Multiple Bancroft community members asked DC Public Schools and the mayor to prioritize buying and renovating the Henderson Building to create a pre-K annex and relieve extreme overcrowding at Bancroft Elementary School.

Elise Gingrich (interpreter) presented testimony from Lija Stearman, a Bancroft teacher and parent, who described classrooms built for 15 students holding 24 and cafeteria lines that leave some students with only seven minutes to eat. "Classes are filled with students beyond capacity...the cafeteria is another big challenge," Stearman said, and she urged DCPS to include Henderson acquisition and renovation in the budget.

Several parents asked DCPS to request the mayor and the Department of General Services (DGS) to initiate purchase. Jasmine Herndon asked that DCPS add $35,000,000 to the FY26 budget for Henderson renovation, noting that Bancroft's enrollment has increased and cited an enrollment figure of 828 versus a capacity of 709. Jamie Barden (Co-chair, Bancroft Annex Working Group) noted the City Council set aside $9,000,000 last summer for purchase and emphasized the urgency because of a competing buyer.

Advocates raised additional concerns: Camilo Mantilla opposed placing trailers on the school's soccer field and said losing that green space would harm recreation and community events; Maya Galblum Hague highlighted that Bancroft's playground is one of the few wheelchair-accessible spaces nearby and warned trailers would remove that resource. Speakers tied the annex request to equity goals: Jamie Barden noted that pre-K at Bancroft is about 80% Spanish-dominant and that losing pre-K would harm bilingual and vulnerable families.

DCPS officials acknowledged facility interest and said capital and operating budgets would be built to respond to capital needs, but the hearing produced no commitment to the $35 million renovation ask. The council previously set aside $9 million for purchase; parents asked the district to press the mayor and DGS to move immediately on acquisition and to include renovation funds in the next budget cycle.