Choosing a school? You’ve got options.
Choosing where your child goes to school is one of the biggest decisions you face. While it may feel intimidating to navigate your school choice options in D.C. and make a choice, you can do it! And remember, every child is unique. So, the “best” school for your child may look different than the “best” school for your neighbor’s child.
A good starting point for choosing a school is knowing your options. This post will break down the main learning environments available in D.C. In short, D.C. school choices include traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online learning, and homeschooling and microschooling and mix-and-match learning.
One of the many factors families consider when choosing a school is transportation. In D.C., transportation is available for students who attend their assigned public school, attend a public charter school located within their zoned district, or have transportation services in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation may be available for other types of schools – visit our transportation guide to learn more!
Looking for special education options? You can learn what special education services are available in D.C. at the Ultimate Guide to Special Education.
Download the School Choice Snapshot for District of Columbia
Click a School Type to See Your Options
Traditional Public School
Free public school based on your address or zone
Public Charter School
Free public schools open to all students run by an independent board of directors
Homeschool
School that takes place in your own home
Online Learning
Schools where students attend virtually, can be free public or private schools
Microschool
School that takes place with a small group of students
DC Traditional Public Schools
First off, families in Washington, D.C. can choose for their children to attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools are free to attend, open to all students, operated by school districts, and funded by federal, state, and local government. In D.C., 32.8% of all K-12 students attend a traditional public school.
The District of Columbia operates as a single school district. In D.C., families can apply to traditional public schools outside of the school assigned to them. D.C. uses a lottery system called My School DC. Families can apply to up to 12 schools out of nearly all of D.C.’s traditional public schools and public charter schools through the common lottery application. The lottery system then matches open seats with applicants. Nearly three-quarters of students in the district attend a school other than their neighborhood school.
Did you know that, on average, D.C. spends $24,535 per public school student each year? Find out more about public schools in D.C. at the D.C. State Board of Education website.
DC Charter Schools
Besides traditional public schools, you can also choose public charter schools in D.C. These schools are tuition-free public schools that have extra freedom to innovate and are accountable to authorizers for student achievement. Each public charter school has a charter which explains the school’s purpose and what specific community need it serves. For example, that could be providing a STEAM program or offering a rigorous, literacy-based curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, the school typically uses a lottery system to determine admittance.
Charter school legislation for Washington, D.C. was signed into law in 1996. Today, there are more than 100 charter schools in the district serving 47.1% of the K-12 student population. You can apply to participating public charter schools through the My School DC Public School Lottery, and find a complete list of D.C. public charter schools.
Learn more at the D.C. Charter School Alliance.
DC Magnet Schools
Magnet schools are another free public school option. These schools allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as engineering or the performing arts; all the subjects at a magnet school are taught through the lenses of that specific track. If your child applies to and is accepted into a public magnet school, they can attend that school rather than their assigned public school.
D.C. has a handful of public magnet schools or magnet programs. Duke Ellington School of the Arts, for instance, offers a unique dual enrollment curriculum where students receive professional arts training as well as academic preparation.
DC Private Schools
In addition, you can choose D.C. private schools, nonpublic schools that charge tuition. Private schools come in all shapes and forms, from religious schools to schools designed for children with special needs.
There are about 100 private schools in the District of Columbia. The average tuition for private schools in D.C. is $29,112 for elementary schools and $35,396 for high schools.
While the cost of private school tuition may seem like a barrier, D.C. students whose families meet certain income limits may qualify for a state-run scholarship program which is currently serving 1.7% of the K-12 student population. The establishment of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program was even the subject of a feature film, Miss Virginia!
Additional funding may be available from other sources. Learn more at the Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools, The Shepherd Foundation, Black Student Fund, and Latino Student Fund.
DC Online Learning
Whether your child wants to accelerate learning or needs a quieter environment in which to focus, you may be interested in trying virtual school. Students in Washington D.C. in any grade can enroll full-time in Friendship Online Academy, an online, tuition-free school. Enrollment in Friendship Public Charter School Online takes place through the My School DC Public School Lottery. The school also offers part-time options.
Additionally, some D.C. high schools offer blended courses.
To read more about online learning in Washington D.C., check out the Digital Learning Collaborative’s state profile.
DC Homeschooling
Homeschooling, the process of parents educating students at home, is permitted in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. As both technology and school choices have spread in D.C., homeschooling is an increasingly popular choice with more support and resources than ever.
All parents in D.C. have the freedom to homeschool their children, provided they meet certain requirements. In D.C., notice of your intent to homeschool must be filed annually to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education by August 15 or 15 days before beginning homeschooling. D.C. requires homeschooling parents to have a high school diploma or its equivalent to homeschool.
D.C. requires homeschooling parents to teach specific subjects (including language arts, math, and music) but does not require homeschoolers to take standardized tests. In some cases, homeschoolers in D.C. can participate in public school sports and activities, but restrictions and limitations apply.
Learn more about homeschool laws and how to homeschool in D.C. at the Home School Legal Defense Association. You may also be interested in checking out the DC Homeschooling Program and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Home Educators.
DC Microschools and Mix-and-Match Learning
Over the past few years, DC families are blending school options to come up with new ways to personalize their child’s education. Microschools are an increasingly popular path towards customized education! A microschool refers to students gathering together in a small group – with adult supervision – to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms. What all microschools have in common is a commitment to small-group learning, close-knit relationships, and emphasizing children as individual learners.
Examples of microschools and related resources in your state:
- MYSA microschool is a K-8 microschool located in DC that can be described as a “modern day version of a one room schoolhouse. They are an independent, private school that uses a hybrid model to educate their students.
- Chance Academy is a private, nonprofit educational program that operates as a micro school. They offer a full range of academic classes for students from ages 10 – 18.
- Templeton Academy reimagines education through personalized, project-based learning for students in grades 9-12. With small classes, an emphasis on social-emotional development, and the city as their classroom, they strive to empower students to lead lives of purpose and impact.
- The Riverseed School is a public, teacher-led, two classroom Montessori school house. They offer an intentionally-small, community embedded learning environment.
- Serving early adolescents, The School of Harvest offers learning spaces that blend a single indoor classroom with expansive outdoor environments.
Remember, microschooling is more a mentality than a specific legal distinction in most cases. Often, a family participates in a microschool while legally homeschooling, or being enrolled in a private or online school.
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