Key Terms

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.

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.

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:

• Cleveland ES
• Marie Reed ES
• Shirley Chisholm ES (Formerly Tyler ES - 1st to 5th grade only)

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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: 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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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 (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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.  

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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 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: 

• Browne Education Campus 

• Bunker Hill Elementary School 

• Burroughs Elementary School 

• Drew Elementary School 

• King Elementary School 

• Langley Elementary School 

• Lorraine Whitlock Elementary School (formerly Aiton) 

• Miner Elementary School 

• Moten Elementary School 

• Noyes Elementary School 

• Stanton Elementary School 

• Takoma Elementary School 

• Thomson Elementary School 

• Truesdell Elementary School 

• Turner Elementary School 

• Wheatley Education Campus 

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. 
    

2. 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. 

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.

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

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) 

2. Benjamin Banneker High School 

3. 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. 

4. Duke Ellington School of the Arts 

5. Early College Academy at Coolidge High School 

6. McKinley Technology High School 

7. Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering High School 

8. School Without Walls High School 

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 enroll@k12.dc.gov or (202) 478-5738. Refer to the DCPS Enrollment and Lottery Handbook for more information.