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Mayor Muriel Bowser Celebrates First Day of School with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Adams Campus

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Mayor Muriel Bowser joined District leaders and community members to celebrate the first day of school for thousands of students across DC by cutting the ribbon on a $71 million modernization of the Adams Campus at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. The modernized Adams Campus includes cutting-edge amenities such as a new fourth-floor addition, outdoor learning opportunities, a dedicated gymnasium, and modernized classrooms with smartboards and flexible learning spaces. The ceremony marked the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, which will welcome approximately 53,000 DCPS students and more than 47,000 public charter school students to the District.

Key Takeaways:

  • The modernization of the Adams Campus at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School includes a $71 million investment in cutting-edge amenities, such as a new fourth-floor addition, outdoor learning opportunities, a dedicated gymnasium, and modernized classrooms with smartboards.
  • The ceremony marked the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, which will welcome approximately 53,000 DCPS students and more than 47,000 public charter school students to the District.
  • The District's recent investments in education have helped make DC schools the fastest-improving urban school district in the country.
  • The Mayor's FY26 Budget, Grow DC, dedicates an additional $2.8 billion to support DCPS and DC public charter school students, $270 million to support pay raises for DCPS and charter teachers, and $2 billion for school modernizations.
  • The 2025 Back to School Guide was released by Mayor Bowser, offering a comprehensive resource for parents and guardians of children in K-12 and pre-K, including information about enrollment, attendance, academic support, career and college readiness programs, and more.
  • Public school students in DC are making significant academic progress, with the largest increase in proficiency rates made since the pandemic in both English language arts/literacy (ELA) and math.

Statistics:

  • $71 million: The cost of the modernization of the Adams Campus at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School.
  • Approximately 53,000: The number of DCPS students welcomed to the 2025-26 school year.
  • More than 47,000: The number of public charter school students welcomed to the 2025-26 school year.
  • $2.8 billion: The additional funding dedicated to support DCPS and DC public charter school students in the Mayor's FY26 Budget, Grow DC.
  • $270 million: The funding dedicated to support pay raises for DCPS and charter teachers in the Mayor's FY26 Budget, Grow DC.
  • $2 billion: The funding dedicated to school modernizations in the Mayor's FY26 Budget, Grow DC.

Sources:

  • Office of the Mayor of Washington, D.C.
  • DC Public Schools (DCPS)
  • District of Columbia State Superintendent of Education (DC SSE)
  • DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB)
  • The Mayor's FY26 Budget, Grow DC

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