| I can sort of answer the Eastern question. Applying to a number of HS options is normal for students at the Hill middle schools. But enrollment at Eastern recently seems up too. It depends on the kid. |
Since SY21-22 Maury has consistently sent 27-33 students to EH. They sent the most students of any school in SY21-22, SY22-23, and SY23-24. Last year Payne sent two more than Maury did. |
Part of that is just that Payne was one of the fastest growing schools in the city over the last 2-3 years. Its test scores are also on a massive upwards trajectory, which is great for EH and all feeders. |
Enrollment at Eastern is definitely up. It was 866, then 909, and now 978 in the current year. MFP capacity is 1224, so they're not overcrowded. I think it's a nice size for my kid. |
What is the reason for the trajectory? |
5th grade enrollment has been pretty flat at Payne so far. Mid 40s since SY22-23. |
People not pathologically invested in shiny things deciding the IB schools will not forever cripple their precious. |
An uptick in enrollment and retention of high-income IB students, is what you're saying? How do you know? |
All of the actual data/numbers/trends can be found on EdScape and other sources - but for Payne at least, there has been a growing number of IB families staying at the school through 5th for the past 10 years, but also a decent number of OOB students, which IMO is part of what makes the school a great community. Also, from my experience there, I think a contrast to Maury is that the majority of families (mine included) did not enter the lottery in 4th or 5th grade, and chose to enroll in EH as their feeder school. Not sure why the difference - maybe it is just people behave similarly to the people around them, but there didn't seem to be the same pressure I feel like I hear about as Maury to have one foot out the door. After middle school, we know kids who have gone from Eliot to SWW, Banneker, McKinley, Eastern, St Johns, Gonzaga, and probably others I am forgetting. |
Overall increase in number of students living in the boundary (from 394 in SY19-20 to 465 in SY24-25) and fewer students lotterying out to other schools (boundary participation rate went from 37% in SY19-20 to 50% in SY24-25). Before 2019 there was a sizeable contingent of homeless children who lived at DC General/were IB for Payne. |
Payne is a good school with good teachers, solid leadership and involved parents. It’s also in a gentrifying area where the test score improvement creates a self perpetuating cycle of UMC IB buy in. It looks a lot like L-T 5 or so years ago. FWIW that can actually lead to stagnant 5th grade classes for a few years as more UMC families play the lottery, but eventually that will change as the size increases. |
Wow, congrats! |
| It must be on the up and up, my waitlist number for EH for 6th is #40. Last year the WL on results day was 34 and they made 27 offers by October. |
I’ll be curious to see if they offered fewer lottery seats this year since the school is near capacity now. |
| There are 3 5th grade classes at Maury this year. I also think they have some visibility into that — might have offered fewer initial WL spaces until they can see the enrollment numbers. |