As the school year draws to a close, the summer renovation process begins in the hope that repairs will be completed before the start of the 2023-24 school year. 

Jackson-Reed’s renovations and maintenance, like all DCPS schools, is overseen by the Department of General Services (DGS). Every spring JR staff begin the process of remedying the run-of-the-mill damages, as well as potential renovations, by doing a walkthrough with members of DGS to identify priorities. Afterwards, Jackson-Reed administrators contact members of DGS to make sure the proper funds have been allocated so that projects can be completed smoothly, after which DGS sends out contractors and work can begin. 

While this walkthrough has not yet occurred, Principal Brown outlined several likely preliminary priorities. “I would like to attend to the restrooms and some of the structural issues, such as the plumbing and the HVAC AC issues.” He went on to explain, “I hear some rooms are cold, other rooms are not . . . obviously a lot of this is based on just the design of the building”. 

The weight room is also expected to undergo renovations this summer. This renovation is in partnership with One City DC, an organization that works with DC public schools to ensure that everyone has equal access to better physical health opportunities. The project is expected to be finished by August 1st, just in time for the 23-24 school year. 

“Our weight room is outdated and our student athletes deserve to train in an environment that provides them the best opportunity to grow,” explained Thelma Ortega, Administrative Aide for Athletics. She mentioned how it is mentally better to practice in a new and enhanced facility, as well as help sports team’s training. 

The repairs to the auditorium are also expected to continue over the summer, though Brown noted that they will likely not be finished until spring. In addition to the many components which need fixing such as lighting and sound equipment, seating, and weather damage, there are also roofing issues, that need to be repaired before productions can resume. 

There has been concern over the leaking roof of Jackson-Reed’s atrium. Principal Brown explained that since the Atrium renovations are such a large project, the renovation would be considered a small caps project where the funding would be separate rather than part of the summer renovations budget and will most likely take place at a later date. 

As Jackson-Reed’s total student population for the coming school years is projected to increase only slightly, the portables are expected to remain to keep the pressure of overcrowding off of the main building, but if MacArthur High School is successful in reducing the over-enrollment at Jackson-Reed in the future, than this decision could be reevaluated.