{{Short description|American public school system}} {{Redirect|Washington Public Schools|similarly named school districts|Washington School District (disambiguation)|and|Columbia School District (disambiguation)}} {{Update|date=June 2024}} {{Use American English|date=December 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox school district | name = District of Columbia Public Schools | logo = DCPSlogo.png | image = DCPS headquarters.jpg | caption = DCPS' headquarters building in NoMa | motto = | type = Public | grades = PK–12 | established = {{Start date and age|1805|9|23}} | closed = | region = Mid-Atlantic, Southeast | country = United States | location = 1200 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 | coordinates = | president = | vice-president = | superintendent_type = Chancellor | superintendent = Lewis Ferebee | asst_superintendent = | accreditations = <!-- or | accreditation = --> | schools = 117<ref name="nces_district" /> | budget = $701,344,630 | us_nces_district_id = {{NCES District ID|1100030|district_name=District of Columbia Public Schools|access_date=October 14, 2025|do_not_render|do_not_show_link|ref_name=nces_district}} | students = 50,839<ref name="nces_district" /> | faculty = | teachers = 4,564.64 {{FTE}}<ref name="nces_district" /> | staff = 3,767.57 {{FTE}}<ref name="nces_district" /> | ratio = 11.14<ref name="nces_district" /> | conference = | mascot = | colors = | schedule = | website = {{URL|https://dcps.dc.gov/}} }}

The '''District of Columbia Public Schools''' ('''DCPS''') is the local public school system for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It is distinct from the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS), which governs public charter schools in the district.

== Student body == === Enrollment === DCPS schools offer education from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, as well as education for adults. During the 2023–2024 school year, there were 50,839 students enrolled in DCPS, and 4,564.64 FTE teachers, with a student–teacher ratio of 11.14.<ref name="nces_district" />

Enrollment in D.C. public schools previously reached a peak of 150,000 students in the 1960s before declining over the following decades.<ref name="stein_enrollment">{{Cite news |last=Stein |first=Perry |date=2018-11-08 |title=D.C. Public Schools reports enrollment rise of 2 percent |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-public-schools-reports-enrollment-rise-of-2-percent/2018/11/07/43084252-e2bc-11e8-b759-3d88a5ce9e19_story.html |access-date=2025-10-14 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 1996, the first public charter schools opened in the district, drawing more students away from DCPS schools.<ref name="stein_enrollment" /> During the COVID-19 pandemic, public school enrollment decreased in the district as many families chose homeschooling or enrolled their children in private schools.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2025 |title=What Trends are we Seeing in Enrollment? |url=https://osse.dc.gov/blog/what-trends-are-we-seeing-enrollment |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Government of the District of Columbia}}</ref>

=== Demographics === The racial and ethnic breakdown of students enrolled in the 2023–2024 school year was 55% Black, 22% Hispanic, 18% White, and 5% other races.<ref name="nces_district" /> DCPS schools have seen a steady increase in White and Hispanic students since the 2013–2014 school year, due to more White students enrolling in pre-kindergarten and elementary schools, and more Hispanic students enrolling in middle and high schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public School Enrollment by Race and Ethnicity |url=https://edscape.dc.gov/page/pop-and-students-public-school-enrollment-by-race-and-ethnicity |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=Edscape |publisher=Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Government of the District of Columbia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2021 |title=Black Students Remain the Majority But Account for a Small Fraction of Public School Enrollment Growth |url=https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/DME_EdSight%20Race%20and%20Ethnicity%20Citywide%20Overview%20-%20FINAL.pdf |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=Edsight |publisher=Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Government of the District of Columbia}}</ref> By contrast, in 2000, the racial and ethnic breakdown of public school students was 84% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% White, and 2% other races.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Table 90.—Selected statistics on enrollment, teachers, graduates and dropouts in public school districts enrolling more than 15,000 students, by state: 1990, 1999, and 2000 |url=https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d02/tables/PDF/table90.pdf |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=Digest of Education Statistics |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics}}</ref>

