On May 27, 2025, Mayor Bowser released the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget for Fiscal Year 2026 to Fiscal Year 2031.
Consistent with the previously announced modernization schedule, planning for the new middle school’s modernization project began during School Year 2024-2025. There will be two years of construction before the school opens for School Year 2028-2029. This project will receive a full modernization in line with district-wide best practices and educational standards.
On May 14, 2025, DC Public Schools (DCPS) hosted the May meeting of the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG) (for more details about the new school, check out our posts about the FY25 budget and the April meeting).
During the meeting, the DCPS School Planning team provided guidance to members to prepare to engage their communities. The group also debriefed recent school visits to four schools: MacFarland MS, Cardozo EC, Eliot-Hine MS, and Columbia Heights EC. Learn more about those visits in this post.
You can view the meeting recording here and the presentation here in English, here in Spanish, here in Chinese and here in Amharic. The next CWG meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2025.
In April and May 2025, members of the CWG for the New Middle School on Euclid St built knowledge about DCPS through visits to four DCPS schools: MacFarland MS, Cardozo EC, Eliot-Hine MS, and Columbia Heights Education Campus. (For more details about the new school, check out our post about the FY25 budget).
On April 9, a group visited MacFarland MS and learned about middle school arts programming. Mary Lambert, DCPS Director of Arts, joined the visit and provided the group with an overview of DCPS’ arts curriculum (including dance, drama, music and visual arts). The visit coincided with the school’s Spring Arts Showcase and the group had an opportunity to briefly attend that event.
On April 24, a group visited Cardozo EC to learn more about high school course offerings, CTE (Career and Technical Education) pathways and sports. Principal Mola and a group of students joined the group to talk about their experience at Cardozo.
On May 6, a group visited Eliot-Hine MS to learn about how they build school culture. Attendees joined grade 6 and 7 advisory classes, a social-emotional learning strategy in which small groups meet weekly to explore discussion questions and activities. In addition, DCPS Coordinator of Middle School CTE Amber Terry joined the group to share an overview of the current CTE (Career and Technical Education) offerings at DCPS middle schools.
On May 13, at Columbia Heights EC a group visited 6th grade academic classrooms to learn more about the school’s dual language immersion program and project-based learning. Attendees visited a few 6th grade classrooms (band, choir, art and physical health), the middle school library and Model UN room.
On April 9, 2025, DC Public Schools (DCPS) hosted the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG) April meeting. (For more details about the new school, check out our posts about the FY25 budget and the March meeting.)
During the meeting, the DCPS Facilities team provided an overview of the scope and timeline for the construction of the new middle school (located at 800 Euclid St NW). The team also shared the new school’s education specifications document, linked here, and you can learn more about the modernization project here.
The group also discussed ways in which they would collect feedback from their community about the design of the building and middle school programming options.
You can view the meeting recording here and the presentation here (English), here (Spanish), here (Chinese), here (Amharic). The next CWG meeting is scheduled for May 14, 2025.
To ensure that the community remains informed on the new middle school opening on Euclid St in School Year 2028-2029, DCPS has formed a Community Working Group (CWG) composed of 23 parents, community members, and school staff. For more details about how representatives were chosen, see this blog post about the CWG member application process.
Members of the CWG for the new middle school on Euclid St will have three primary roles:
Build knowledge about middle school in DCPS and share updates with members of the community they represent.
Collect feedback from members of the community they represent.
Based on collected feedback, provide insight into the priorities of prospective students, family members, and community members during CWG meetings.
