JANEY GOES NICE AND EASY WITH HIS KNIFE

School Board Chief Clifford Janey promised to cut 1 million SF of empty school space, and he propsoed closing six schools (730,000 SF) and leasing space in others to get there. A total of $8.2 million would be saved each year, said the WaPo.

Though Janey appears to have met his target, one has to think he could have cut more. Recommended for closure are Fletcher-Johnson Educational Center in Southeast, Merritt Educational Center in Northeast, Shadd Elementary in Southeast, M.C. Terrell Elementary in Southeast, Van Ness Elementary in Southeast and Walker-Jones Elementary in Northwest.

But cutting more square footage would have politically required Janey to close some schools west of Rock Creek Park. Those schools, though, are sucessful for the most part and were spared. So like a very skilled fishmonger, Janey may have filleted the fish perfectly. To ask for more would have risked sacrficing some quality.