Advice for newcomer to DC--how to apply from out of state?

[Anonymous]

What a fantastic forum! We are relocating summer 2009 and assumed we'd live in VA for the public schools, but posts on this forum have made me reconsider. It would be nice to live close to work if the kids could get a good public elementary education....

I take it the system is super complicated, and I'm assuming one needs a DC address in order to participate in any lottery, yes? So how do you suggest out-of-towners approach the process? We'll be renting and will not likely have a local address until June, so how do I go about getting my kids into one of the schools I'd like for September? (They'll be in K and 3rd grade.) I am assuming that one of the good charters will be out of the question because we will not be able to participate in the lottery this winter. But what about one of the DCPS? Do we just have to plan on finding a rental within the boundary of one of the schools we like and then are we guaranteed a spot at our neighborhood school? I suppose a worst-case scenario would be to home school for the 2009-10 school year and participate in the lotteries for the following year?

This is a bit off topic, but I'm new to even considering living in DC--is it unrealistic to pay $2500 in rent for a 3 bedroom place in one of the desirable elementary school neighborhoods? If so, how much would we expect to pay for 3 bdrms? Could anyone suggest neighborhoods for family with SAHM and DH commuting to the Hill?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,
Welcoming you in advance to DC!
I don't know about the rental prices -- you could check Craig's List (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/) -- $2500 for a three bedroom in upper NW sounds low to me but I don't really know.

Anyway, I would definitely look into renting in-boundaries for a good school. Then you can keep dc in the school if you buy elsewhere. This will also give you time to look around and to decide if the DC route is really the best for you.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You could check in with the charters about their lotteries.

The easiest thing would be to rent in boundaries for a school you like. You will then be guaranteed a spot. In-boundaries registration is not until late spring/early summer anyway. If you are interested in certain schools, you might want to contact the principals and let them know of your intentions.

[Anonymous]

For Kindergarten and up, you are guaranteed a place at your neighborhood DC public school. No need to apply, just register over the summer with proof of address.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, welcome to the District!

The advice from the PPs about renting is spot-on. I used to rent a beautiful two-bedroom in Oyster's catchment area for about $1700. That was in '03 however, so I assume rents have increased. It would have been too small for a family of four, but that was a really great place to live!

You can't go wrong by renting inbounds to a school you like, that allows you the time to make an un-rushed buying decision for your house. Plus, once you're here you'll at least be eligible in all of next year's charter and OOB lotteries. Once you arrive, go ahead and check in with the directors at the charters you like, you've got nothing to lose by inquiring about their waiting lists - you never know if you might get lucky.

Best of luck to you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[snip!] If you are interested in certain schools, you might want to contact the principals and let them know of your intentions.

That's really good advice, especially if you won't actually be moving here until the end of the summer. Any principal would appreciate the heads-up that s/he'll have one more 3rd-grader and K-er than s/he would expect based on summer registrations, and starting off your relationship with your kids' principal on the right foot can't hurt!

$2500/mo for three bedrooms in NW DC might be tough, especially if you want to be close to Metro, but it might not be unrealistic. Assuming the housing slump continues, one strategy might be to search redfin for places that have been on the market for a loooong time in your target school district(s), especially those with photos suggesting that they're vacant, and contacting the owners to inquire about one-year leases.

[Anonymous]

Also, it is my understanding that once your children are in a school, they are allowed to stay in it if you move anywhere else in DC.

So - let's pretend you decide to rent in Lafayette and a year from now you decide to buy somewhere else in DC. Not only can your children continue at Lafayette, they can continue to the Middle school that it feeds into.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure about this, PP? I understood that, except for charter schools, you must be in-boundary at registration time every year to guarantee yourself a spot at a DC school.

[Anonymous]

Nope, once you're in, you normally stay in, but it's at the discretion of the Principal.

[Anonymous]

PP is correct, but OOB students are only asked to leave because of serious anti-social behavior problems or attendance issues. It's not done very much at all.

[Anonymous]

True! Welcome to our city!