As of the 2023–2024 school year, 16% of students were enrolled in special education, 16% were English-language learners, and 46% were deemed "at risk of academic failure".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public School Students by Special Need Categories |url=https://edscape.dc.gov/page/pop-and-students-public-school-students-special-need-categories |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=Edscape |publisher=Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Government of the District of Columbia}}</ref>

=== Attendance === School is compulsory in Washington, D.C. for students between the ages of 5 and 17.<ref name="SY2024-25_Annual_Attendance">{{Cite web |date=October 2025 |title=SY2024-25 Annual Attendance Report |url=https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/DCPS%20SY%202024-2025%20Annual%20Attendance%20Report.pdf |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=District of Columbia Public Schools}}</ref> As of the 2024–2025 school year, 38% of DCPS students from kindergarten to 12th grade were chronically absent, meaning a student missed 10% or more of the school year.<ref name="SY2024-25_Annual_Attendance" /> During the same school year, DCPS referred 4,956 students ages 5 to 13 to the district's Child and Family Services Agency for educational neglect.<ref name="SY2024-25_Annual_Attendance" /> DCPS referred an additional 1,495 students ages 14 to 17 to the district's Court Social Services Division for truancy.<ref name="SY2024-25_Annual_Attendance" />

=== Graduation rate === As of 2024, 77% of DCPS students graduated high school within four years, an increase from 54% in 2012.<ref name="Graduation_Rates">{{Cite web |title=DCPS Data Set – Graduation Rates |url=https://dcps.dc.gov/publication/dcps-data-set-graduation-rates |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=District of Columbia Public Schools}}</ref> The 2024 data shows that 73% of Black students and 76% of Hispanic students graduated in four years, compared to 96% of White students.<ref name="Graduation_Rates" />

In 2017, a report by WAMU and NPR called into question Ballou High School for graduating students that should have failed due to frequent absences.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGee |first=Kate |date=2017-11-28 |title=What Really Happened At The School Where Every Graduate Got Into College |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/11/28/564054556/what-really-happened-at-the-school-where-every-senior-got-into-college |access-date=2025-10-14 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> In response, the District's Office of the State Superintendent of Education commissioned an audit that found that 1 in 3 graduates of DCPS high schools that year should not have graduated based on their attendance records.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-01-30 |title=Report calls into question validity of hundreds of diplomas |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/report-calls-into-question-validity-of-hundreds-of-diplomas/2018/01/29/d86e5c82-0513-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130022818/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/report-calls-into-question-validity-of-hundreds-of-diplomas/2018/01/29/d86e5c82-0513-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html?utm_term=.7daaebf9ba0e |archive-date=2018-01-30 |access-date=2025-10-14 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

== Teachers == Under Teacher Leadership Innovation (TLI), experienced teachers can apply for specialized positions in which they spend at least 50% of their time teaching in the classroom and the rest of the time coaching other teachers and leading school teams.

DCPS has more than 4,000 teachers as of July 2024.

==Governance== [[File:Theodore Roosevelt High School, 13th St. in upper NW, Washington, D.C..jpg|thumb|left|275px|Theodore Roosevelt High School in Petworth]]

Within DCPS, schools are classified as either a "neighborhood school" or a "destination school". Neighborhood schools are elementary or secondary schools assigned to students based on their address. Destination schools are feeder-schools for elementary or secondary institutions from a school a student is already attending. Since the fall of 2009, students may choose a destination school, regardless of their neighborhood location. Locations of all schools and the neighborhood divides can be found on the DCPS website.<ref>{{Cite news | title=District of Columbia Public Schools--School Locator | url=http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/Learn+About+Schools/Find+Your+Assigned+Schools | publisher=The Government of the District of Columbia | location=Washington, D.C. | archive-date=December 2, 2011 | access-date=December 6, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202011052/http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/Learn%20About%20Schools/Find%20Your%20Assigned%20Schools | url-status=dead }}</ref>

