DPR Contact: John Stokes, (202) 673-7645
OPEFM Contact: Tony Robinson, (202) 698-7703
DCPS Contact: Jennifer Calloway, (202) 535-1096
EOM Contact: Jennifer Nguyen, (202) 340-8420

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM) Director Allen Lew, and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) Director Jesús Aguirre joined Ward 3 youth for the ribbon cutting of Stoddert Elementary School, 4000 Calvert Street, NW.

“My administration has always been committed to investing in education and ensuring that our youth learn in first-rate facilities,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “Long gone are the days where our youth learned in schools with leaky roofs and broken heaters, and Stoddert is just one example of all of the improved school facilities throughout the District.”

“Our long-term goal is to make DC public schools the highest performing urban school district in the country. By providing students with top-notch educators and facilities, we are laying the foundation to achieve that goal,” said Chancellor Rhee. “Over the last three years we’ve seen remarkable improvement in test scores and graduation rates, and with great teachers and cutting edge technology, like here at Stoddert, there’s no limit to what our kids can achieve.”

"With each new school that our team finishes, we raise the bar. Stoddert is the first DCPS school with a geothermal energy system that not only creatively saves on heating and cooling costs, it also serves as a teaching tool for the students. The interactive information board in the main lobby shows students energy savings and other data," said OPEFM Director Lew. "Everyone from our project team, the architect and the builder really came together and hit another home run. The school addition is a creative solution to add more space and, while contemporary in look and feel, it seamlessly complements the historic building which has been fully modernized."

DPR Director Jesús Aguirre states, “DPR is pleased to have partnered yet again with OPEFM on another spectacular modernization and co-location project. Stoddert Elementary School and Recreation Center allows residents of all ages to enjoy safe, healthy activities and programs that enrich their quality of life.”

Stoddert Elementary School was built in 1932 with capacity for approximately 220 students and received an inadequate addition in 1993. Since then, Stoddert has continued to remain severely overcrowded. Currently, Stoddert Elementary School has 285 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The new addition adds approximately 47,000 square feet of space to the school’s total size; Stoddert now has capacity to accommodate more than 300 students.

The new $34.3 million modernized Stoddert Elementary School boasts LEED Gold certification, a brand new gymnasium, a new athletic field and playground, a new media center and cafeteria, a new 42-space parking lot, a drop-off area in the front of the school, community areas and additional administrative space for both DCPS and DPR.

DC-based architecture firm Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn (EEK) Architects completed the design and Whiting-Turner Construction completed work on the facility.