Duke Ellington School of the Arts

Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Duke Ellington School for the Arts in 2022
Address
Map
3500 R Street Northwest[1]

20007

United States
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1974 (50 years ago) (1974)
School districtDistrict of Columbia Public Schools Ward 2
CEEB code090225
PrincipalSandi M. Logan
Faculty20.0 (on FTE basis)[3]
Grades9 to 12
Enrollment525 (2015-16)[2]
Student to teacher ratio24.55[3]
Campus typeUrban
Websitewww.ellingtonarts.org
Western High School
Duke Ellington School of the Arts is located in Washington, D.C.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Coordinates38°54′47″N 77°4′14″W / 38.91306°N 77.07056°W / 38.91306; -77.07056
Arealess than one acre
Built1898
ArchitectHarry B. Davis, Snowden Ashford
Architectural styleClassical Revival
MPSPublic School Buildings of Washington, DC MPS
NRHP reference No.03000673[4]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 25, 2003
Designated DCIHSMay 23, 2002

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts (established 1974) is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Duke Ellington, a native of Washington, D.C. The building formerly housed Western High School. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Graduates of the school are prepared to pursue an artistic and theatric occupation. In addition to completing the traditional public school college prep curriculum, students must audition for and complete studies in one of the following artistic areas: cinematic arts and media production, dance, museum studies, instrumental music, vocal music, theater, technical design and production, and visual arts.

The school developed from the collaborative efforts of Peggy Cooper Cafritz, a long-time member of the D.C. School Board and Mike Malone, a veteran of Broadway, off-Broadway, contemporary dancer, director, and master choreographer, who were co-founders of Workshops for Careers in the Arts in 1968.[6] In 1974 this workshop program developed into the Duke Ellington School of the Arts at Western High School, an accredited four-year public high school program combining arts and academics. It is currently operated as a joint partnership between D.C. Public Schools, the Kennedy Center, and George Washington University.[7]

  1. ^ GNIS entry for Ellington School of the Arts;
  2. ^ "Duke Ellington School of the Arts". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  3. ^ a b DCPS Profiles. Accessed January 23, 2014.
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  5. ^ https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/03000673_text
  6. ^ Porter, Norma (4 February 2010). "Ellington Community Fights to Keep School in Georgetown". The Washington Informer. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  7. ^ Turque, Bill (17 January 2010). "Ellington arts school might be moved out of D.C.'s Ward 2". The Washington Post. Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2010.