For the school year ending in spring 2007, the DCPS was governed by the District of Columbia State Board of Education, with eleven members, including two students who had the right to debate but not to vote. Five members were elected, and the Mayor appointed four. The board established DCPS policies and employed a superintendent to serve as chief executive officer of the school district, responsible for day-to-day operations. Four board members represented specific geographical boundaries, and the Board President was elected at large. One condition of the District of Columbia Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 was creating DCPS as a separate cabinet-level agency from the D.C. Board of Education. This moved DCPS within the executive branch of the District of Columbia government—specifically, under Mayoral control. Currently, DCPS is subordinate to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty proposed putting the public schools under the direct control of the Mayor's Office upon taking office in January 2007. However, this reform to District of Columbia Public Schools was encouraged by his predecessor and constituents at large. It also placed all of the District of Columbia public charter schools under the care of a new board—the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (PCSB). Although these schools were previously a part of DCPS, they are now considered a separate district controlled by the D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB).

The D.C. Council passed the Mayor's proposal into law, but since the change amended the Home Rule Act, the change needed to gain federal approval before taking effect. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced H.R. 2080, a bill to amend the D.C. Home Rule Charter Act to provide for the Mayor's proposal. H.R. 2080 was passed by the United States House of Representatives under an expedited procedure on May 8, 2007, by a voice vote. After three U.S. Senators (Ben Cardin of Maryland, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Carl Levin of Michigan) initially placed "holds" on the bill to prevent its consideration in the United States Senate, the Senate agreed to pass H.R. 2080 without amendment on May 22, 2007, by unanimous consent. On May 31, 2007, the bill was presented to the President, and President Bush signed H.R. 2080 into law on June 1, 2007. After the standard Congressional review period expired on June 12, 2007, the Mayor's office had direct control of the Superintendent and the school budget. On June 12, Mayor Fenty appointed Michelle Rhee the new Chancellor, replacing Superintendent Clifford B. Janey.

===D.C. School Choice Incentive Act of 2003=== {{Main|D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program}} In January 2004, Congress passed the D.C. School Choice Incentive Act of 2003. The law established a federally-funded private school voucher program known as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). The OSP distributes vouchers to low-income families to cover private school tuition. Because there are more eligible applicants than available vouchers, they are distributed by lottery. In 2010, a randomized controlled trial conducted under the auspices of the Department of Education examined the impacts of the OSP students, finding that it raised graduation rates.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Patrick|title=Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Final Report|url=http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104018/pdf/20104018.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of Education -- Institute of Education Sciences}}</ref> Students who were offered vouchers had a graduation rate of 82%, while those who used their vouchers had a graduation rate of 91%. By comparison, the rate for students who did not receive vouchers was only 70%. The study received the Department of Education's highest rating for scientific rigor.<ref>{{cite web|title=WWC Quick Review of the Report "Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Final Report"|url=http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/quick_reviews/dc_final_030811.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of Education -- Institute of Education Sciences|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614085031/http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/quick_reviews/dc_final_030811.pdf|archive-date=2013-06-14}}</ref> Over 90% of the study's participants were African American, and most of the remainder were Latino American. Further research found that students who received vouchers were 25% more likely to enroll in college than students with similar demographic characteristics who did not receive vouchers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Funding Cuts for Programs That Send More Kids to Graduation AND College? |url=http://www.edchoice.org/Blog/March-2014/Funding-Cuts-for-Programs-That-Send-More-Kids-to-G |publisher=Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307184923/http://www.edchoice.org/Blog/March-2014/Funding-Cuts-for-Programs-That-Send-More-Kids-to-G |archive-date=2014-03-07 }}</ref>

