Advice for a complete novice in the world of DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the area just north of 16th St Heights.

Triple check the Middle School you are zoned for - but there are homes up there that are in Deal. You can absolutely buy a small 3 bedroom row house in that area for less than your budget.

Unless you're talking about Shepherd Park, that's not going to be there for a future PK3 student. Grandfathering is up in 2022.

And if you're talking about Shepherd, I think it's a great option, but not exactly racially diverse, which is something the OP said they're looking for.

Nothing in Shepherd boundary at that prices though.

Not true if 2 bedrooms are an option.

[Anonymous]

If you're mainly worried about ES, there are definitely $650K 2 bedroom houses zoned for Maury on Capitol Hill (a couple on Redfin right now).

[Anonymous]

Stretch you budget and do some work for Janney-Deal-Wilson:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4331-44th-St-NW_Washington_DC_20016_M55291-58200

[Anonymous]

Cleveland Park "as is" fixer upper in your budget:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3601-34th-St-NW_Washington_DC_20008_M66687-13455

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the area just north of 16th St Heights.

Triple check the Middle School you are zoned for - but there are homes up there that are in Deal. You can absolutely buy a small 3 bedroom row house in that area for less than your budget.

Unless you're talking about Shepherd Park, that's not going to be there for a future PK3 student. Grandfathering is up in 2022.

And if you're talking about Shepherd, I think it's a great option, but not exactly racially diverse, which is something the OP said they're looking for.

Huh? Lots of black, white, and mixed race families in Shepherd Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the area just north of 16th St Heights.

Triple check the Middle School you are zoned for - but there are homes up there that are in Deal. You can absolutely buy a small 3 bedroom row house in that area for less than your budget.

Unless you're talking about Shepherd Park, that's not going to be there for a future PK3 student. Grandfathering is up in 2022.

And if you're talking about Shepherd, I think it's a great option, but not exactly racially diverse, which is something the OP said they're looking for.

Huh? Lots of black, white, and mixed race families in Shepherd Park.

The neighborhood is very diverse.

The school-wide numbers are less so.

78% Black
8.8% White
8.2% Latino
4.4% multi

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are your jobs? Do you need to be near metro?

OP here. Metro not needed - I work downtown and have free parking, and DH--ironically a DCPS teacher--will be moving to a new school next year so not sure on location, but I'm sure he'll drive too.

We have a similar situation as yours. We played the lottery, won, moved to NE DC. Everything worked just fine. Also, we bought for way under you budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check out the area just north of 16th St Heights.

Triple check the Middle School you are zoned for - but there are homes up there that are in Deal. You can absolutely buy a small 3 bedroom row house in that area for less than your budget.

Unless you're talking about Shepherd Park, that's not going to be there for a future PK3 student. Grandfathering is up in 2022.

And if you're talking about Shepherd, I think it's a great option, but not exactly racially diverse, which is something the OP said they're looking for.

Nothing in Shepherd boundary at that prices though.

Not true if 2 bedrooms are an option.

I don't think there are any 2br options in SP. The neighborhood is almost entirely SFHs of 3+BRs. Only a few row houses, and all of them have at least 3BRs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are your jobs? Do you need to be near metro?

OP here. Metro not needed - I work downtown and have free parking, and DH--ironically a DCPS teacher--will be moving to a new school next year so not sure on location, but I'm sure he'll drive too.

We have a similar situation as yours. We played the lottery, won, moved to NE DC. Everything worked just fine. Also, we bought for way under you budget.

OP here. Thanks everyone for your input!!

This post made me think HMMMM I clearly don't understand this at all. Can you play the lottery before you have a DC address??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are your jobs? Do you need to be near metro?

OP here. Metro not needed - I work downtown and have free parking, and DH--ironically a DCPS teacher--will be moving to a new school next year so not sure on location, but I'm sure he'll drive too.

We have a similar situation as yours. We played the lottery, won, moved to NE DC. Everything worked just fine. Also, we bought for way under you budget.

OP here. Thanks everyone for your input!!

This post made me think HMMMM I clearly don't understand this at all. Can you play the lottery before you have a DC address??

Yes, you just don't get to be inbounds anywhere and you can't enroll unless you have proof of your DC address by the enrollment date, which will require you to move in a short -- but not impossibly so -- window.

[Anonymous]

I should have done a little research and answered my own question (OP here). I just read the FAQs on the My School DC page. So you can apply if you're not a DC resident but you have to prove residency by May 2nd. So you basically then have 31 days to move. Hmmmmm....tricky. Wondering how the PP managed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I should have done a little research and answered my own question (OP here). I just read the FAQs on the My School DC page. So you can apply if you're not a DC resident but you have to prove residency by May 2nd. So you basically then have 31 days to move. Hmmmmm....tricky. Wondering how the PP managed it.

Having closed on a house will count, you don't have to have moved in yet. Basically, you need to pre-select a place and be ready to go, but you can pull out if you lose the lottery. I actually think that if you really have 650K for a two bedroom, you can get somewhere with an acceptable ES IB (e.g., Maury).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I should have done a little research and answered my own question (OP here). I just read the FAQs on the My School DC page. So you can apply if you're not a DC resident but you have to prove residency by May 2nd. So you basically then have 31 days to move. Hmmmmm....tricky. Wondering how the PP managed it.

The PP was probably renting somewhere in the city already -- played the lottery and got into a charter school. Registered with their rental address (no problem with that). And then they were able to buy/move into a more affordable part of the city knowing they probably wouldn't need to use the (presumably poor) local DCPS school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should have done a little research and answered my own question (OP here). I just read the FAQs on the My School DC page. So you can apply if you're not a DC resident but you have to prove residency by May 2nd. So you basically then have 31 days to move. Hmmmmm....tricky. Wondering how the PP managed it.

Having closed on a house will count, you don't have to have moved in yet. Basically, you need to pre-select a place and be ready to go, but you can pull out if you lose the lottery. I actually think that if you really have 650K for a two bedroom, you can get somewhere with an acceptable ES IB (e.g., Maury).

This is clever! Ok, we might have to try this when time comes for the PK3 lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should have done a little research and answered my own question (OP here). I just read the FAQs on the My School DC page. So you can apply if you're not a DC resident but you have to prove residency by May 2nd. So you basically then have 31 days to move. Hmmmmm....tricky. Wondering how the PP managed it.

Having closed on a house will count, you don't have to have moved in yet. Basically, you need to pre-select a place and be ready to go, but you can pull out if you lose the lottery. I actually think that if you really have 650K for a two bedroom, you can get somewhere with an acceptable ES IB (e.g., Maury).

This is clever! Ok, we might have to try this when time comes for the PK3 lottery.

The loophole of this clever scheme is you may end up with a really good WL number for a school (e.g. <10). Chances are that by the end of the summer you will get a space, but you may not. So do you proceed with the home purchase or not in that scenario...