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New to DC with a Question About Pre-K, please help! (Sorry, posted on wrong board before!)
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Anonymous
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Hi DC moms,
We are (probably) moving to DC this spring. We'll be in DC for two years and then back to NYC. Our dd is 4, she'll turn 5 in November. Will I be able to get her into pre-K in a good public school in DC? We're considering moving to Chevy Chase DC, Spring Valley, Cleveland Park or nearby. I understand there's a lottery system for public pre-K. Does anyone know how it works when you are not yet living in DC when the lottery occurs? I know there are so many transplants to DC throughout the school year, I'm assuming there is a process in place for this kind of situation. But I can't find an answer on the DCPS web site. Many thanks. |
Anonymous
| Our neighbors in Chevy Chase moved here a few months ago and their older child goes to Lafayette while their pre-K child goes to a private preschool. I suspect that's because they missed the boat on the lottery and had to go to the back of the line and therefore didn't get a slot. But that's just my assumption. I didn't ask them, but I don't know why someone would put their kid in private pre-K if they didn't have to. They mentioned that the pre-K child would attend Lafayette for K in the fall. |
Anonymous
| Check the DCPS website for the on-line chat that was held today. Someone asked a version of this question, I believe it was do I have to live in DC to enter child in lottery. The answer was no, but you need to verify residence once admitted between Apr 1 and May 1. So, it depends in part on how quickly you are moving. It would be very difficult, I suspect, to claim in boundary status for one of the more competitive neighborhood schools that you mention. That leaves you with OOB. Consider Hearst, Hyde, Stoddert, which are in/near the neighborhoods you mention and may have some slots for OOB. Hurry, lottery deadline is days away. Also apply for charters (separate lotteries) including preS/preK only schools.. |
Anonymous
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I would strongly advise you to call Bridges and Appletree (the Columbia Heights campus - they have 3). They are both charter pre-schools, which means you can attend them no matter where you live. I think you can enter their respective lotteries right away, and you won't have to actually show proof of residence until you enroll your child (over the summer). Call them and explain your situation and get their specific requirements. They are both terrific schools and you're unlikely to do better at a neighborhood school. I've toured both schools, and they're both amazing - very low student:staff ratios, very diverse, excellent scores for pre-academic skills. At Bridges, ALL the lead teachers have Master's degrees - there probably isn't another public school in DC that can make that claim.
Also, be advised that at charter schools, the waitlists may be static all summer and then move through literally dozens of names the week that school starts. You could be #100 on the waitlist and you'll probably still get in. I know it's a completely different kind of crazy from NYC, but at the end of the day it is much easier to get what you want. |
Anonymous
this is good advice. also, Cooke for DCPS will likely have a decent amount of OOB slots for pre-s and pre-k and is in NW. |
Anonymous
| Sorry, but what is OOB? Many thanks for the great advice, people. |
Anonymous
| out of boundary |