December 13, 2006

Dear Families of Fillmore Students,

Two weeks ago our students were grinning ear to ear as they enjoyed their first classes in Fillmore's temporary classrooms on the Fillmore/Hardy site. Finally they had all the space, supplies, equipment and facilities they needed. And to add some icing to the cake, they got to ride a school bus to our campus.

Unfortunately, that Friday evening our Director Katherine Latterner was informed of a change in plans. The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (aka DCRA aka the permitting department) has decided that children are no longer allowed on campus. The issue? The sidewalk that the students use to enter/exit the temporary Fillmore building abuts the facade of the permanent building. The earliest work scheduled for the facade would be the installation of windows- theoretically they will be installed in May 2007. However DCRA has had the architect's plans and the building's plans for over a year and just decided to change their mind. Perhaps they knew what they wanted all along but were never able to communicate it. Regardless, DCRA has decided we must have a set of wooden stairs built at the corner of the teachers' parking lot that would lead up to the corner of 35th Street NW and Whitehaven Parkway NW. In addition the walkway must now be covered and have lighting.

The Board of Friends of Fillmore collectively took action (and many parents as well) and contacted our DC Council Members. We contacted Kathy Patterson (Ward 3/Education and Libraries) who has 3 Fillmore schools in her district, Jack Evans (Ward 2/Finances/Chair ProTempore) who has Hardy and 3 Fillmore feeders in his district, and Jim Graham (Ward 1/DCRA) who has 1 feeder school in his district. We asked for a temporary occupancy permit, that would require the building of stairs before the windows are placed in the permanent building. Well, we didn't succeed in that quest, but we did get the attention of Mr. Evans and Mr. Graham and their staff. They have been of enormous help in getting the occupancy back on track. As of today, Wednesday the 13th, the stairs have been built and the walkway has been covered. This work has been done at a lightning pace due to the attention of the council members' offices, the pressure of Fillmore Board members, and a new DCPS facilities member, Jane Morrissey. Please feel free to thank any of these people who have taken this issue seriously and said "Enough is enough!"

Of course the biggest thanks of all need to be given to our star Fillmore teachers and Director. If show business didn't have "The show must go on" as a motto, these teachers would have given up or left Fillmore this Fall. Instead, they have brought insightful and clever lessons to our young artists. I like to think they have been role models for our children in this respect as well.

Thanks so very much for your patience. Please know that your calls and emails helped make a difference in the lives of 1000 students!

Yours sincerely,

Lisa Lindstrom

Chair of Friends of Fillmore

Key Elementary Parent

965-1117

LISALGL@verizon.net