PK3 list - Feedback help for Woodley Park

[Anonymous]

Hi - We're relatively new to DC, pretty uninformed about PK3, and would appreciate feedback/suggestions on our PK3 list. We currently rent in Woodley Park and work downtown. We would prefer to stay in our apartment for the next year but might be willing to move for the right PK3 school. If we do move for a school, our preference for neighborhood to move to is Mount Plesant, Brookland, Capitol Hill/H Street Corridor in that order. Our daughter is currently in a Spanish immersion daycare and we have a preference for Spanish PK3 but it's not a must have. If we don't get a school we love, we'll keep her in her current daycare.

Current list (suggestions appreciated!):
Bancroft
Marie Reed – DL
Marie Reed – Regular
Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Friendship PCS – Armstrong Elementary
Cooke
Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Appletree Early Learning PCS – Columbia Heights
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
DC Bilingual
Breakthrough Montessori PCS – Petworth

[Anonymous]

Hi OP- I would take a look at this link to see last year's lottery results:

http://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/61

And then combine with this link that shows waitlist movement (so you could see how many students were offered spots):

https://public.tableau.com/profile/aaron2446#!/vizhome/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData/MSDCPublicDisplay

So if you look at, say, Bancroft English dominant, you can see that last year 35 in-boundary PK3 kids were waitlisted and through October they had made only 2 offers to waitlisted students. So you would be unlikely to get in OOB for Bancroft. I believe Marie Reed and HD Cooke are the same as well and both also have a number of students with proximity preference (due to their locations near their boundaries) that would take preference over your child as well.

This is what people talk about when they talk about "wasted spots." Two Rivers is hard to get into but you might get lucky but Bancroft is literally impossible if you are OOB.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP- to add to the above, I would look at Bethune on 16th St (which is Spanish immersion) as well as Communikids and CentroNia.

[Anonymous]

One more thing- I believe that if you move after the lottery you can get bumped up the waitlist to your new in bounds school. So you could move to Mt Pleasant and get bumped ahead of other OOB students for Bancroft. I am not sure where you would be on the list though- i.e. if you would be at the bottom of the in-bounds or you would be somewhere in the middle based on your master number. Might want to call My School DC and ask.

[Anonymous]

It is kind of like your real list is this, taking away those you have no chance at and those which are clearly much harder to get into than many above them:


Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Friendship PCS – Armstrong Elementary


So, first think if TR4 is your top choice and Friendship your actual second. If not, rearrange the overall list. In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference). If you do not get into any of them, stay where you are then move to Mt Pleasant for access to Bancroft, your top choice anyway.

Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
DC Bilingual

I don't know much about how to lottery for Communikids or CentroNia but they are good options too for PK only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of like your real list is this, taking away those you have no chance at and those which are clearly much harder to get into than many above them:


Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Friendship PCS – Armstrong Elementary


So, first think if TR4 is your top choice and Friendship your actual second. If not, rearrange the overall list. In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference). If you do not get into any of them, stay where you are then move to Mt Pleasant for access to Bancroft, your top choice anyway.

Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
DC Bilingual

I don't know much about how to lottery for Communikids or CentroNia but they are good options too for PK only.

Check this page under enhanced PK -- you need to apply directly to those schools https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of like your real list is this, taking away those you have no chance at and those which are clearly much harder to get into than many above them:


Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Friendship PCS – Armstrong Elementary


So, first think if TR4 is your top choice and Friendship your actual second. If not, rearrange the overall list. In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference). If you do not get into any of them, stay where you are then move to Mt Pleasant for access to Bancroft, your top choice anyway.

Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
DC Bilingual

I don't know much about how to lottery for Communikids or CentroNia but they are good options too for PK only.

Mundo Verde 8th St is a bit of a wild card for PK3 this year- previously MV was super hard ot get into without a sibling preference but since this is a new location there is a much better shot. No idea if current MV parents will be offered the chance to transfer to 8th St which could reduce available slots there. If so P St location might be worth listing as well.

