Founded in 1997, Washington School for Girls (WSG) is a tuition-free independent, all-girls school serving grades 3 to 8 in Washington, DC. The school has a 100 percent minority student population, and all students participate in the National School Lunch Program. The school desperately needed a new, larger, permanent home to serve its students better. Current enrollment means students are spread across two campuses, with younger students located in the community space of a local church. In addition, older students have outgrown their space. For example, both the library and the cafeteria are currently being used as classroom space in addition to being used for their original purpose.

WSG and its nonprofit landlord both initiated capital campaigns to support the project. Total development costs are $24.3 million. In addition, the project developer agreed to oversee construction at no cost to the project. Despite this, a financing gap remained. New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing of $24 million from three Community Development Entities (CDEs)—Truist CDE, Harbor Bank, and Partnership for the Common Good—allowed the project to move forward without years of additional capital campaigns. WSG could not take on debt and continue its tuition-free education model.

The new school will combine the two campuses, increase student enrollment by 36 percent, and return auxiliary spaces (cafeteria, library) to their intended uses. The community needs quality education opportunities. Ninety-nine percent of WSG students go on to graduate high school (compared to 59 percent of students in the surrounding community). WSG Alumni have gone on to more than 65 different area high schools, and 94 percent have enrolled in college.