Key Terms

Family account

Applicants use a single family account to create, save, edit, and submit an application for each child in their family who is applying to a new school. Families also use this account to view their lottery results and positions on schools' waitlists. Creating an account with an email address is recommended, however it is possible to create an account with a username and no email address.

Matching algorithm

The matching algorithm is the computer program that runs the lottery. It is a deferred acceptance model that is based on the Nobel Prize-winning work of economist Al Roth of Stanford University. Click HERE to watch a video of how the matching algorithm works.

My School DC application

The My School DC application is a single, online application families must use to apply for participating public charter schools (PK3 – grade 12); DCPS schools outside your boundary or feeder pattern for any grade (PK3 – grade 12), including DCPS citywide schools; all DCPS PK3 and PK4 programs, including programs at your DCPS in-boundary school; and DCPS selective high schools and programs (grades 9–12). The My School DC application is found here and is available in English and Spanish. Application guides are available to download in Amharic (አማርኛ፤)French (Français), Chinese (中文), and Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).

My School DC common lottery

My School DC is the common application and public school lottery for all participating public and public charter schools in the District that serve PK3 - Grade 12. There is no advantage to applying first; however, applicants must apply by the deadlines to participate in the lottery.

Participating school

A DCPS school or public charter school that has agreed to be part of My School DC. All traditional DCPS schools and most public charter schools that serve PK3 – grade 12 participate. Click HERE for a list of participating schools. Click HERE for a list of schools and programs that do not participate in My School DC.

Student ID/Unique Student Identifier

Each student currently enrolled in a public school in DC as of October 5, including public and public charter schools, has a unique ID number, called a unique student identifier, or USI. You do not need to know your student’s Student ID number or USI to start the application, nor is your Student ID or USI required to complete your application.

When you enter your student’s information in Step 1 of the application, either the Student ID number for current DCPS students or the Unique Student Identifier for charter school students will automatically populate. Please note your applicant's First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, and current school must match current records to populate a Student ID. If the ID does not appear, please call the My School DC Hotline at (202) 888-6336 for assistance.

Waitlist

When schools have more applicants than spaces, students who are not matched to a school in the lottery are placed on the school’s waitlist. When a space opens, the school offers the space to students on the waitlist in order. Waitlists are ordered first by preference group (in-boundary, sibling, equitable access, etc.) and then by applicants with no preferences. Within each group, students are ordered by random lottery number. Important: There is no guarantee that an applicant on a waitlist will be offered a seat. 

 

Applicants who apply after the lottery deadlines are placed on schools' waitlists below lottery applicants by time and date of submission. The exception to this is a post-lottery applicant who qualifies for a preference (in-boundary, sibling, etc.); that applicant will be placed behind lottery applicants within the same preference group but ahead of lottery applicants with lower or no preferences. To view historical waitlist movement data by lottery year and school, click HERE.

Rank Order of School Selections

Each student can apply to up to 12 schools on the My School DC application. On each student’s application, a family should list schools in the order they like most. The order in which applicants rank schools matters. The lottery takes your list of schools and will try to match students with their first choice first, then their second choice, etc. Students will be matched with no more than one school and will only be waitlisted at schools they ranked higher than the school where they are matched. Putting your schools in your true order of preference is a critical step in the application process. Families should only select schools they want their child to attend. You may re-rank your school selections until 5 p.m. on March 14.

Post-lottery application

The application used to apply to participating schools if a family misses the lottery application deadlines for a given school year or seeks to apply to additional schools after lottery results are released. Post-lottery applicants are added to schools’ waitlists below lottery applicants based on time of submission. The only exception to this is for post-lottery applicants that qualify for a preference at a school (e.g., sibling or in-boundary) that a lottery applicant does not qualify for. Families can submit a post-lottery application at MySchoolDC.org through the first week of October. Families seeking to apply to schools after that time must complete a mid-year application by calling the My School DC Hotline at (202) 888-6336.