[Anonymous]

If you are in-bounds for Oyster and want Spanish immersion you might want to consider staying in that neighborhood- it is normally regarded as the best Spanish immersion in the city and feeds to Deal. But they don't have PK3 and PK4 is hard to get into without a sibling preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of like your real list is this, taking away those you have no chance at and those which are clearly much harder to get into than many above them:


Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Friendship PCS – Armstrong Elementary


So, first think if TR4 is your top choice and Friendship your actual second. If not, rearrange the overall list. In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference). If you do not get into any of them, stay where you are then move to Mt Pleasant for access to Bancroft, your top choice anyway.

Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
DC Bilingual

I don't know much about how to lottery for Communikids or CentroNia but they are good options too for PK only.

I think AppleTree CH is pretty easy to get into- not guaranteed but they have massive WL movement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are in-bounds for Oyster and want Spanish immersion you might want to consider staying in that neighborhood- it is normally regarded as the best Spanish immersion in the city and feeds to Deal. But they don't have PK3 and PK4 is hard to get into without a sibling preference.

And if not, you're likely IB for Eaton. I'd stay in the neighborhood, and certainly would not move just for PK3. Look at the PK3s on your way to work or convenient to your commute and pick from one of those. Most DCPS schools do ECE well, and you're currently IB for a good feeder to MS/HS.

Also, Oyster doesn't feed to Deal, it feeds to Adams, hence Oyster-Adams. Adams feeds to Wilson.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks -- all helpful. We're inbound for Oyster-Adams and definitely considering staying but may not want to rent in our current apartment for several more years. Two questions: (1) re PP statement - "In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference)." how would you order them (suggestions appreciated)?

And (2) Any other schools that might work for commuting to work downtown from Woodley Park that we should add to the list (after removing the schools we have no chance at)?

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks -- all helpful. We're inbound for Oyster-Adams and definitely considering staying but may not want to rent in our current apartment for several more years. Two questions: (1) re PP statement - "In your position, I would probably just list these, which I left in order of your list (not my own preference)." how would you order them (suggestions appreciated)?

And (2) Any other schools that might work for commuting to work downtown from Woodley Park that we should add to the list (after removing the schools we have no chance at)?

Thank you!

My own order would probably be, for those you listed, as follows- but they are all good schools so am not really sure.

Stokes – Brookland
Lee Montessori PCS
Mundo Verde 8th Street NE
Two Rivers PCS at 4th Street
DC Bilingual

BUT - if you're IB for Oyster, consider staying in your rental till you gain admission (likely in K), and then after a year or so buy elsewhere. There is a risk but you are likely to be allowed to stay even after moving, which is based on principal discretion. If this is your plan then yes you'd want to add more schools that are on your commute.

[Anonymous]

Definitely stay in-bounds for Oyster. There are good private preschools (NCRC, Aidan, Gan, JCC, School for Friends) within easy reach of Woodley Park. Full time as well as part time options depending on what you’re looking for. Else you could keep her in current daycare as most of them have a preschool component by age 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are in-bounds for Oyster and want Spanish immersion you might want to consider staying in that neighborhood- it is normally regarded as the best Spanish immersion in the city and feeds to Deal. But they don't have PK3 and PK4 is hard to get into without a sibling preference.

Oyster does not feed Deal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are in-bounds for Oyster and want Spanish immersion you might want to consider staying in that neighborhood- it is normally regarded as the best Spanish immersion in the city and feeds to Deal. But they don't have PK3 and PK4 is hard to get into without a sibling preference.

Oyster does not feed Deal

PP who wrote that- you are correct! It feeds to Wilson but goes through middle school. Sorry for the incorrect information- I went to Deal in the 90s and had friends from Oyster there (so I think is used to feed to Deal? Or maybe they were out of bounds? Not sure).