Applying to Equitable Access Schools

What is Equitable Access?

Equitable Access is a lottery preference implemented by participating schools in the annual My School DC lottery. Preferences provide qualifying applicants with an increased likelihood of getting a lottery match or waitlist offer. Applicants who qualify for the Equitable Access preference must meet one of the following criteria:

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

How does an applicant add Equitable Access to their application?

First an applicant must apply to at least one participating Equitable Access school, a full list of which may be found below on this page.
When they do, on the final step of the application they will have an opportunity to select “I give my consent” to have their information reviewed by OSSE for eligibility. 



Applicants must provide their consent to be reviewed for this preference. Applicants who select “I do not give my consent” will not have their data reviewed for consideration of the Equitable Access preference at any time. Applicants do not need to submit any additional documentation to My School DC to qualify for this preference.

 

How does the Equitable Access preference work?

First, we’ll outline how preferences work in general, and then we’ll identify the five different methods schools currently use to implement Equitable Access.

Some schools provide applicants with an increased likelihood of getting a lottery match or an eventual waitlist offer. Schools can elect to implement this benefit in one of two different ways:

  1. Lottery Preference:
    All 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. The number of lottery preferences offered are school-specific, and not every school offers the same preferences or places those preferences in the same order.
     
  2. Designated Seats:
    A set amount of a school’s available seats at each grade level 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.

    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.

Designated_Seats_Graphic_MY.png
 

Which schools participate in Equitable Access, and how do they implement the preference?

Participating schools are implementing the preference in 5 different ways in the SY25-26 My School DC Lottery:

  1. Schools offering an equitable access preference at all grades. Click the school link below to view where Equitable Access falls in their preference order.
    Breakthrough Montessori PCS, Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Capitol Hill, Digital Pioneers Academy PCS - Johenning, Sojourner Truth PCS, and The Children's Guild DC Public Charter School.
     
  2. Schools offering an in-boundary equitable access preference for PK3 and PK4 applicants only. This means that only applicants living within these schools’ boundary and who have applied to Pre-Kindergarten-3 (PK3) or Pre-Kindergarten-4 (PK4) may receive the preference. Click the school link below to view where the Equitable Access falls in their preference order.
    Brent Elementary School, Garrison Elementary School, Hearst Elementary School, Hendley Elementary School, Ketcham Elementary School, King Elementary School, Mann Elementary School, Marie Reed Elementary School, Payne Elementary School, Savoy Elementary School, and Turner Elementary School.
     
  3. Schools designating equitable access seats across all grades. Eligible applicants will see two school choices in their results, one for the equitable access preference, and one for the general school choice. Accepting an offer from either school choice results in the same enrollment at the school.
    BASIS DC PCS, DC Bilingual PCS, DC Wildflower PCS - Blue Montessori, DC Wildflower PCS – The Riverseed School, E.L. Haynes PCS – Elementary School, E.L. Haynes PCS – Middle School, E.L. Haynes PCS – High School, Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS, Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) PCS, Lee Montessori PCS – Brookland, Lee Montessori PCS - East End, MacArthur High School, Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - Calle Ocho Campus, Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS - J.F. Cook Campus, Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street, Two Rivers PCS at Young Elementary School, Two Rivers PCS at Young Middle School, Washington Latin PCS – Cooper Campus, Washington Latin PCS – Middle School, Washington Latin PCS – Upper School, and Washington Yu Ying PCS.
     
  4. Schools designating equitable access seats for in-boundary PK3 and PK4 applicants only. Eligible applicants must live in-boundary and apply to either PK3 or PK4 to receive this preference. When applicants review their results, they will see the school listed twice, reflecting the addition of the Equitable Access designated seats. Accepting an offer from either school choices results in the same enrollment at the school.
    Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, Barnard Elementary School, Burrville Elementary School, H.D. Cooke Elementary School, J.O. Wilson Elementary School, John Lewis Elementary School, Miner Elementary School, Tyler Elementary School, and Van Ness Elementary School.
     
  5. Schools designating equitable access seats for PK3 and PK4 applicants only. Only eligible applicants in PK3 and PK4 will receive this preference. When applicants open their results, they will see two school choices. One for Equitable Access, and one for the general school choice. Accepting an offer from either program will result into enrollment in the school.
    Capitol Hill Montessori, Dorothy I. Height Elementary School, Excel Academy, Military Road Early Learning Center, School-Within-School, and Stevens Early Learning Center.

Questions? Contact the My School DC Hotline at (202) 888-6336 or at info.myschooldc@dc.gov.