Mid-year application

The application for students in PK3 – grade 12 who move into the District midyear or who seek to change from their current school to another DC public or public charter school during a given school year. The application is used to apply to all participating schools. No application is needed for K-12 students who wish to enroll at their DCPS in-boundary school. The mid-year application period extends from the beginning of October through mid-March during any given school year. Mid-year applications are only accessible by calling the My School DC Hotline at (202) 888-6336.

 

Locate your in-boundary school here.

Children of staff preference

Preference offered by some public charter schools for children of their staff members applying to their school. There is no place on the application to indicate eligibility; however to qualify, the school must verify that the applicant is a full-time staff member and a DC resident. Schools will inform My School DC directly of any applicants who are eligible for this preference. Visit a school's profile to see if they offer this preference.

Equitable Access

Preference offered by some public charter and DCPS schools for qualifying applicants who have been identified by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)  as meeting at least one of the following criteria as measured after April 1 for the prior lottery year (the day after Results Day):

  • Experiencing homelessness
  • In the District’s foster care system
  • Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; or
  • In high school and are one year older, or more, than the expected age for the grade in which they are currently enrolled.

To potentially qualify for this preference, on Step 5 of the application you must consent to your eligibility being reviewed.

This preference will be added to your application at the time of lottery results. To learn more about this preference and see participating schools, please visit the “Applying to Equitable Access Schools” page.

 

In-boundary preference

Preference that applies to DCPS preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) programs, as well as dual-language strands at zoned (in-boundary) schools. Zoned schools are any DCPS school that has a boundary. Locate your DCPS in-boundary school here

There are also three DCPS elementary schools that offer a dual-language strand and a non-dual-language strand. Students applying to their in-boundary DCPS dual-language program (PK3 – Grade 5) at these schools also receive a lottery preference in all grades:

 

Similar to PK3 and PK4 applicants, this preference is automatically applied based on the guardian's home address used on the student’s My School DC application.

 

Important: If your child is matched to a school with this preference, be prepared to provide proof of DC residency at the address you listed on the application. If your addresses changes from in-boundary to out-of-boundary and you are matched to the school with an in-boundary preference based on your former address, it is possible you will lose your match and be added to the school’s waitlist according to your child’s random lottery number or post-lottery submission date and any other preference they qualified for.

In-boundary Equitable Access

Preference offered only by participating DCPS preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) zoned (in-boundary) schools for qualifying applicants who have been identified as  meeting at least one of the following criteria as measured after April 1 for the prior lottery year (the day after Results Day):

  • Experiencing homelessness
  • In the District’s foster care system
  • Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; or
  • In high school and are one year older, or more, than the expected age for the grade in which they are currently enrolled.

To potentially qualify for this preference, your in-boundary school must participate, and on Step 5 of the application you must consent to your eligibility being reviewed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

Qualifying students will have their records checked by OSSE to see if they qualify.

If a student meets one of the qualifications and is zoned for a participating school, then this preference will be added to your application for the zoned school at the time of lottery results. To learn more about this preference and see which schools are participating, please visit the “Applying to Equitable Access Schools” page.

In-boundary with "sibling attending" preference

Preference that typically* only applies to DCPS preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) for a student who is both in-boundary and has a sibling already attending the school. Locate your DCPS in-boundary school here. The "in-boundary" portion of this preference is automatically applied based on the guardian's home address used on the student’s My School DC application; sibling status is verified by the school prior to the lottery. If your child is admitted with this preference, be prepared to provide proof of DC residency at the address you listed on the application.   

 

The "sibling attending" preference is intended for applicants who have a sibling currently enrolled at the school and who will remain attending at the time of the applying sibling's enrollment. List all of the applicant’s siblings attending DC public schools on the Sibling Preference section on step one of the application and the preference request will be sent to the school. Before the lottery, the school will verify eligibility for that preference.