The group will meet regularly over the next three years until the school opens in School Year (SY) 2028-2029. If you have questions or ideas about the new middle school, please contact the representative for your community, listed below:
School/Community Group
Relationship to new school
Representatives
Cardozo EC
Feeder high school (“destination school”)
Parent rep #1- Javonica Crutchfield
Parent rep #2 – Nina Gonzalez
Principal – Arthur Mola
Cleveland ES
Geographic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Kate DeAngelis
Parent rep #2 – Jacob Aladejobi
Principal designee – Virginia Henson
Garrison ES
Geographic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Mia Caras
Parent rep #2 – Andria Hill
Principal – Brigham Kiplinger
Seaton ES
Geographic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Zandria Haines
Parent rep #2 – Nick Nigro
Principal – Veronica Torres
Columbia Heights EC
Closest middle school
Parent rep #1 – Vacant
Principal – Maria Tukeva
H.D. Cooke ES
Programmatic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Vacant
Principal – Ryan Lam
Marie Reed ES
Programmatic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Joseph McCoy
Principal designee – Tasara Redekopp
Tubman ES
Programmatic feeder elementary school
Parent rep #1 – Vacant
Principal – Amanda Delabar
Ward 1 Ed Council
The new school and Cardozo, CHEC, Cleveland, H.D. Cooke, Marie Reed, and Tubman are located in Ward 1.
On March 12, 2025, DC Public Schools (DCPS) hosted the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG) March meeting. (For more details about the new school, check out our posts about the FY25 budget and the December 2024 community engagement kick-off event.)
The meeting opened with introductions and a discussion of the group’s purpose and an outline of the role of CWG members. Greg Dohmann, the DCPS Senior Director of Graduation Success Initiatives, was a guest speaker and provided an overview of DCPS’ middle school offerings to build the group’s foundational knowledge.
You can view the meeting recording here and the presentation here (English), here (Spanish), here (Chinese) and here (Amharic).
The next CWG meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2025. This spring, CWG members will also visit DCPS middle schools and will plan opportunities to get feedback from the communities they represent.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, DCPS hosted a meet-and-greet for members of the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG) – the first in a series of planning meetings for the new school that will open at 800 Euclid St NW. (For more details about the new school, check out our posts about the FY25 budget, the December 2024 community engagement kick-off event, and the CWG member application process.)
The CWG is composed of 23 representatives, including parents, community members, and school staff. The group will meet regularly over the next three years until the school opens in School Year 2028-2029. The finalized list of members will be posted here, on the School Planning Blog, in the coming weeks so that community members know who to contact with questions and ideas.
The next CWG meeting will be held virtually on March 12, 2025. A recording of the meeting and all meeting materials will be publicly available and posted to this blog. If you have questions about the new middle school, please email our team at dcps.planning@k12.dc.gov.
The event, held at Shaw Neighborhood Library, attracted a full house, with about 35 community members plus representatives from DCPS. The group participated in visioning exercises for the new school, explored the results of the community survey, and asked questions about plans for the new school. At this meeting, the application for the New MS on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG) was released. You can learn more about the CWG here. The CWG application will be open until January 15, 2025, and can be found here: https://bit.ly/newdcpscwg.
As part of the opening of the new middle school, a Community Working Group (CWG) will be formed. In opening schools in recent years, DCPS has consistently formed CWGs to serve in an advisory role during planning. Members of the CWG for the new middle school on Euclid St will have three primary roles:
Help share updates on the planning of the new school to members of the community they represent.
Collect general and specific feedback from members of the community they represent.
Based on collected feedback, provide insight into the priorities of prospective students, family members, and community members during CWG meetings.
DCPS is looking for parents and caregivers, school staff, and community members to represent their communities on the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG). To learn more and apply click here (English), here (Spanish), here (Chinese) and here (Amharic). The CWG application deadline is January 15, 2025, DCPS will work with principals and community groups to identify CWG members. Presentation materials from all meetings will be publicly available and posted to this blog.
This fall, DC Public Schools (DCPS) began public engagement on the new middle school that will open in School Year 2028-2029 (for more information about the new middle school, check out our posts about the FY25 budget and the community survey launched last month). This initial engagement has focused on schools with geographic feeder rights to the new middle school: Cleveland ES, Garrison ES, and Seaton ES.
Staff members from the DCPS School Planning team talked to students and families at Back to School Nights at all three schools, attended the Cleveland Literacy Night on November 19, and participated in the Garrison Fall Festival and Seaton’s outdoor movie night on October 25. Families asked thoughtful questions, and we heard plenty of enthusiasm from families who would like to stay at their elementary school through 5th grade and attend the new middle school together.
Next up, join us at the Shaw Library on December 3 for a public kick-off event! Register here: bit.ly/NewMS_Kick-Off
DCPS School Planning 