For Immediate Release
November 18, 2025
Sierra Wallace, Communications Director
(202)355-8431
Swallace@dccouncil.gov

Councilmember Henderson Introduces Legislation to Increase High Quality Learning Environments in the District

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the PACE Clarification Amendment Act of 2025. The legislation would increase student access to high-quality learning environments by clarifying the prioritization process for modernizing District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) facilities and streamlining the information gathering process for school buildings with historic designations.  

“The state of DPCS facilities have come a long way since the late 1990s, when there were more than 20,000 open work orders and 70% of the District’s schools were in poor condition,” stated Councilmember Henderson. “ In 2016, I helped introduce the Planning Actively for Comprehensive Education Facilities Amendment Act (PACE), which facilitated an equitable approach to the modernization of DCPS facilities. Almost 10 years later, this bill would further that goal by not only clarifying agency discretion afforded during the prioritization process, but also ensuring DCPS schools with historic designations do not get left behind.”  

The PACE Clarification Amendment Act of 2025 clarifies that DCPS must calculate the prioritization score of all school facilities, regardless of whether they have previously been modernized, in order to ensure that they meet today's standards. Currently, DCPS is only prioritizing a subset of schools, rather than all schools in its portfolio. It also requires education and historic preservation agencies to establish an inventory of schools with historic designations or eligibility and compile a reference of the laws and policies that may impact development to promote transparency and encourage proactive planning.  

This bill was co-introduced by Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Brooke Pinto, Janeese Lewis George, and Robert C. White Jr..  

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