July 7, 2008, 8 a.m. - In the wake of misinformation over school construction contracts presented to the council for approval in recent days,  D.c. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray last week released Facts on Summer School Repair Work for the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization. 

“We are seeing a great deal of confusion over what school improvement work has and has not been approved by the Council and the impact on these actions.  This is not surprising given the pressure being placed on the Council to approve contracts retroactively or under time constraints without the benefit of careful analysis, transparency or sufficient information.  I have asked Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso, and OPEFM Executive Director Allen Lew to testify at a public roundtable on either July 8th or July 11^th (their choice) to clarify these issues and provide further information as a follow up to the June 25^th roundtable, which only Mr. Lew attended.   

“In the meantime, I want to clarify that the Council has received no contracts for six of the fourteen schools included in Mr. Lew’s letter to me of July 2, 2008, in which he stated that these schools would be subject to Stop Work Orders. We also have no reprogramming request indicating that more funding is needed for Sousa Junior High School. (See chart indicating status of any contracts involving the 14 schools.)  In addition, a contract for the complete modernization of Brightwood, one of the six, was approved several years ago.  That work is almost complete and Mr. Lew testified on June 25 that no further work was needed for Pre-K-8^th grade modifications at Brightwood. 

“I have stated many of these points in letters to both Chancellor Rhee and Mr. Lew. Finally, I want to reiterate to the public that the Council is doing all that it can do to support improved educational facilities and believes that public dialogue during the upcoming roundtable will lead to a better understanding among the Council, the Executive and the public on key education policies and facilities funding issues.”