===Marian Anderson controversy=== In 1939, writing on behalf of the Board of Education of the District of Columbia now the District of Columbia State Board of Education, Ballou denied a request by contralto Marian Anderson to sing at the auditorium of the segregated white Central High School. As justification, he cited a federal law from 1906 requiring separate schools for the District. Meanwhile, the Daughters of the American Revolution had rejected a similar application. When Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from that organization in protest, author Zora Neale Hurston criticized her for remaining silent about the fact that the board had also excluded Anderson. "As far as the high-school auditorium is concerned," Hurston declared "to jump the people responsible for racial bias would be to accuse and expose the accusers themselves. The District of Columbia has no home rule; it is controlled by congressional committees, and Congress at the time was overwhelmingly Democratic. It was controlled by the very people who were screaming so loudly against the DAR. To my way of thinking, both places should have been denounced, or neither." Although Anderson later performed at an open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, the board retained its policy of exclusion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Beito |first=David |title=Zora and Eleanor: Toward a Fuller Understanding of the First Lady's Civil Rights Legacy|url=https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=14736|journal=Independent Institute |date=November 15, 2023}}</ref>

===D.C. Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007=== The Council of the District of Columbia enacted the DC Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007. This act established a DC public school agency based on authority given to the council in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973. The Department of Education that was established under the Mayor triggered several changes. The largest was already discussed—DCPCS gained sole authority over chartering and chartered schools, DCPS became subordinate to the Mayor's office. Secondly, many more minor authoritative changes took place. The first is that the State Education Office (SEO) became the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). The four subsections of the District were reaffirmed through location-based State Board of Education selectees. In addition, the smaller eight school election wards were reaffirmed. Finally, the commission was established through this legislature. The "Commission" is the Interagency Collaboration and Services Integration Commission, which includes the Mayor, Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia, Chief Judge of the D.C. Superior Family Court, Superintendent of Education, Chancellor of DCPS, Chair of DCPCSB, and fourteen others.

After the 2007–2008 school year, about one-fifth of the teachers and one-third of the principals resigned, retired, or were terminated from DCPS. DCPS initially experienced a powerful negative impact due to the loss. A GAO-conducted study<ref>{{Cite news | title=District of Columbia Public Schools: Important Steps Taken to Continue Reform Efforts, But Enhanced Planning Could Improve Implementation and Sustainability | url=http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09619high.pdf | work=Report to Congressional Requesters | publisher=United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) | location=Washington, DC | date=June 2009 | archive-date=July 10, 2011 | access-date=December 6, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710090025/http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09619high.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> recommended that the Mayor direct DCPS to establish planning processes for strikes and look to performance reviews from central offices to strengthen accountability. These recommendations were followed, and accountability has increased through academic and financial report generation. Increased accountability made way for other small reforms. One example is implementing a requirement that students entering ninth grade sit down with a school counselor and construct a course plan to reach graduation.

River Terrace Elementary School and Shaed Education Campus shut their doors at the end of the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 school years, respectively. Students attending River Terrace and Emery Education Campus moved to the Langley Building. In 2019, a proposal was submitted to close Metropolitan High School, an alternative school.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-11-27 |title=DC Proposes Closing Metropolitan High School |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-proposes-closing-washington-metropolitan-high-an-alternative-school/2019/11/27/4b949e00-1116-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html}}</ref>