 

Please note that this preference is meant to allow siblings to attend the same school at the same time. If you withdraw the "attending" student for the following school year, this may result in the siblings losing their enrollment, match, or waitlist offer, or moving down on the waitlist at that school. The siblings will remain on the school’s waitlist but will be assigned a new waitlist position based on their random lottery number or post-lottery submission date and any other preference they qualified for. The DCPS definition of "sibling" can be found in the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook

 

*This preference can also apply to in-boundary siblings applying to a dual language strand of the following three elementary schools: Cleveland Elementary School, Marie Reed Elementary School, and Shirley Chisholm Elementary School.

In-boundary with "sibling offered" preference

Preference that typically* only applies to DCPS preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) for a student who is both in-boundary and has a sibling who was offered a seat in that school through the lottery. Locate your DCPS in-boundary school here. The "in-boundary" portion of this preference is automatically applied on the application based on the guardian's home address used on the student’s My School DC application. If your child is admitted with this preference, be prepared to provide proof of DC residency at the address you listed on the application.    

 

The "sibling offered" portion of the preference is awarded when a student has a sibling who is matched in the lottery or offered a seat from the waitlist. This preference is meant to allow siblings to attend the same school at the same time. If the sibling who was matched or offered a space at the school does not enroll at that school or later enrolls at another school, the “sibling offered” preference will be removed for all siblings that applied to that same school. This may result in the siblings losing their enrollment, match, or waitlist offer, or moving down on the waitlist at that school. The siblings will remain or will be placed back on the school’s waitlist but will be assigned a new waitlist position based on their random lottery number or post-lottery submission date and any other preference they qualified for. If the sibling who was offered a space does enroll at the school, the preference remains as “sibling offered” for all siblings that applied to that same school; it does not change to “sibling attending.” The DCPS definition of "sibling" can be found in the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook.

 

*This preference can also apply to in-boundary siblings applying to a dual language strand of the following three elementary schools: Cleveland Elementary School, Marie Reed Elementary School, and Shirley Chisholm Elementary School.

Lottery preferences

Lottery preferences are school-specific. The preferences that a school offers are listed on its My School DC school profile. An applicant may have a preference at one or more schools. Applicants with a preference at a particular school are offered a space at that school before applicants who don’t have a preference and receive a higher waitlist placement than applicants without a preference. Please know that some schools only offer certain preferences during the lottery and do not offer them post-lottery. If you are applying post-lottery, check with the school to learn if they offer the same preferences in the lottery and post-lottery periods. 

 
  • Sibling preferences. Sibling Attending preference, Sibling Offered preference, Twin Offered preference (charter only), In-boundary with Sibling Attending preference (DCPS only), and In-boundary with Sibling Offered preference (DCPS only)  
  • Geographic preferences (DCPS only). In-boundary preference and proximity preference  
  • Equitable Access
  • Transfer preference 
  • Children of Staff preference (Charter only)
  • Special Education Preference (Charter only)
  • Military Preference (Charter only)

Proximity preference

A lottery preference provided to students who live greater than a half-mile walking distance from their DCPS in-boundary elementary school and apply to attend a DCPS out-of-boundary school that is a half-mile or less walking distance from their home. This preference only applies to students enrolling in PK3 – grade 5. Proximity preference is not offered at DCPS citywide schools. The application will automatically apply this preference based on the guardian's home address provided on the application.

Sibling attending preference

Preference for a student who has a sibling currently attending the school. There is a place on the application to enter the name of a sibling(s) currently attending the school. Before the lottery, the school will verify eligibility for that preference. Please note that at most schools, this preference is meant to allow siblings to attend the same school at the same time. If you withdraw the "attending" student for the following school year, it is possible that your sibling preference, and subsequent enrollment, match or waitlist offer, will be revoked. The definition of "sibling" may vary by school. Please contact the school directly for this information. DCPS's sibling information can be found in their Enrollment and Lottery Handbook.

