Returning to DC in the middle of the school year - how do you get into public schools?

[Anonymous]

So… we are currently living away from DC, but may be returning to our home in Columbia Heights at the start of 2009 or 2010 (in the middle of the school year). Our daughter will be in 1st or 2nd grade at the time. It is our understanding that our neighborhood school is really not very solid and not a good option. So, what is a family to do, since we will have missed the out-of-boundary and charter school lotteries? Can you get into any of these schools mid-year (e.g. Capital City, Oyster, E.W. Stokes, Janney, Murch, Shepherd, etc.)? Private school, financially, is really not an option, and I am assuming that it would be impossible to get financial aid if we came in mid-year anyway. Is that correct?

[Anonymous]

I don't know about the other schools you mention, but I do know that several children started in the middle of the year in my daughter's class at Shepherd... (IIRC, at least one was OOB)... It might be worth a call to the school (or schools) to ask!