(Washington, DC) – Mayor Bowser today cut the ribbon at the newly modernized Bancroft Elementary School, a dual language (Spanish and English) instruction school in Ward 1. Since 2015, the Bowser Administration has fully or partially modernized 14 schools, including Bancroft and five other schools that will open in the fall of 2018. Through these modernizations, Mayor Bowser has focused on building functional spaces that will make it easier for our students and educators to come to school every day and learn and play in a conducive space.
“The investments we are making to modernize our schools goes well beyond just making physical changes to structures,” said Mayor Bowser. “We are creating beautiful and constructive environments for students, teachers, families and the entire Bancroft community to think bigger and more boldly about their future.”
The $68 million dollar investment in new construction and renovations at Bancroft creates a space that is more unified both operationally and administratively. The previous Bancroft campus consisted of five outdated buildings, which presented a number of operational and programmatic challenges. To improve circulation and ADA accessibility, the non-historic facilities were demolished and replaced with new construction. The new design connects historic portions of the school with a central corridor leading from the original entrance near Rock Creek Park. And all of the classrooms and facilities have been designed to support not only Bancroft Elementary students in first through fifth grade, but also the school’s dual language program, as well as Birya Public Charter, which offers early childhood and adult education classes.
“Mayor Bowser’s School Modernization Project has set out a vision for the Department of General Services (DGS) to ensure that all DC schools are positive learning environments, and we have been proud to deliver this at Bancroft” said Director Greer Gillis, Department of General Services (DGS).
Through a grant from the Community Schools Initiative, Bancroft Elementary partners with Briya Public Charter School as well as Mary’s Center and provides services to parents to learn English, obtain job skills, and become even more effective parents. The school community represents more than 30 countries from Latin America to Spain, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, and represents our DC values of loving and uplifting the languages and cultures of all students.
In 2017, Bancroft Elementary School was awarded the Standing Ovation Award for Excellence. The Standing Ovation Award is given out annually by the DC Ed Fund to celebrate and reward the staff of DC Public Schools (DCPS) for their innovation, service, and excellence.