Sibling offered preference

Preference for a student whose sibling is matched in the lottery or offered a seat from the waitlist. Please note that at most schools, this preference is meant to allow siblings to attend the same school at the same time. If the sibling who was offered a space at the school does not enroll at that school or later enrolls at another school, the “sibling offered” preference may be removed for all siblings that applied to that same school. This may result in the siblings losing their match, or moving down on the waitlist at that school. The siblings will remain on the school’s waitlist but will be assigned a new waitlist position based on their random lottery number or post-lottery submission date and any other preference they qualified for. If the sibling who was offered a space does enroll at the school, the preference remains as “sibling offered” for all siblings that applied to that same school; it does not change to “sibling attending.” The definition of "sibling" may vary by school. Please contact the school directly for this information. DCPS's sibling information can be found in their Enrollment and Lottery Handbook.

Special Education preference

Preference for an applicant that has been identified as having a high level of need in their Individual Education Program (IEP) as measured on March 1, 2025. Identification for this preference means the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has a record that the applicant has an eligible IEP for the high level special education classrooms where the preference is offered. This preference is implemented using designated seats. Currently, this preference is offered at one public charter school.

Transfer preference

Some schools offer a transfer preference to students who currently attend one of their campuses and apply to attend another one. Transfer preference is automatically applied on the application based on the applicant’s current school as provided on the application. Schools will verify that a student is eligible for a transfer preference before the lottery. 

Twin offered preference

Preference for a student who has a twin matched to a public charter school in the lottery. If your child is admitted with a twin preference, be prepared to prove that your children are twins when you enroll them. 

Military preference

Preference for an applicant to a public charter school located in the same Ward as a United States military base for children of active duty members of the United States Armed Forces. This preference is implemented using designated seats. This preference is offered at one public charter school.

Designated seat

A set amount of a school’s available seats at each grade level that are designated for a specific group of students. Only applicants that have applied to the school and meet the criteria of that specific group are entered into the lottery for the designated seats. All applicants (including those that meet the criteria for the specific group) are entered into the lottery for the remaining general seats.

 

Applications are updated by My School DC so that eligible students are considered first for the designated seats. If a match can’t be made, they will be waitlisted for designated seats and entered into the lottery for the general seats. Learn more. 

 

If the designated seats do not fill in the lottery, they will not be automatically filled with applicants outside of the defined group. This allows a school to ensure the seats remain open for post-lottery applicants who meet the specific group criteria.

 

The following three preferences are implemented through designated seats: Special Education, Military, and Equitable Access*. 

 

*The Equitable Access preference can be implemented as either a traditional preference or through designated seats.

 

Founders preference

Founders preference: Preference offered by some charter schools for children of school founders. Applicants are required to submit proof of DC residency to the school as part of the enrollment process. There is no place on the application to indicate eligibility. Schools will inform My School DC directly of any students who are eligible for this preference. Visit a school’s profile to see if they offer this preference.

Early Action PK

Early Action Pre-Kindergarten (PK) guarantees access to all in-boundary families in preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) at select DCPS schools. To secure an Early Action PK seat, in-boundary families must submit a My School DC lottery application online to their DCPS in-boundary school by the PK3-grade 8 deadline. Eligible families who submit a My School DC application by the deadline are guaranteed an Early Action PK match if they are not matched to any other higher-ranked school. If a student is matched at their Early Action PK school, they will not be waitlisted at any school they ranked lower. Locate your in-boundary school here. Post lottery applicants are not eligible for the guaranteed seat. Participating DCPS schools in the 2025-26 school year can be found here.

Age cutoff

The age cutoff is the age a student needs to be to attend a particular grade. For all schools participating in My School DC, an applicant for PK3 must be 3 years old by September 30, 2025, an applicant for PK4 must be 4 years old by September 30, 2025, and an applicant for Kindergarten must be 5 years old by September 30, 2025. In other grades, age cutoffs vary by school. Click here to see age cutoffs for individual schools. If your child does not make the age cutoff for a particular school, you will not be able to select that school on your application.

 

PK3 and PK4

PK3 programs serve students who are three years old. PK4 programs serve students who are four years old. For all schools participating in My School DC, an applicant for PK3 must be 3 years old by September 30, 2025 and an applicant for PK4 must be 4 years old by September 30, 2025.

Active School Selections

This section only displays schools where your child is currently matched, enrolled or actively on a waitlist.

