New Campus
A New River School Campus
The River School’s Strategic Plan focuses on exploring solutions that will bolster our mission, our financial sustainability, and our unique legacy of ensuring an inclusive educational experience for children with and without hearing loss.
To realize these goals, River has sought and found a new campus site at 4220 Nebraska Avenue, NW. The property is a 2.27-acre estate in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, DC known as “Under Oak," and includes the historic Buchanan mansion built in the 1920s.
The Need for a New River School Campus
The new River campus will be designed to meet the needs of our students and strengthen our mission for decades to come. It will allow us to grow our inclusive model, serve more families, and create spaces that support deep learning, exploration, and connection.
Grow Our Educational Model
River’s unique approach to early language, literacy, and social-emotional development will extend through age 11 or 12, years when writing, collaboration, and critical thinking skills are refined and deepened.
- Increase enrollment gradually from 220 to 350 students, allowing River to serve more children with and without hearing loss and ensuring long-term sustainability
- Continue to offer an inclusive educational environment where every child is inspired to find their voice
- Additional placements for graduate students across audiology, psychology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and education
Create Spaces Designed for Growth and Learning
We have used every inch of space at our current MacArthur Boulevard campus. The new campus provides the room our students need to thrive.
- New academic buildings with our signature spacious, light-filled classrooms
- Additional classes at each level to welcome more students
- Dedicated outdoor green space for exploration, collaboration, and play
- A theater and gathering spaces for performances, community events, and shared experiences
- Dedicated clinical spaces to support audiology, psychology, auditory-verbal therapy, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy
Expand our Community
The new location increases access and allows River to reach more families across the region.
- Conveniently located near metro and other public transportation
- Welcoming spaces for caregiver groups, workshops, and support programs
- Provide integrated services that help families navigate care with confidence
The Planning & Zoning Process
The River School has spent several years thoughtfully planning a new campus that reflects our inclusive mission while respecting the surrounding neighborhood. We have assembled an exceptional team of architects, engineers, preservation specialists, and consultants and collaborated extensively with DC agencies, historic preservation officials, and neighborhood stakeholders to develop a campus plan that is sensitive to the site’s character and responsive to community priorities. Through multiple rounds of input, we refined our architectural, landscape, and transportation plans resulting in reduced projected vehicle trips, strengthened streetscape and screening, and a restoration approach that protects and enhances the Buchanan estate.
As this planning effort has advanced, the project has also undergone an extensive zoning review. The DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) has approved River’s use of the property as a school, and in 2024 reaffirmed its unanimous support after the DC Court of Appeals requested clarification on a narrow procedural question involving shuttle-bus requirements. A small group of neighbors has since appealed that limited issue back to the Court of Appeals, and the matter is currently moving through the judicial process. While that limited matter proceeds, River continues advancing design work and planning for the restoration of the historic mansion and development of new academic facilities. We remain steadfast in our vision for a campus that supports children and families for generations.