Comparing DC Schools – Need Recommendations

[Anonymous]

Please share some feedback to help us choose between the following PK3 options: Sela PCS, Dorothy I. Height Elementary School, DC Prep PCS – Edgewood Elementary, Friendship PCS – Woodridge Elementary, and Friendship PCS – Ideal Elementary. We are moving to the District, so we have flexibility in choosing a nearby neighborhood to live in.

[Anonymous]

I am a bit confused by your message. Are you moving to DC and expecting to enroll your child in PK3 in the fall? If so, you should know that there is no right to attend your inbounds school automatically before Kindergarten and that the lottery for a PK3 spot is over. So spending time comparing PK3 programs at this point is useless.

A good first step is to read this. https://www.myschooldc.org/apply/applying-to-PK

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a bit confused by your message. Are you moving to DC and expecting to enroll your child in PK3 in the fall? If so, you should know that there is no right to attend your inbounds school automatically before Kindergarten and that the lottery for a PK3 spot is over. So spending time comparing PK3 programs at this point is useless.

A good first step is to read this. https://www.myschooldc.org/apply/applying-to-PK

I'm guessing OP used waitlist data to identify schools with short or no waitlists so they can secure a spot through a post-lottery application.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. To clarify, I am moving to the District before May 1, initially renting for three months, and then securing a more permanent rental near the selected school. I applied to the DCPS lottery using the address of the landlord for which I already have a contract, but didn't put any school in-boundary. Since the application is for PK3 and most options are charter schools, the address is not a determining factor as long as I reside within the District. I didn’t match with any of the schools on my original list, but I received waitlist offers from the schools I applied to after the lottery (the ones mentioned in my original post).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you. To clarify, I am moving to the District before May 1, initially renting for three months, and then securing a more permanent rental near the selected school. I applied to the DCPS lottery using the address of the landlord for which I already have a contract, but didn't put any school in-boundary. Since the application is for PK3 and most options are charter schools, the address is not a determining factor as long as I reside within the District. I didn’t match with any of the schools on my original list, but I received waitlist offers from the schools I applied to after the lottery (the ones mentioned in my original post).

If you would like to add more schools in that area, I suggest Langley, Langdon, Bunker Hill, and Burroughs. Then just see what works out.

The schools you have are fine. You know Sela is for learning Hebrew right?

[Anonymous]

You might also add LaSalle Backus and Truesdell if you’re looking at this part of the city. I know happy families there, as well as at Height and Sela.

If you’re planning to stay in DC for a while, Height and Truesdell feed to MacFarland and LaSalle Backus feeds to Wells for middle school.

I know families at Friendship Ideal as well—the principal is good and there are some devoted families but they are also dealing with some negative behaviors in the neighborhood (which may not be reflective of the PK experience, and the neighborhood is still great!).

[Anonymous]

You’ll get into Sela no problem. We know many families who love PK3 there.

[Anonymous]

I have positive experiences at both the Friendship schools. Really happy with the IB program at Woodridge. Ideal elementary is excellent and they had the highest performing middle school in the city last year.

I definitely recommend finding a school that is near where you are living - it makes a big difference in your family happiness - especially with return to work increasing rush hour traffic. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your thoughts! really appreciate your comments!

[Anonymous]

Height has some local backers, great neighborhood, and a totally new school building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Height has some local backers, great neighborhood, and a totally new school building.

+1 I would absolutely choose Height over the other schools OP has listed. I admittedly know less about the charters, but toured Height a few years ago and I really liked the principal. She came across as organized, approachable, and reasonable. I talked to a few enrolled families and they had many good things to say about the PK program. My kid ended up getting a seat at our IB school so we chose that instead but I think we would have been happy at Height. The beautiful newly renovated school (and awesome playground) are a big bonus.

[Anonymous]

We are sending our second kid to Prek3 at Sela in the fall after being very happy there with our first who also started there in prek3. Most of the kids there do not otherwise have exposure to Hebrew. It is a loving thoughtful school and community. When my oldest started there, I was pleasantly surprised to see how curious he became about language and the world in general through learning a second language, separate from actually speaking and understanding Hebrew which he now also can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are sending our second kid to Prek3 at Sela in the fall after being very happy there with our first who also started there in prek3. Most of the kids there do not otherwise have exposure to Hebrew. It is a loving thoughtful school and community. When my oldest started there, I was pleasantly surprised to see how curious he became about language and the world in general through learning a second language, separate from actually speaking and understanding Hebrew which he now also can do.

Maybe we will meet then! Thank you for the feedback!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Height has some local backers, great neighborhood, and a totally new school building.

+1 I would absolutely choose Height over the other schools OP has listed. I admittedly know less about the charters, but toured Height a few years ago and I really liked the principal. She came across as organized, approachable, and reasonable. I talked to a few enrolled families and they had many good things to say about the PK program. My kid ended up getting a seat at our IB school so we chose that instead but I think we would have been happy at Height. The beautiful newly renovated school (and awesome playground) are a big bonus.

Thank you for this important feedback!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have positive experiences at both the Friendship schools. Really happy with the IB program at Woodridge. Ideal elementary is excellent and they had the highest performing middle school in the city last year.

I definitely recommend finding a school that is near where you are living - it makes a big difference in your family happiness - especially with return to work increasing rush hour traffic. Good luck!

Any additional feedback and thoughts on Woodridge middle school? My child matched there.