Moving to DC this summer. What are our school options?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for these suggestions. My first grader is #20 on the waitlist for E.W. Stokes’ French program.

I didn’t realize my preschooler would jump to top of waitlist once we register in-boundary somewhere. That’s good to know.

I’ve been looking at Powell, Marie Reed, Oyster-Adams, Bancroft and Cleveland. Either French or Spanish would be fine. My kids studied both in a preschool immersion program here in Chicago. Hoping to help them maintain it if at all possible.

You gotta understand that Stokes is a charter and, as such, does not have a boundary. So your kid will not have in-boundary status there ever. It's not a thing.

When you move IB for a DCPS school, you should register your older child right away-- literally the same day you can prove residency. Then your PK4 will jump to almost the top of the list as an in-boundary student who is a sibling of an enrolled student. Even so, might not get in, those schools don't have enough preschool capacity to meet demand.

Waitlists move here through October, so it's possible your PK4 might get in after the start of the school year.

Thanks. That was my understanding, i.e. that our PK4 is unlikely to get into Stokes even if our first grader does. I assumed the IB option for both of them would have to entail another school.

[Anonymous]

Whatever you do, don’t pay for preschool! There are always spots available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are you waitlisted and which kid is waitlisted?

Not all schools have boundaries here. Every address is assigned to a DCPS "neighborhood" school, but there are also DCPS-operated schools that do not have bounaries, and charter schools do not have boundaries.

I hope you like Spanish, because that's really the only language available to you in this situation. This is a list of DCPS dual language schools (this means not immersion, both English and Spanish are taught so kids learn both). https://dcps.dc.gov/DL If I were you I would strongly consider moving in-boundary for Bancroft, Bruce-Monroe, Powell, or Marie Reed. I would pass on Tyler because it has just become dual language so probably isn't a great program yet, Cleveland doesn't have the best reputation academically, and Houston is in a less developed neighborhood farther from downtown.

Tyler has had a dual language strand since 2005 and now the whole school is going Dual Language - why comment on things you obviously know nothing about?

[Anonymous]

What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for these suggestions. My first grader is #20 on the waitlist for E.W. Stokes’ French program.

I didn’t realize my preschooler would jump to top of waitlist once we register in-boundary somewhere. That’s good to know.

I’ve been looking at Powell, Marie Reed, Oyster-Adams, Bancroft and Cleveland. Either French or Spanish would be fine. My kids studied both in a preschool immersion program here in Chicago. Hoping to help them maintain it if at all possible.

You gotta understand that Stokes is a charter and, as such, does not have a boundary. So your kid will not have in-boundary status there ever. It's not a thing.

When you move IB for a DCPS school, you should register your older child right away-- literally the same day you can prove residency. Then your PK4 will jump to almost the top of the list as an in-boundary student who is a sibling of an enrolled student. Even so, might not get in, those schools don't have enough preschool capacity to meet demand.

Waitlists move here through October, so it's possible your PK4 might get in after the start of the school year.

Thanks. That was my understanding, i.e. that our PK4 is unlikely to get into Stokes even if our first grader does. I assumed the IB option for both of them would have to entail another school.

Remember that you are not guaranteed a pre-K spot at your IB, unless you are IB for an early action school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

Our housing budget is $3,000-$3,500/mo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do, don’t pay for preschool! There are always spots available.

How would we find a free PK4 spot at this point if we didn’t get one via the lottery? All my preschooler’s waitlist numbers are between 60 and 200. Seems she is unlikely to get one of those, but I admittedly listed some of the more popular schools. Should I just add some other schools with shorter waitlists to her application now and hope she gets a slot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever you do, don’t pay for preschool! There are always spots available.

How would we find a free PK4 spot at this point if we didn’t get one via the lottery? All my preschooler’s waitlist numbers are between 60 and 200. Seems she is unlikely to get one of those, but I admittedly listed some of the more popular schools. Should I just add some other schools with shorter waitlists to her application now and hope she gets a slot?

You can do that. You can also start calling the CBOs and getting on their lists for their PreK spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

Our housing budget is $3,000-$3,500/mo.

I live in Petworth/Brightwood and this seems like a tight budget if you want a full house (most likely not IB for Powell), but if you're happy with a smaller apartment it is doable, but not necessarily IB for all of the schools you listed. This city is getting harder and harder, esp if you want more than 2 bedrooms and more than a condo.

[Anonymous]

The OP mentioned continuing language instruction and its not clear to me if this was immersion, or an occasional class. Assuming its immersion, I would add Bethune 16th St. to your list for both kids, and then start looking for a house IB at Bancroft or Powell. If you can find a place IB for Bancroft or Powell then your rising 1st grader will have a spot by right, and the commute to Bethune 16th St. from those areas would not be bad.

[Anonymous]

Which Stokes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

Our housing budget is $3,000-$3,500/mo.

I live in Petworth/Brightwood and this seems like a tight budget if you want a full house (most likely not IB for Powell), but if you're happy with a smaller apartment it is doable, but not necessarily IB for all of the schools you listed. This city is getting harder and harder, esp if you want more than 2 bedrooms and more than a condo.

Yes, aiming for a 2BR apartment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which Stokes?

Brookland campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

Our housing budget is $3,000-$3,500/mo.

I live in Petworth/Brightwood and this seems like a tight budget if you want a full house (most likely not IB for Powell), but if you're happy with a smaller apartment it is doable, but not necessarily IB for all of the schools you listed. This city is getting harder and harder, esp if you want more than 2 bedrooms and more than a condo.

We rented a house in Hill East - 3 bedroom (really 2.5 bedrooms) for $3200.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your housing budget? That will help people provide you with some more targeted advice.

Our housing budget is $3,000-$3,500/mo.

I live in Petworth/Brightwood and this seems like a tight budget if you want a full house (most likely not IB for Powell), but if you're happy with a smaller apartment it is doable, but not necessarily IB for all of the schools you listed. This city is getting harder and harder, esp if you want more than 2 bedrooms and more than a condo.

Yes, aiming for a 2BR apartment.

And, to be honest, we could go up quite a bit on rent if we got a free PK4 slot.