Single dad moving to DC with 3 year old - recommendations for where to move and preK 3?

[Anonymous]

OP, tell us which hospital. I can't think of a hospital in Columbia Heights so your advice is confusing. That's why people are suggesting Eaton and Murch - you just have to go down Adams Mill and you are there in Columbia Heights!

[Anonymous]

My spouse works at WHC and we live in Columbia Heights. My suggestion would be to look at places zoned for Raymond, Tubman, Bancroft and Bruce Monroe. Easiest commute option is to take the shuttles from the Columbia Heights metro to the hospitals. They run constantly. You can even walk to work from those school boundaries, especially Bruce Monroe. Also get on the list for PK3 at CentroNia and Barbara Chambers. Even though they are daycares, they run PK programs that are paid for by DC and are free to families. We used that option. It was great.

If you were staying longer I might suggest Brookland for the greater options for Charters, but since MS isn’t a concern I would opt for the convenience and walkabikity

[Anonymous]

Walkability of the Columbia Heights side of the WHC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to ward 4 and go to Dorothy height in ward 4/petworth.

+1 This is the answer. Find a rental on a quiet street in Petworth or Brightwood Park and go to DHES. Post-lottery PK3 is a crapshoot at almost all the schools that have been suggested so far (Lewis, Bancroft, etc) if they even *have* PK3, which many suggested do not.

DHES is very warm and nurturing, convenient to Columbia Heights, and you'll be right near the Upshur pool in the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, these suggestions are awful. Half of these schools don’t even offer PK3! In your situation, here are some DCPS schools I’d submit a post lottery app to:
- Military Road ELC
- Truesdell
- Whittier
- Takoma
- Burroughs
- Bunker Hill
- Dorothy Height
All of these are within 2 miles of the hospital, and close to bus/metro.

I’m less familiar with charters, but Appletree CH, Lee (Brookland), Meridian PCS, Sela, Bethune, Shining Stars, maybe Creative Minds?

+1

There is SO much terrible advice on this thread. Why on EARTH would someone who is leaving the city before his kid hits 1st grade pay a huge premium and accept a longer commute to live in ward 3 for the schools??? There are a ton of schools with fabulous early elementary programs, starting in PK3, that are much closer to hospitals.

+1000000. OP, the poster above nailed it. Please ignore anyone on this thread or on Reddit (which has an unreasonable number of "everything east of the park sucks!" posters) who says you need to live in Ward 3. That makes no sense if you're leaving in 3 years. Assuming that you are working at a hospital near/around WHC/Children's, the above poster is spot-on. I'd only add that you should also consider applying to community-based preKs as well - these are privately-owned preKs that nevertheless offer free spots to DC residents for PK3/4. I've heard great things about Communikids, Barbara Chambers, and Easter Seals in those areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eaton elementary would be another option. Look at apartments in McLean Gardens. Lots of families, good community, and a pool in the summer.

I've heard amazing things about McLean Gardens' community feel. It might be a nice place for you to meet people and establish yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone mention the new Appletree in Spring Valley? It looks like it’s a 25-30 minute drive to work. You could rent in one of the apartment buildings on New Mexico Avenue or Mass Ave and be in-bounds for Mann (a wonderful public school) if you stay long enough.

No idea on their availability though!

Appletree Spring Valley (just opened last August/Septrmber) had spots for PK3 even in September last year, although it may be a bit far to commute. Same for Two Birds (the West End location had just opened so had more spots than in Tenleytown). We had considered for our 3 year old then, and both options looked really great!

[Anonymous]

Your child is too young for upper NW schools. I would find a prk3 and apartment somewhere near work to minimize commute. 20-30 minutes commute is a lot. You can keep it under 10 living in Columbia Heights or Petworth. If you stay in the city longer, then you move to McLean Gardens for still a decent commute.

[Anonymous]

Y’all have probably overwhelmed the OP

[Anonymous]

I would 100 percent do McLean Gardens. Use the free Communikids or St Alban’s this next year, then you can try to lottery for Eaton for prek 4 with inboundary preference, and be at a great spot for K if you’re still here.

So many little kid amenities are concentrated in upper NW, and that complex is right next to the new Wegmans and close to the Cathedral Commons strip of restaurants and shops. Columbia Heights is just tougher with littles, and Petworth / Brightwood has seen a troubling crime surge.

To be clear — the free early education that DC offers isn’t just through the lottery. It is also extended to commercial programs that function like a combo of preschool and daycare. That’s Communikids and St Albans and others. You can find the list here

https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc/

[Anonymous]

I’m the PP who said this was full of terrible advice. Here is a list of close schools that you will NOT get into submitting a post-lottery app. These schools waitlist inbound kids for PK, you have next to no chance of getting in post lottery. Don’t waste slots on:

- Bancroft
- Barnard
- Tubman
- Bruce-Monroe
- John Lewis
- Powell
- Barnard
- Cleveland
- Garrison

Charters (again, not my area of expertise but a lot of these schools have double and triple digit waitlists for PK): Capitol City, LAMB, Mundo Verde, Yu Ying, DCB, ITS, EL Haynes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, these suggestions are awful. Half of these schools don’t even offer PK3! In your situation, here are some DCPS schools I’d submit a post lottery app to:
- Military Road ELC
- Truesdell
- Whittier
- Takoma
- Burroughs
- Bunker Hill
- Dorothy Height
All of these are within 2 miles of the hospital, and close to bus/metro.

I’m less familiar with charters, but Appletree CH, Lee (Brookland), Meridian PCS, Sela, Bethune, Shining Stars, maybe Creative Minds?

I was also going to suggest Military Road ELC for PK3 and 4, and then Whittier or Takoma for K. Not a ton of apartments in bounds for Whittier but the new development at Walter Reed has lots of apartments, IB for Takoma, close to Military Road ELC. And from my house in Takoma, it's 8-10 minutes to drive to the hospitals' complex. As a single mom, I *loved* Whittier because I had a great village of other families who could help me out when I was running late for pickup, etc. Takoma has a similar tight-knit community feel.

[hahmad]

Anonymous wrote:You should also consider whether schools you’re looking at have before and/or aftercare, if that’s something you’ll need. And if it’s free or at a cost.

Yes will definitely need before and aftercare.

[hahmad]

Anonymous wrote:OP, tell us which hospital. I can't think of a hospital in Columbia Heights so your advice is confusing. That's why people are suggesting Eaton and Murch - you just have to go down Adams Mill and you are there in Columbia Heights!

I'll be at WHC, sorry didn't realize this detail could change so much!!!

[hahmad]

Anonymous wrote:I would 100 percent do McLean Gardens. Use the free Communikids or St Alban’s this next year, then you can try to lottery for Eaton for prek 4 with inboundary preference, and be at a great spot for K if you’re still here.

So many little kid amenities are concentrated in upper NW, and that complex is right next to the new Wegmans and close to the Cathedral Commons strip of restaurants and shops. Columbia Heights is just tougher with littles, and Petworth / Brightwood has seen a troubling crime surge.

To be clear — the free early education that DC offers isn’t just through the lottery. It is also extended to commercial programs that function like a combo of preschool and daycare. That’s Communikids and St Albans and others. You can find the list here

https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc/

I've heard a lot of good things about McLean Gardens. Is this like an apartment complex or a neighborhood cz I was told to live there but wasn't sure where there exactly referred to. Would this be a good option if I'm commuting to WHC?