The Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2E, a local council that represents the Georgetown, Hillandale and Burleith neighborhoods, passed a resolution to support continued Washington, D.C., funding for preschools and to appoint a new co-chair of the Georgetown Community Partnership (GCP), a forum for resolving issues between Georgetown University and surrounding neighborhoods, in a March 31 meeting.
The ANC, which meets monthly to receive updates on local projects, pass resolutions and hear from constituents, urged the D.C. Council to reject a proposal to eliminate the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP), an initiative that provides funding to public and private preschools to alleviate schooling costs.
Kishan Putta, an ANC member for district 2E01, said at the meeting that his constituents care about preserving PKEEP.
“One thing that’s already happened is parents have gotten emails saying funding and slots may not be available next year,” Putta said at the meeting. “So that has prompted a lot of concern and activity from parents and leaders across the city.”
While D.C. already supplies free public preschool to families, many public schools are at full capacity, forcing parents to send their children to private schools instead. PKEEP provides public financing to subsidize the costs of private and community preschool for some families.
Putta said PKEEP plays an important role in preserving educational opportunities for many D.C. families, as public preschool programs are frequently overenrolled.
“The reason that program is important is the public schools are specific places in the city and their capacities and their enrollments vary,” Putta told The Hoya. “People would love to go to their neighborhood school for free preschool, but it is often in many parts of the city not available. There is a lot more demand than supply.”
Raúl Echevarría, the CEO of CommuniKids Preschool and Children’s Language Center, a preschool on Wisconsin Avenue, said community-based schools have wide-ranging benefits for children.
“Community-based organizations do more than just care for three- and four-year-olds,” Echevarría said at the meeting. “Organizations like mine have long served D.C. families by providing quality, full-day, year-round education to children ages zero to five.”
Mia Tong, a District resident and mother of a preschooler, said she felt betrayed when she heard the city may cut funding.
“When I received the email, I felt completely hoodwinked by the system in some ways,” Tong said at the meeting.
According to Putta, ANC 2E is the ninth ANC council to pass a resolution urging the D.C. Council to preserve PKEEP.
ANC 2E also officially appointed Rick Murphy, former ANC 2E commissioner, as the new co-chair of the GCP.
Knox Graham (SFS ’27), another ANC member representing the eastern side of Georgetown University, praised the GCP for its role in conflict resolution.
“It is clear how significant it is in solving relationships between the university and the rest of the neighborhood — and the student body, frankly,” Graham said at the meeting.
Murphy’s appointment follows the retirement of Ron Lewis, former GCP co-chair who served for 13 years.
Lewis said that the GCP has grown into a beneficial institution for the Georgetown neighborhood since its inception.
“It has come to the point where it is now a real partnership, I’m very happy to say, thanks to the hard work and involvement of so many people in all of the constituencies,” Lewis said at the meeting. “We have turned this around and I am confident it is on a permanent track.”
“The community is better off, the on-campus life is much richer than it was, and the university is accustomed now to engaging in very thoughtful and careful and collegial long-term planning,” Lewis added.
Murphy said he was grateful to be appointed GCP co-chair and that he hoped to live up to the legacy of Lewis.
“The size of the shoes I’m stepping into are immense,” Murphy said. “I can only say I look forward to doing the best I can to do what he did.”
Lewis said he expects Murphy to excel in his new role as GCP co-chair.
“Rick is absolutely qualified and poised to do a wonderful job,” Lewis said.