Inactive School Selections

This section only displays schools that have been removed from your application for one of five reasons: (1) Your child is not eligible to attend the schools; (2) You declined a match or waitlist offer at those schools; (3) Your child was not waitlisted at the schools through the lottery because they were matched to a school ranked higher on their application; (4) You accepted a waitlist offer and enrolled at a school ranked higher than these schools on the application and your child was removed from the waitlist of these schools as a result; or (5) You had formerly accepted a placement and enrolled your child at these schools but later accepted a waitlist offer from a higher ranked school and enrolled at that school.

Waitlist #

Student is currently waitlisted at the school. The number reflects the student’s current waitlist position at that school in the grade they applied to.

Not waitlisted

Student was matched through the lottery to a school the student ranked higher than this school and therefore is not waitlisted at the school. 

Ineligible

The school determined that the student is not eligible to attend. For example, DC Public Schools (DCPS) selective high schools and programs may deem students as “ineligible” if they do not meet the school’s entrance requirements and are neither matched nor waitlisted by the school after the selection process. Another example, a DCPS dual language program may deem a student ineligible if they do not demonstrate the language proficiency required. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact the school directly.

Declined

Student was offered a placement through the lottery or off a waitlist and did not accept the seat. (Either the parent/guardian declined the offer or the school declined the offer when the family missed the deadline to turn in enrollment forms and/or prove DC residency.)

Enrolled

Student was offered a placement through a lottery match or waitlist offer and has accepted the seat by proving DC residency and turning in all enrollment forms to the school.

Match (enrollment pending)

Student was offered a placement through the lottery but has not yet enrolled at the school. Families must submit required enrollment forms and prove DC residency to the school to claim the seat. Follow the school's enrollment and residency verification processes. Enrolling a student at their matched school does not remove them off waitlists.

Waitlist offer extended (enrollment pending)

Student was originally waitlisted and has recently been offered a placement but has not yet enrolled at the school. Families must submit required enrollment forms and prove DC residency to the school by the deadline for the offer in order to claim the seat. Follow the school's enrollment and residency verification processes.

Removed

Student accepted a waitlist offer from a school the student ranked higher than this school and was removed from the waitlist of this school.

No longer enrolled

Student had formally accepted a match or waitlist offer and enrolled at this school, but later accepted a waitlist offer from a different school and enrolled at the new school. The student is therefore removed from the school where they were previously enrolled.

Pending

Student has applied to a DCPS selective high school or program but the school has not determined whether the student is eligible to be added to its waitlist. The student will be notified by email when this status changes.

Residency, DC residency, residency requirements

Parents and guardians are required to submit proof of DC residency to the school as part of the enrollment process. Follow the school's enrollment and residency verification processes. Only residents of the District can attend DC public and public charter schools tuition-free. To be a resident you have to submit valid documentation of DC residency. Learn more here.

School Finder

The School Finder is an online tool that allows families to search for schools based on address, grade, and program type. Families can also locate their DCPS in-boundary schools by using this tool. Use the School Finder to make a list of schools you are interested in learning more about for your child. You can download, email, and print your searches. The School Finder is available in English and Spanish.

My School DC data

My School DC data is intended to inform families and support data-driven decisions. Here you will find year-over-year lottery data, including seats made available in the lottery and historical waitlist movement broken down by school and grade.

DC School Report Card

The DC School Report Card is an interactive website published annually by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) that helps parents understand school performance and learn about the school itself, such as the closest public transportation routes, academic programs, extra-curricular options, and the best contact person for parents and families. The DC School Report Card answers crucial questions about your child’s current school and is a key resource for planning your child’s next educational step. The DC School Report Card is available here

School Accountability Scores

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is required by federal law (the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA), to measure and report overall school accountability scores for the purposes of identifying schools that need additional support. OSSE uses many different metrics to calculate summative scores including academic achievement, academic growth, attendance, English language proficiency and graduation rate. More information on the accountability system and school performance can be found here.

