KIPP DC has been granted the permits for Phase 2 of its renovation of the Webb school in Trinidad and is on track to open a middle school there in summer 2014.
The popular charter school system already operates more than 10 schools around the District. As of last year, the system had a waiting list of 3,000 students.
The Webb campus, as it is now known, was a former D.C. elementary school that closed in 2008 and was used as a warehouse until it was
severely damaged by fire last year. Later last year, the
city awarded the space at 1375 Mount Olivet Road NE to KIPP, which is leasing the building.
The building—part of which is already completed and houses a pre-K and elementary school—is in the process of "a full gut," says Kate Finley, KIPP DC's director of new schools. "New floors, new bathrooms and fixtures, and new paint." KIPP did retain the original skeleton of the building, but because of the fire damage, has had to rebuild a lot. KIPP is also re-doing an athletic field that will be open to the public, similar to the field/dog park that KIPP
built at its Shaw campus.
When complete, the Webb campus will serve 1,000 students from pre-K to eighth grade over 100,000 square feet.
"We're really excited to be able to offer the neighborhood a high-quality public charter school in this area," says Finley. "We've heard from several families in this area that they're so glad that we have a school in this building. Many of them are walking to it and they're able to have their kids in here."