Committee of the Whole Public Oversight Hearing

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC OVERSIGHT HEARING 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC OVERSIGHT HEARING on The Closure of Eagle Academy on Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. Hearing Room 412 (Track B) John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW DC Council Website (www.dccouncil.gov) Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announces a public oversight hearing before the Committee of the Whole on The Closure of Eagle Academy. The hearing will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2024. On August 19, 2024, the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) voted to reject the proposal by Friendship Public Charter School to acquire the charter of Eagle Academy Public Charter School. The following day, on August 20, 2024, Eagle Academy’s Board announced their decision to the community to relinquish their charter, effective immediately. This sudden closure left employees and 362 students without a school, just one week before the start of the academic year. The closure has raised concern regarding the financial oversight and planning practices within PCSB, particularly around Eagle Academy’s financial mismanagement. Key areas of concern include issues related to the McGogney building lease, ongoing enrollment declines, and the adequacy of financial management and corrective action plans. The purpose of this public oversight hearing is to examine the impact of Eagle Academy’s closure on students, staff, and the broader community, and to gain an understanding of the factors that contributed to this outcome. This hearing is limited to invited witnesses and agency representatives; however anyone may submit written testimony. Those who wish to submit testimony for the record may do so by using the Council’s Hearing Management System at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/hearings or by leaving a voicemail at (202) 430-6948 (up to 3 minutes which will be transcribed). Testimony will be publicly accessible upon Committee review. The record will close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 18, 2024. If you have additional questions, please contact Aliyah McNeely, Legislative Policy Advisor, at (202)724-8140 or amcneely@dccouncil.gov.