On May 23, 2024, the PTA Board sent the following letter to members of the Council of the District of Columbia, including Chairman Phil Mendelson, urging increased investments in programs that affect J.O. Wilson in the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
We are writing on behalf of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and parents at J.O. Wilson Elementary School, to express appreciation to the Council for restoring funding for OSSE’s Community Schools Incentive Initiative, and to share deep concerns about other proposed cuts to the DCPS Central Office budget that will negatively impact our school community.
Our entire school–administration, teachers, the PTA, and most importantly, our parents and students–has benefited from our partnership with Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital (C.I.S.) for nearly a decade. J.O. Wilson is a Title I school, and DCPS classifies over half of our students as at-risk. C.I.S. provides vital assistance in the form of behavioral supports, counseling, wrap-around services, and support for students facing crises such as domestic violence and housing relocations. Central to this partnership is our C.I.S. Coordinator, a full-time employee embedded at the school, who serves as the school’s truancy caseworker, working directly with families struggling with chronic absenteeism and attendance issues. Without this partnership, we would not be able to provide our families with the support they need to ensure that their students attend school consistently and receive the education that J.O. Wilson provides.
We are grateful and relieved to see funding for OSSE’s Community Schools Incentive Initiative restored for this coming Fiscal Year. The $2.5 million for community schools will make such a difference to J.O. Wilson and other schools so they can continue serving the needs of our students and their families.
However, we are deeply concerned about the lack of dedicated funding for the Community Schools Incentive Initiative beyond this upcoming budget year and urge the Council to prioritize funding for this partnership that is vital to our school community. This loss comes at a critical time, as J.O. Wilson is slated for modernization, which will require relocating to a temporary swing space from January 2025 through at least August 2026. This will be a challenging time for our community, especially for those families who face so many challenges already. Having the stability of C.I.S. supports and resources will be even more critical for truancy reduction efforts moving forward.
Additionally, we are concerned about proposed DCPS Central Office budget cuts that would result in losing programs and resources that we value as a school community. Specifically, we urge the Council to find funding to restore the 3rd grade learn-to-swim program. Our city is bounded by water on two sides, but many of our students lack basic swimming competence. In addition to teaching our students a vital life skill, the swim program is a highlight of the 3rd grade experience for many of our students. With the loss of this program, our students lose access to important water safety skills and a lifelong wellness opportunity.
Finally, we ask the Council to reconsider cuts to the security services program. Our security officers are central and beloved members of our school community. They play a vital role in ensuring that our students want to come to school every day by welcoming our kids with a smile and making them feel safe throughout the day. They sit with students when parents are late for pickup, ensure the building is secure during aftercare hours, and provide security for our many school-based events that bring our community together. Our security officers will be even more important to the actual and perceived safety of our students, staff, and families over the next two years, because we will be in a new and unfamiliar swing space.
We understand that difficult decisions need to be made in this budget, and we greatly appreciate and acknowledge your support of OSSE’s Community Schools Incentive Initiative. We urge you to find funding to restore this vital program going forward, so it can continue serving the needs of our students and their families. We sincerely hope that you will reconsider any DCPS Central Office budget cuts that negatively impact students safety and security.
Thank you for your efforts.
Katrina Loraine Amos Washington, PTA President
Victoria Winter, PTA Second Vice President
Cynthia Belmonte, PTA Secretary
Tiffany Payne, PTA Assistant Secretary
Karmen Ward, PTA Treasurer
Daniel Newman, PTA Assistant Treasurer
Paul Spires, PTA Fundraising Director
Sheena Gay, PTA Assistant Membership Director
Catherine Lux Fry, former PTA President and Ward 6 Public Schools Parent Organization (W6PSPO) Representative