==No Child Left Behind compliance== In accordance with Section 1116, a provision of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), entitled "Academic Assessment and Local Education Agency and School Improvement", the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) of the District of Columbia oversees compliance with [http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed/Adequate+Yearly+Progress+(AYP) Adequate Yearly Progress] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726143151/http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed/Adequate+Yearly+Progress+(AYP) |date=July 26, 2011 }} (AYP). A large portion of meeting AYP is based on standardized-tests performance; the District used the summative assessment called the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System ("DC CAS") through the 2013–2014 school year, after which it switched to tools from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC).<ref>{{cite web|title=DC CAS|url=http://osse.dc.gov/service/dc-cas|website=Office of the State Superintendent of Education|publisher=Washington, DC|access-date=7 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How Students Are Assessed|url=http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed|website=District of Columbia Public Schools|access-date=7 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208040753/http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed|archive-date=February 8, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Assessment Glossary|url=http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed/Assessment+Glossary|website=District of Columbia Public Schools|access-date=7 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218022539/http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/How+Students+Are+Assessed/Assessment+Glossary|archive-date=February 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many schools fail to meet AYP, even though DCPS educators offer support and tools to students to be academically successful.{{citation needed|reason=this statement needs a source to back it up and has a slanted tone.|date=March 2015}} DCPS has created an evaluation tool to assess schools by more than their standardized test scores. They call this a Quality School Review, which uses the Effective Schools Framework<ref>{{cite web|title=DCPS Effective Schools Framework|url=http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Strategic+Documents/Effective+Schools+Framework|website=District of Columbia Public Schools|access-date=7 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223025655/http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Strategic+Documents/Effective+Schools+Framework|archive-date=February 23, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> to assess schools through rubrics on topics such as classroom observations, interviews with parents, students, teachers, and school leadership, staff surveys and reviewing artifacts (i.e., handbooks, student work).<ref>{{cite web|title=Race to the Top: District of Columbia Report Year 1: School Year 2010–2011|url=http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/performance/dc-year-1.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of Education|access-date=7 January 2015|date=10 January 2012}}</ref> In 2007, Karin Hess of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment conducted an analysis that has also gone into the alignment of DCPS standards and the "DC CAS Alt", the assessment for students with cognitive disabilities.{{citation needed|reason=the previous link to the Center's home page does not provide enough to support this statement|date=January 2015}}

==Budget== According to the U.S. Census Bureau, DCPS had a budget of $1.2 billion and spent $29,409 per pupil in FY 2009–10.<ref name="Public Education Finances: 2010">{{cite web|title=Public Education Finances: 2010|url=http://www2.census.gov/govs/school/10f33pub.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=March 6, 2014}}</ref>

In 1989–90, DCPS reported spending $10,200 (1999 adj. dollars) per pupil. A decade later, in 1999–2000, its reported per-pupil expenditures had increased to $11,500. However, those figures likely underreport DCPS's actual total per-pupil expenditures. In 2012, the Cato Institute's Andrew J. Coulson showed that DCPS's reported per-pupil expenditures figures were based on incomplete data.<ref>{{cite web|last=Coulson|first=Andrew|title=Census Bureau Confirms: DC Spends $29,409 / pupil|url=http://www.cato.org/blog/census-bureau-confirms-dc-spends-29409-pupil|work=Cato.org}}</ref> That year, the U.S. Census Bureau had reported that DCPS's 2008–09 per-pupil expenditures were $18,181, but DCPS officials had neglected to include about $400 million in spending. Informed by Coulson's observations, the U.S. Census Bureau revised its data collection methods and reported that per-pupil expenditures were $28,170.<ref>{{cite web|last=Coulson|first=Andrew|title=DC Vouchers Solved? Generous Severance for Displaced Workers|url=http://www.cato.org/blog/dc-vouchers-solved-generous-severance-displaced-workers|work=Cato.org}}</ref> Those revisions are reflected in the Bureau's 2009–10 reports. {{Citation needed|reason=The report still has the number $18,181; one can divide anything from anything, but it's not what the budget states. Clearly, Andrew Coulson likes to polish his resume via Wikipedia.|date=May 2014}}

In FY 2009–2010, the District received 6.7% of its total elementary and secondary education revenues from federal sources.<ref name="Public Education Finances: 2010"/>

==Statistics== In 2008, in terms of testing 36% of students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics and 39% demonstrated proficiency in reading.<ref name ="time081208">{{cite magazine | author = Ripley, Amanda |title = Can She Save Our Schools | magazine= Time | date = December 8, 2008}}</ref>

