Mayor Bowser Celebrates Back-to-School Night and Cuts Ribbon on Whitlock Elementary School

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Department of General Services (DGS) Director Delano Hunter, and DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee joined other District officials and community members to cut the ribbon and celebrate Back-to-School Night at the newly modernized Whitlock Elementary School. The $45 million modernization of the 1960s-era building, located along the Watts Creek Branch of the Anacostia River, adds approximately 25,000 square feet to the school. New features include early childhood education classrooms, a new library, gymnasium, and a cafeteria.

“This summer, we invested over $400 million to modernize our DC Public Schools—an investment in our students, teachers, and the future of our city,” said Mayor Bowser. “Through the hard work of the Department of General Services, we’re creating world-class learning environments while ensuring District dollars support local businesses and workers. As we begin the new school year, I want to thank everyone involved in supporting the next generation of Washingtonians.”

With this expansion, Whitlock Elementary School now has the capacity to accommodate its growing student population, serving pre-K through 5th grade with a total footprint of 73,000 square feet. DGS preserved the historic lobby and classroom space from the original building, formerly known as Aiton Elementary School. The new building is LEED Gold-certified and Net-Zero ready, with sustainability features such as geothermal wells, stormwater management, and rooftop solar panels.

“This summer, DGS took on an ambitious challenge – with more school modernizations and renovations in one summer than we have ever tackled since the pandemic” said DGS Director Delano Hunter. “That hard work has paid off as students, parents, and teachers start the school year exploring their new spaces and being inspired by the incredible artwork throughout. As we cut the ribbon at Whitlock Elementary, I want to thank the DGS team and our steadfast partners at DCPS.”

Funded by DGS’s Percent for Art program, Whitlock Elementary School now features seven impressive pieces of public art, created by both local and international artists, including Portugal’s VHILS.

“The modernization of Whitlock Elementary is a testament to our commitment to providing exceptional learning environments for all students,” said Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee. “With state-of-the-art facilities and dynamic spaces for early childhood education, this school represents the future of public education in DC.”

Whitlock Elementary School serves students in pre-K3 through fifth grade, and will now join the growing list of DCPS schools that have child care centers for infants and toddlers 0-3 co-located at schools in partnership with community-based organizations. Child development centers located in DCPS elementary schools offer a coordinated and supported transition between infant and toddler programming and pre-K. Earlier this school year, Mayor Bowser cut the ribbons on two other newly modernized campuses which have school-based child development centers, Garfield Elementary School in Ward 8 and the Miner Elementary School ECE Center in Ward 7. Since 2020, the Bowser Administration has also opened the Stevens Early Learning Center in Ward 2, the Military Road Early Learning Center in Ward 4, and the Randle Highlands Early Learning Center in Ward 7.

This project met DGS’s Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) goals, with over 35% of contracts awarded to local CBEs. STUDIOMB Architecture and Gilbane Building Company were key partners in this modernization. 

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