Advanced Placement

High school courses approved by the College Board for Advanced Placement (AP) designation. Students that take the AP exam and pass can earn college credit.

Arts Integration

Students study visual and/or performing arts as part of the school’s mission and core academic curriculum, beyond dedicated arts periods.

Blended Learning

Students receive instruction from a mix of traditional teaching and online learning platforms as part of the school's core academic curriculum.

Career and Technical Education

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs complete a three or four-year course sequence (in addition to their core high school classes) that includes preparation for industry-recognized certification exams and participation in work-based learning experiences.

Learn more about CTE programs here.

Dual College Enrollment

The school offers its students the opportunity to maintain their high school status while enrolling part-time or full-time at participating colleges or universities. In addition to being able to take challenging college courses that are not offered at their home high school, students earn college credit that can be transferred to many postsecondary institutions.

Learn more about OSSE’s Dual College Enrollment here.

Dual Language / Immersion Program

Students learn a second language beyond dedicated language periods, with the second language often serving as the medium of instruction in core academic subjects.

Extended Day

Excluding before care and after care, students attend school and receive instruction for longer than 8 hours per day on a regular basis.

Extended Year

The school's academic year exceeds the typical 180 school days, with students attending for at least 190 days.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The school is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, or Diploma Program(s), or is an active candidate for such authorization.

Interscholastic sports

The school has a sports team that competes with other schools.

JROTC

The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a federal program sponsored by the U.S. Armed Forces. The purpose of JROTC is to instill the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. JROTC also informs young Americans about the opportunities available in the military.

Montessori program

The school uses a Montessori instructional approach to learning. Students are grouped into mixed-age classrooms with substantial choice and independence in their learning activities.

Online Learning

Learning is done through a virtual online school with the student remaining at home for most academic hours.

Open house

An open house is a time when you can visit a school, meet school staff and learn more about the school's offerings. Each school sets the dates and times of its open house(s). You can see open house dates here or on individual school profile pages. Download these sample questions written by parents for parents and use them at open houses. For more information about open houses, please contact the schools directly.

District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE)

The District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) The District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) is the District of Columbia’s (DC’s) comprehensive suite of standardized assessments administered in grades 3 through high school in English language arts / literacy, mathematics and science. DC CAPE assessments are computer-based assessments designed to measure students' progress and proficiency towards relative to DC’s educational standards, providing information about the knowledge and skills that matter most for DC students. what they need to learn by graduation to be ready for college and career. Learn more about DC CAPE here.  

 

Single Gender Campus

The single gender schools in DC will accept students who are non-binary, gender nonconforming, or who prefer not to say. 

STEM Focus

The school integrates science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) so that each of these content areas is taught within other content areas and equally alongside literacy and composition. STEM is a part of the school's mission and core academic curriculum.

Before and after care

Some schools offer before and/or after care to enrolled families in addition to their regularly scheduled school hours. The cost, programming, and eligibility requirements of before and after care vary by school.

Lottery preferences

Some schools give priority in the lottery to eligible students. Applicants with a preference at a particular school are offered a space at that school before applicants who don’t have a preference, and receive a higher waitlist placement than applicants without a preference. Lottery preferences are school-specific; not every school offers the same preferences to students. Visit a school's profile to learn what preferences they offer. Learn more about lottery preferences here.

Selective Program

Selective programs admit students based on specific admissions requirements and selection criteria. Anyone can apply to these programs, but only students who meet the program’s requirements and are selected through the school’s application process will be eligible to attend. DC Public Schools (DCPS) has eight selective high schools and programs. These programs require additional information to be provided on the My School DC application.

Uniform

Some schools require students to wear a school uniform as part of their enrollment requirements. For information about a school’s uniform requirements or colors, contact the school directly.

Restorative Justice

A program aimed to keep youth in school, promote a safe and inviting learning environment, address issues, and provide opportunities for youth and adults to be active and accountable members of their school community.

School Garden

School offers official outdoor garden space that engages students through hands-on lessons that enhance learning.

