new to DC and need some basic help

[Anonymous]

Moving to DC area and just starting to explore DC public school options. A few basic questions: 1) can we get into our in-boundary school for 1st and 3rd grade if we just move in late spring and register? 2) do I need to worry about a cutoff date for entry into 1st? (late sept birthday) 3) are there private aftercare programs? 4) are there decent middle schools? For elem, seems like we might have some good options, but I wonder about middle schools?

Someone had suggested the fightforkids.org site. Any others I can explore?

Tia.

[Anonymous]

If you move in-bounds, they have to take you for Kindergarten and every year after. It's only Pre-K that has a lottery.

Also the cut-off birth date to enter school at K is September 30th. However if the child has already attended K in another school district there shouldn't be any problem going into 1st no matter what the birth date is.

[Anonymous]

honestly, you can learn a lot just from reading these boards.

[Anonymous]

As for middle schools, Deal Middle School is strong. Read other threads on this. At present, Lafayette, Murch, Shepherd, Janney and Eaton feed into Deal and you are guaranteed a spot at Deal if your child attends elementary school at one of these or if you live in the "in boundary" area for Deal (go to DCPS website to determine this).

And if you move in late Spring, your kids could also finish this school year (which doesn't end June 22, thanks to the snow) at the new in-boundary school if you wanted. This would connect them quickly to kids (and you to parents) in the new neighborhood. I have known some kids to do this and it's worked fine, but depends on your kids (and the attitude of the school).