Swing Space Overview

January 2024

Modernization Swing Space Overview


Background

The mission of DC Public Schools (DCPS) is to ensure that every school guarantees that students reach 

their full potential through rigorous and joyful learning experiences provided in a nurturing environment. 

Through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), DCPS creates an equal opportunity for all students to learn 

in a healthy, equitable, and inspiring learning environment. 

Pursuant to the Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities Amendment Act of 2016 (“PACE” 

or “Act”) (D.C. Official Code § 38-2803 (d)(3)), DCPS’s CIP identifies schools eligible for modernization and 

small capital improvements. As part of the annual CIP submission, DCPS must develop a complete project 

proposal for each school that may include a plan for a temporary relocation to a swing space that would 

directly support the construction phase of a modernization project. The proposal is based on a thorough 

analysis of project scope, complexity of construction and the need for a swing space to complete a project.

The Act also outlines that the availability of an appropriate swing space must be considered when school 

modernizations are sequenced in the CIP. This document delivers guidance on how DCPS supports schools who

require a swing space during a modernization. 


Identifying Swing Space

To ensure that all students and staff are safe during the construction process and that school 

programming can continue unimpeded, schools are typically required to relocate to a swing space

during the modernization’s construction phase. This allows the modernization project team to take full 

control of the building and to complete the modernization in a timely and economical fashion. Swing 

spaces are often in a separate facility or modular campus, but schools may also be required to relocate

their programming to one portion of the building or site, so that the modernization project team can 

begin work in an isolated portion of the building. For all schools in swing, DCPS will work closely with 

School Leadership and the modernization project team to determine accommodations required for

school programming and to coordinate all logistics for the transition.


Swing Space Factors 

DCPS considers several factors when creating a CIP project proposal that identifies project scope and a 

potential swing sequence plan. These factors include:

1. Availability of existing swing buildings: Swing space is based on what is available and currently 

existing in DCPS’s facility portfolio at the time that can meet the school programmatic, and 

population needs. If DCPS determines a new swing space or modular campus is required, there 

must be a universal benefit for multiple schools within the CIP. Modular campuses are a heavy 

investment for the district, and due to total construction costs, DCPS prefers to use modulars for 

at least 6 years, or for 3 or more schools, once constructed. 

2. Distance: DCPS makes every effort to minimize the distance between a school’s home address 

and swing site in response to community concerns around busing time and distance, ideally 

keeping schools in their home Ward.

3. Size and Enrollment: DCPS works to ensure that sizes of swing sites can accommodate the 

student enrollments of the schools they will be hosting during the years of swing, per building 

capacity counts and program analysis. DCPS also conducts an in-depth data analysis of historical, 

current, and projected enrollment trends to understand the school’s program including the 

number of class sections per grade band, special education programs, and DCPS enrichment 

academic programs.

4. Programmatic needs: DCPS assesses programs that can be accommodated at swing buildings, 

matching programs to an appropriate facility where possible, and allocating centralized swing 

funding where necessary.

5. Full utilization of the swing space portfolio: DCPS’s goal is to never leave swing sites unoccupied 

for more than 6 months to a year, as unoccupied buildings quickly fall into disrepair. Thus, 

DCPS’s swing plan attempts to keep swing sites regularly active without gaps. When modular 

campuses reach the end of their useful life cycle, typically 6-8 years after initial installment, 

these campuses are typically taken offline. This gives DCPS the consideration to establish a new 

modular site to service school communities in a different part of the district. 


Swing Space Modifications

While DCPS considers each school’s unique program to help identify potential swing locations, it’s 

important to note that all DCPS swing spaces are built to temporarily meet the general needs of schools 

based on grade-band programming. Swing sites need to be flexible enough to accommodate multiple 

school communities within that grade band, with minimal modifications and site restoration to be carried 

out between occupants. DCPS will also make modifications for schools that are in a different grade-band

to accommodate the different needs of each student body. 


Student Transportation Policy

DCPS provides bus transportation (also called swing transportation) to and from the swing location for 

all interested students during the relocation. While our goal is to minimize the disruption to students 

and families, in the instances where there is no available swing space within two miles of a school 

undergoing modernization, DCPS will provide swing transportation. This transportation service will 

provide buses to pick up and drop off students from their permanent school location. The 

modernization team will ensure that, even with construction activity, there is a safe location at the 

permanent school location to serve as a bus stop. The bus schedule will be developed to accommodate 

the school's before and after care offerings. See below for  sample bus schedules.


Sample- Morning Schedule 


Sample- Afternoon Schedule 

For more information regarding swing space transportation, please visit Student Transportation Policy


Engagement

DCPS is committed to conducting an equitable planning process for all school modernization projects, 

including analyzing project scope and revising details such as swing space plans of projects within the 

CIP. While swing planning and swing space design are not a point of community engagement for DCPS, 

we work closely with School Leadership to ensure that all swing space planning factors are being met for 

each school. Finalized swing plans are typically provided alongside the Mayor’s CIP announcement 

before the project enters the modernization Design phase. Before this point, swing plans are tentative 

and can change due to significant modifications in student enrollment or additional projects being 

added to the modernization queue based on CIP and PACE requirements. 

Once a modernization has started, our engagement structure includes a series of meetings with the 

School Improvement Team (SIT) and the broader school community to inform all stakeholders of the 

modernization and swing space location. 


View or download a .pdf copy of this document here.