Moving to DC: two questions about residency and PK enrollment

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for the information on this board, it is incredibly helpful.

My family and I are moving to DC sometime in the Spring, but our timing is partly dependent on a couple questions for the school year 2023-2034. We have one child who will be in K and another in PK3. We are renting upon arrival.

1. We would like to establish residency so we can choose an in-boundary K for our child. However, we will need to enter the lottery for our other PK3 child, so the deadline is March 1. What is the date by which we need to have residency established matching our application, i.e. does that need to be done on March 1st, or does the review happen later? We don't have to move to DC during any particular month, and would prefer to move a few months later than March, but schools are #1 priority.
2. If we enter the lottery and choose the in-bound school for our K child (e.g. Watkins/Peabody), will that give sibling preference to our other child for the PK3 program? Is there any data on the likelood of that child being accepted? Trying to know how much we should be also scouting daycares, in case that child doesn't get into the PK program.

I hope those questions make sense, and thanks again.

[Anonymous]

https://www.myschooldc.org/enroll/how-enroll-your-child

1. I think you only need residency by May 1.

2. You will get sibling preference, but that won't necessarily mean you get in. You can use this data: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

In addition to scouting daycares, you can scout other DCPS PK3 programs. For example if your little one doesn't get into Peabody you could consider Browne or Wheatley.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! So I would enter the lottery for all of those PK3 programs nearby in hopes of getting in?

We are coming from a small town so all of this is very new to us!

[Anonymous]

1. They will verify your residency when you enroll your child, but you still need an address to register for the lottery. So you don't need documentation until you go register (usually early May/late April), but in order to lottery, you still need an address to establish what your in-boundary school IS.

2) It will give sibling enrolled preference to your younger child, but that may not be sufficient to get you off the waitlist. I would definitely make backup plans.

[Anonymous]

you prove residency by around may 1-2. but for in-bound preK3 you realistically kind of need your future address and neighborhood figured out to do the lottery. you have a future lease or sale pending closing, that will work fine but otherwise it starts to get trickier. i dont think you get sibling preference unless your other child currently already attends the school. is that wrong?

[Anonymous]

oh right to clarify you will not get the preference in the initial lottery itself but will be pushed up to the top of the waitlist due to the sibling preference in may once your other student enrolls at the in-bound school.

[Anonymous]

Pasted from my school dc:

Can my child who is applying to attend their DCPS in-boundary PK program claim sibling preference if their older sibling will be enrolling at the school for the first time in school year 2023-24?
Yes. If the student will attend and does not currently have a student ID number, input “0000000” (seven 0’s) as the student ID number in the Sibling Preference section of application. This option is only available to families planning on enrolling an in-boundary student. If you do not enroll the compulsory aged student, the preference will be removed from the PK student who may lose the match and be placed on the waitlist without the preference. Confirm with the school’s registrar, or within the application itself using the preference status page, that this preference has been applied prior to the lottery. After the lottery, these preferences are applied only when the older sibling is enrolled.

Please contact the DCPS Enrollment Team at [e-mail] or [phone] for additional information prior to the application deadlines. DCPS's sibling information can also be found in their Enrollment and Lottery Handbook.

[Anonymous]

The faqs are really helpful: https://www.myschooldc.org/faq/faqs

[Anonymous]

Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:Pasted from my school dc:

Can my child who is applying to attend their DCPS in-boundary PK program claim sibling preference if their older sibling will be enrolling at the school for the first time in school year 2023-24?
Yes. If the student will attend and does not currently have a student ID number, input “0000000” (seven 0’s) as the student ID number in the Sibling Preference section of application. This option is only available to families planning on enrolling an in-boundary student. If you do not enroll the compulsory aged student, the preference will be removed from the PK student who may lose the match and be placed on the waitlist without the preference. Confirm with the school’s registrar, or within the application itself using the preference status page, that this preference has been applied prior to the lottery. After the lottery, these preferences are applied only when the older sibling is enrolled.

Please contact the DCPS Enrollment Team at [e-mail] or [phone] for additional information prior to the application deadlines. DCPS's sibling information can also be found in their Enrollment and Lottery Handbook.

[Anonymous]

Also, I know you may not believe this...but the MySchool DC hotline folks are really super helpful and they get questions like this all the time. You should give them a call- they are really great. [phone], Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.