities

What features and facilities will be part of the new building?

Please see the plans posted on the Janney website and community board.  Although a few specifics are addressed here, these plans provide the most comprehensive picture of our new facilities.

Will the spaces be designated as they are labeled on the plans?

Although classroom spaces are likely to be used as labeled, we will determine the exact use of spaces upon completion of construction and a up-to-date analysis of school needs.

Is the multipurpose room really above the media center?

Yes.  OPEFM and the design firm have plans for significant sound remediation.  Because it is difficult to support a space above an open room like the multipurpose room, it was determined to be more cost efficient to take soundproofing steps.  The SIT team continues to monitor this decision closely.

What will the final landscape plan look like?

There will be five main components to the play space: an expanded front gathering area, older student play equipment with a surrounding field, younger student play equipment with a surrounding field, PreK/K fenced play area (with access to open spaces), and a terraced garden area.  The SIT team and OPEFM are still finalizing the details of these plans.

Will the new soccer field be natural grass or turf?

The new field will be artificial turf.

Will there be bike racks?

Yes, there will be space to store 30 bikes.

Will there be visitor parking in the underground parking facility?

Despite moving parking underground, we will still have very limited capacity.  Visitors will only be able to access the facility with a temporary permit.  Use after school and on weekends will be regulated but allowed. 

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