Local Education Agency (LEA)

A local education agency (LEA) is an educational institution that exists primarily to operate publicly funded school(s) in the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) serves as DC’s by-right LEA where students have a right to attend a given school based on their address.  DC is also home to public charter LEAs that are accessible via the My School DC lottery system.

DCPS

District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system of Washington, DC. All DCPS schools are free to DC residents.

DCPS citywide school

A DCPS citywide school is a DCPS school that does not have a designated boundary and therefore cannot be claimed as an in-boundary school. Citywide schools can only be accessed through the lottery and do not provide guaranteed enrollment to any student/family. Students from across the District of Columbia must submit a My School DC lottery application to attend a citywide school. Students are not eligible to receive proximity preference at citywide schools. DCPS citywide schools are Capitol Hill Montessori, Dorothy Height ES, Excel Academy, Grades 6-8 of Leckie Education Campus, Military Road Early Learning Center, Ron Brown College Preparatory HS, School-Within-School ES, Stevens Early Learning Center and the eight DCPS selective high schools and programs

Early Action PK

Early Action Pre-Kindergarten (PK) guarantees access to all in-boundary families in preschool (PK3) and prekindergarten (PK4) at select DCPS schools. To secure an Early Action PK seat, in-boundary families must submit a My School DC lottery application online to their DCPS in-boundary school by the PK3-grade 8 deadline. Eligible families who submit a My School DC application by the deadline are guaranteed an Early Action PK match if they are not matched to any other higher-ranked school. If a student is matched at their Early Action PK school, they will not be waitlisted at any school they ranked lower. Locate your in-boundary school here. Post lottery applicants are not eligible for the guaranteed seat. 

Participating DCPS schools in the 2025-26 school year: 

Feeder-pattern school

Feeder-pattern school 
A feeder-pattern school is a school that a student has the right to attend based on completion of the terminal grade of a student’s current school. This assignment only happens during the years a student moves from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school, or from an education campus to high school. For additional information, please visit the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook. Review DCPS feeder patterns

In DCPS, there are two types of feeder patterns: 

  1. Geographic Feeder Pattern: Geographic Feeder Pattern schools are grouped by school boundaries and proximity. Geographic feeder pattern rights extend to students who enrolled in a school through a formal placement as well as to those who enrolled out-of-boundary through the My School DC lottery. Geographic feeder pattern rights do not extend to students who enroll as in-boundary students and then move out of the boundary, or to out-of-boundary students who withdraw before completing their school’s terminal grade. For more information about moving out-of-boundary after enrolling, visit the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook
     

  1. Programmatic Feeder Pattern: Programmatic feeder pattern schools and programs are organized by a specialized program of study (such as dual language). A programmatic feeder pattern provides the right for a student enrolled in a specialized school or program to enroll in the next level school within the specialized course of study as they transition into middle school or high school. 

In-boundary school

A DCPS in-boundary school (also called a neighborhood or zoned school) is a DCPS school that a student has a right to attend in K-12 based on a student’s home address. To locate your DCPS in-boundary schools, click here. Students applying for PK3 and PK4, may receive an “in-boundary preference” when applying to their in-boundary school, but do not have a right to attend.

Out-of-boundary school

A DCPS out-of-boundary school is a DCPS school other than a student’s in-boundary school.

Right-to-attend school

A DCPS school where students can enroll in grades K-12 and do not have to go through the lottery. There are two types of right-to-attend schools for DCPS K-12 students: in-boundary schools and feeder pattern schools. Students also have the right to re-enroll in their current school for the upcoming school year. Locate your right-to-attend schools here

Selective high schools and programs

A DCPS high school or program that admits students based on specific eligibility criteria and requires application for entry into the school. All students eligible to enroll in grades 9-12 can apply, but only those who meet a selective high school’s or program’s requirements and are matched with the school will be eligible to attend. DCPS selective high schools and programs have no boundaries and admit students based on specific criteria. Anyone can apply to these schools and programs; however, only some students will be eligible to attend based on the schools' admissions rubrics. Students applying to one or more DCPS selective high schools and programs must complete an additional section of the My School DC application, which differs for each school or program because each school or program has its own requirements. Find out more about selective high school and program requirements here.  

