The Beacon

MacArthur High School to open in fall to alleviate overcrowding

Clara Doyle, Contributor • March 23, 2023

In an effort to combat overcrowding at Jackson-Reed, DCPS will open MacArthur Boulevard High School this fall in Northwest DC. MacArthur will be the new in-boundary school for all in the Hardy Middle School...

Inadequate ticket sales lead to dance cancellation

Isadora Groves and Kiley Hatcher • March 23, 2023

Cupid’s arrows could not penetrate the hearts of Jackson-Reed students this February, leading to the cancellation of the Valentine's Day Bash. The dance, originally scheduled for February...

Menstrual product dispensers added to Jackson-Reed bathrooms

Leah Carrier, Managing Editor • March 23, 2023

All girls bathrooms were equipped with pad and tampon dispensers over February break. The dispensers charge ¢25 for each product. These new installations were financed using funding delegated by the...

Low water pressure prompts bathroom closures

Isadora Groves, Natalie Gordon, and Junior Editor, Sports Editor • March 23, 2023

A plumbing issue left all toilets in the main building and portable trailers unusable. Jackson-Reed students and staff remained in school throughout the dysfunction. A blockage in the water filtration...

Controversies arise as high schoolers turn to AI for cheating

Hadley Carr and Benjamin Chait • March 23, 2023

The room was quiet, except for the sound of rustling papers and the furious scribbling of pencils. These conditions are typical of AP-style essay exams, which demand total silence and are written exclusively...

Inadequate ticket sales lead to dance cancelation

Isadora Groves and Kiley Hatcher • March 18, 2023

Cupid’s arrows could not penetrate the hearts of Jackson-Reed students this February, leading to the cancellation of the Valentine's Day Bash. The dance, originally scheduled for February 10, was...

Admin suspends Palestine education fundraiser amidst controversy

Benjamin Chait, Editor-in-Chief • March 10, 2023

The Jackson-Reed administration suspended and then resumed a fundraiser towards education for Palestinians due to failure to comply with school policy following community pushback. The charity event,...

Required community service hours reduced to 12

Rohini Kieffer, Section Copy Editor • March 10, 2023

The mandated number of community service hours for current DCPS seniors was reduced from 100 to 12. The decision was made by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and also involved...

DCPS Connected Schools provides service to families

Kiley Hatcher, Contributor • March 10, 2023

DCPS Connected Schools, a community school model, is directing new resources and accelerated learning programs to disadvantaged DC public schools. 12 schools currently have Connected School Managers who...

Late work policies vary among classes

Maddie Nusbaum and Gil Leifman • March 10, 2023

DCPS’s late work and retake grading policies have shifted in recent years, creating discrepancies among individual teachers’ grading systems. These inconsistencies are especially obvious at the end...

New contract to address teacher salaries

Becca Green, Features Editor • March 10, 2023

The Washington Teacher’s Union (WTU) and DCPS reached an agreement on December 13 about a new contract. The contract outlines a 12 percent salary increase and retention bonus for teachers, social workers,...

Classes transition to new trailers

Isadora Groves, Junior Editor • March 10, 2023

Jackson-Reed began using portable trailers this semester to combat overcrowding. Several teachers volunteered to move their classes. “There were eight teachers who volunteered [to move to the portables]....