Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of middle class families who would be thrilled if Deal and Wilson beams lottery schools. They're called OOB families and there are many.

And when your child doesn't win the lottery? The thrill will be over.

When my kid didn't win, I homeschooled that year and won the next. It's all a matter of flexibility. My experience is only anecdotal, but it's worked out.

The anecdote is not so hopeful to the majority of people who work and are unable to homeschool, but glad that worked for you...thanks for sharing...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But apparently more moved in to replace them. And some obviously never leave. Who is are all these families who ditch public for private at K or 5th grade?

That's not true. For the most part, the people who moved in haven't used the schools. DCs population shrunk for decades, before finally making a comeback during the Williams years. And DCPS only started to show any growth at all (even then, marginal) until a couple of years ago.

And, I would wager without knowing the numbers, that the "growth" in DCPS of a hand full of percentage points is PS/PK/K and that a SIGNIFICANT percentage of those families will still leave DC before even 3rd grade, much less staying for high school.

The conversation should be steered towards trying to keep those families, who pay taxes, glorious taxes, in the city, not drive them out.

DC's population did in fact shrink for decades, and while there has been growth recently, dismantling school assignment will have an impact on people's desire to stay within the city limits.