The selective high schools and programs, all grades 9–12, are: 

  1. Bard High School Early College DC (Bard DC) 

  1. Benjamin Banneker High School 

  1. Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC)  
    CHEC serves grades 6–12. Only grades 9–12 are part of the selective high school. Students who complete eighth grade at CHEC MS have the right to enroll in CHEC for ninth grade without a My School DC lottery application. 

  1. Duke Ellington School of the Arts 

  1. Early College Academy at Coolidge High School 

  1. McKinley Technology High School 

  1. Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering High School 

  1. School Without Walls High School 

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Early Stages

Early Stages is an evaluation center that works with families to identify and address developmental delays and disabilities in children ages 2 years 8 months through 5 years 10 months. A program of DCPS, Early Stages provides evaluations for DC residents who have not yet entered the school system or are currently homeschooled. Early Stages also serves families residing outside of DC if their children attend a DC private school or DC childcare center. All services are completely free. 

PK3/PK4 children who have been newly found eligible for special education or who have an existing individualized education program (IEP) and wish to receive services will be offered a seat in a school by Early Stages, if (1) they do not already have access to a DCPS school (i.e., they are not already enrolled and have not been offered a lottery seat) or (2) their current DCPS school cannot implement their child's IEP. This process occurs outside of the My School DC lottery. Whenever appropriate and possible, the seat offered will be at the child’s in-boundary school. If a seat is not available at the in-boundary school, the seat offered will be at the next closest school to the family’s home where a seat is available and the IEP can be implemented. A family accepts an Early Stages seat by enrolling at the school offered. If the family enrolls in a seat offered by Early Stages, they will be removed from the My School DC lottery waitlist for the school where they enroll. Acceptance of an Early Stages seat does not affect a child’s position on the waitlist at other schools.  
 
In some cases, children offered a PK3 priority seat may not have turned age 3 by the Sept. 30 cutoff; however, they are entitled to enroll so that they can receive IEP services. Such children are re-enrolled in PK3 for the following year. 

Note: Siblings of children who enroll based on a DCPS Early Stages location offer are eligible for a sibling preference.  

How to Access Sibling Preference in the Lottery: If the student is placed at a school before the lottery deadline, you can ask for the preference in the sibling’s application. After the deadline, please ask that the school to contact My School DC to request the preference. To see if you are eligible for the preference in the post-lottery period, please contact the DCPS Enrollment Team at [email protected] or (202) 478-5738. Refer to the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook for more information. 

Public charter school (PCS)

DC public charter schools are public, tuition-free, open to all students, and do not have selective entrance requirements or geographic attendance zones. Public charter schools are independent from DCPS (the traditional public school system). The DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) provides oversight, but does not manage, the schools.

Member School

The District of Columbia International School (DCI) operates in partnership with their founding schools, which include DC Bilingual Public Charter School (PCS), EW Stokes Community Freedom PCS, Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS, Mundo Verde PCS and Washington Yu Ying PCS. Collectively, these schools are referred to as the “member” schools. Unlike a true feeder pattern where a student has a right to continue to the next school, students attending member schools do not have an automatic right to enroll at DCI following completion of their fifth-grade year. Instead, DCI reserves a specified number of seats in their 6th grade for each member school per its operating charter and allocates those seats by way of the My School DC lottery. To learn more about this process, please refer to the DCI handbook here.

English learner

Students with limited English proficiency can apply to any DCPS or public charter school. Public schools do not discriminate based on the language needs or preferred home language of students. The My School DC application asks for the guardian’s preferred language so My School DC can better communicate with the guardian. It is not used for a student's placement and does not impact lottery results in any way.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities can apply to any DCPS or public charter school. Click here for helpful links to community resources, transportation information for students with disabilities, family rights/procedural safeguards, and early childhood transition guidelines. Public schools are legally prohibited from discriminating based on special education needs of students.