Historical Timetable

1971 Oyster's model bilingual program takes shape, driven by community vision and initiative. The program is housed in the original 1926 building.

1974-75 Two portable classrooms are located on the east playground.

1983 A third portable classroom is added on the playground. One fourth of the school's population is housed in these classrooms.

1988-92 The Oyster school community, recognizing that its successful bilingual program is hindered in several ways by its facility, begins to search for solutions. Among the ideas discussed is the potential to capture the land value of the site to generate money to fix the school.

July 1992 The Oyster Blueprint Committee writes a position paper on the facility needs of Oyster:

  • the portable classrooms are deteriorating; code issues are a concern;
  • typical classroom doesn't serve current teaching methods well, including team teaching in 2 languages;
  • the building does not support educational technology;
  • the optimal enrollment for program is greater than current capacity of the building.

Dec. 1992 Oyster requests new portable classrooms. The central administration rejects the request. The school system tells Oyster they have no capital funds for the school. Further, there is no mechanism to consider other locations; therefore "outside" options are not feasible. The Oyster community discusses partnership concept with then Superintendent Franklin Smith and Director of Facilities, William McAfee. The central administration gives Oyster the go-ahead to explore public/private development as the only available option. Spring 1993 Oyster is put on a list of 40 DCPS schools to be considered for closing or consolidation. The potential closing galvanizes the Oyster community. The school community decides to intensify its efforts to find a way to modernize the school.

1994 The 21st Century School Fund, a new non-profit organization with close ties to the Oyster community, requests funding from the Ford Foundation to lead an effort to create a public/private development partnership to modernize Oyster. Ford Foundation provides funding for a special grant.

The school community develops Educational Specifications, which set forth in detail the school's unique educational program and the architectural program required to support it.

1994-95 The 21st Century School fund and the DCPS complete a feasibility and market study. These studies indicate that the project is feasible. The 21st Century School Fund begins to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a developer.

Oct. 1995 Board of Education of DCPS unanimously approves Public Private Development Partnerships as a concept and Oyster as a model.

Dec. 1995 DC Board of Education approves the Educational Specifications for a modernized Oyster.

Jan. 1996 DC Council approves a resolution to support the Oyster Public Private Development Partnership.

April 1996 DCPS signs a memorandum of understanding with the 21st Century School Fund, formally engaging their assistance in the process of selecting a developer and initiating this model project.

May 1996 21st Century School Fund engages technical support from the Staubach Company for real estate expertise; and James F. Wilson, Inc. for construction and project planning services.

July 1996 DC Council passes legislation providing for payments to the school system in lieu of property taxes on the residential development. Payments will be used to:

  • cover any construction costs beyond value of the land;
  • help pay for relocation costs and furnishings for the modernized school;
  • provide funding for capital projects at other DC Public Schools

Sept. 1996 A request for proposals from developers is issued by DCPS

Nov. 1996 Control Board takes over DCPS. Control Board selects General Becton as CEO and appoints an emergency Board of Trustees to replace Superintendent Smith and the elected DC Board of Education.

Dec. 1996 Two proposals from developers are received by DCPS.

Dec. 1996 General Becton appoints Charles E. Williams as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Facilities for DCPS.

Dec. 1996 Oyster representatives, 21st Century School Fund and technical advisors from the Staubach Company; James F. Wilson, Inc.; and Nixon, Hargraves, Devans and Doyle brief Charles Williams on the Oyster Project.

May 1997 DCPS rejects offers from developers

July 1997 Educational specifications are revised by Oyster Local School Restructuring Team with assistance from the 21st Century School Fund.

Aug. 1997 A Memorandum of Agreement is reached between the Oyster School Local School Restructuring Team and DCPS administration to ensure that the local school and community are a part of the developer selection process.

Nov. 1997 Revised request for proposals from developer is issued by DCPS.

Feb. 1998 Proposals from 3 developers' teams are received by DCPS.

Mar. 1998 Developers make presentations to the selection panel made up of 3 representatives from the Oyster School community and 4 representatives from DCPS; and to the technical advisors from the 21st Century School Fund, the Staubach Company, and James F. Wilson, Inc.

Mar. 1998 Selection panel meets to select developer.

April 1998 DCPS announces developer selection.

July 1998 City Council unanimously passes the legislation supporting the Oyster project and providing the mechanisms to allow the project to go forth.

Aug. 1998 Oyster moves into swing space at K. C. Lewis Elementary School for three years.

July 2001 Oyster moves into its new school building at 29th and Calvert Streets, N. W.