Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson Cut Ribbon on Turner Elementary School Modernization Project

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray today celebrated the completion of the modernization of Turner Elementary School. Mayor Gray was joined by City Administrator Allen Y. Lew, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Kaya Henderson, and Department of General Services (DGS) Director Brian J. Hanlon in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ward 8 school.

“One of the top priorities of my One City Action Plan is to ensure that every District child has access to a top-quality education, and providing top-quality educational facilities is integral to that goal,” Mayor Gray said. “The transformation of Turner Elementary School is a tremendous example of the strides we are making as a District to provide students, educators, and families with state-of-the-art learning facilities that demonstrate how much we value our children’s education.”

The $27 million project features complete renovation of the existing school building; state-of-the art-science, music, dance, art and educational classrooms; and new recreational facilities.  Features include:

• Smart Boards and computers in all classrooms;
• A new kitchen;
• A new gymnasium and locker rooms;
• Multi-purpose physical-education space;
• New outdoor recreation spaces, including basketball courts, playgrounds and tennis courts; and
• New offices.

“The new Turner Elementary – contemporary, sophisticated and high-tech – showcases the best in school design and reflects our vision to create world-class schools for world-class educators and students,” said Chancellor Henderson. “I’m so proud of Turner and thankful to Mayor Gray, DGS and everyone who helped make this dream of a school into a reality. This project has been a long time coming and serves as an excellent example of the kind of design and construction that is possible in the District when we leverage every aspect of the building to maximize student achievement.”

The elementary school’s transformation also includes new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection systems, exterior restoration, roofing, systems replacement, improvements in accessibility to the handicapped, technology enhancements, sustainable design initiatives as well as significant upgrades to the interior finishes.

“The Turner Elementary School modernization targeted every aspect of the facility to ensure that this community has a 21st-century learning center that serves the entire community for years to come,” said City Administrator Lew.

“DGS is proud of our partnership with DCPS and the Deputy Mayor of Education in bringing online each of these 21st Century Schools to communities such as Ward 8,” said DGS Director Hanlon.

DGS was created by the Mayor in October of 2011 through a merger of the former Department of Real Estate Services (DRES), the Office of Public Education Facility Modernization (OPEFM) and various divisions of other select agencies, such as the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Charged with constructing, maintaining and managing the District’s real-estate portfolio of over 30 million square feet – including schools, parks, office buildings and other municipal facilities – DGS is dedicated to good stewardship of the spaces where residents and visitors work, live and play.

For more information on the Department of General Services, please visit www.dgs.dc.gov.