The average educator was paid $67,000 in 2010. A contract signed in 2010 was expected to raise that figure to $81,000 in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Bill | last=Turque | title=Fenty, teachers union promote deal | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040704474.html?sub=AR| newspaper=Washington Post | location=Washington, DC | pages= B2 | date=8 April 2010 }}</ref>

== List of schools == As of the 2023–2024 school year, DCPS consisted of 117 schools,<ref name="nces_district" /> out of a total of 245 schools in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web |title=District of Columbia Demographics (2023-2024) |url=https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=The Nations Report Card |publisher=National Center for Education Statistics |language=en-US}}</ref> Most DCPS schools are "in-boundary" schools, meaning that students are eligible to enroll in them if their home address falls within certain boundaries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find Your In-Boundary School |url=https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/41 |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=District of Columbia Public Schools}}</ref> Students can participate in a lottery for a chance to enroll in out-of-boundary schools, selective high schools, alternative high schools, and citywide schools, as well as D.C. public charter schools outside of the DCPS system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trends in Enrollment by Sector |url=https://edscape.dc.gov/page/trends-enrollment-sector |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Edscape |publisher=Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Government of the District of Columbia}}</ref>

===High schools=== [[File:Wilson-high-dc.jpg|thumb|Jackson-Reed High School, in Tenleytown]] [[File:Kimo photo.jpg|thumb|Eastern High School, in Hill East]] ====Traditional high schools==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles">{{Cite web |title=School Profiles |url=https://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/ |access-date=2025-10-15 |website=District of Columbia Public Schools}}</ref>|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Anacostia High School || 244 || 9th || 12th |- | Ballou High School || 585 || 9th || 12th |- | Coolidge High School || 1,093 || 9th || 12th |- | Dunbar High School || 984 || 9th || 12th |- | Eastern High School || 866 || 9th || 12th |- | H.D. Woodson Senior High School || 544 || 9th || 12th |- | Jackson-Reed High School || 1,994 || 9th || 12th |- | MacArthur High School || 238 || 9th || 12th |- | Roosevelt High School || 908 || 9th || 12th |}

====Selective high schools==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Bard High School Early College || 369 || 9th || 12th |- | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School || 671 || 9th || 12th |- | Duke Ellington School of the Arts || 579 || 9th || 12th |- | McKinley Technology High School || 704 || 9th || 12th |- | Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School || 310 || 9th || 12th |- | School Without Walls High School|| 599 || 9th || 12th |}

==== Alternative high schools ==== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade || class="unsortable" | High grade |- | Ballou STAY High School || 453 || 9th || Adult |- | Garnet-Patterson STAY High School || 703 || 9th || Adult |- | Luke C. Moore High School || 264 || 9th || 12th |}

===Middle schools=== [[File:Hardy Middle School.jpg|thumb|Hardy Middle School, in Georgetown]] [[File:Ida B. Wells Middle School.jpg|thumb|Ida B. Wells Middle School, near the Brightwood and Takoma neighborhoods]] {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Brookland Middle School || 370 || 6th || 8th |- | Deal Middle School || 1,420 || 6th || 8th |- | Eliot-Hine Middle School || 374 || 6th || 8th |- | Hardy Middle School || 602 || 6th || 8th |- | Hart Middle School || 367 || 6th || 8th |- | Ida B. Wells Middle School || 540 || 6th || 8th |- | Jefferson Middle School Academy || 406 || 6th || 8th |- | Johnson Middle School || 297 || 6th || 8th |- | Kelly Miller Middle School || 289 || 6th || 8th |- | Kramer Middle School || 197 || 6th || 8th |- | MacFarland Middle School || 499 || 6th || 8th |- | McKinley Middle School || 263 || 6th || 8th |- | Sousa Middle School || 229 || 6th || 8th |- | Stuart-Hobson Middle School || 453 || 6th || 8th |}

===Elementary schools=== [[File:Bunker Hill Elementary School DC.JPG|thumb|Bunker Hill Elementary School, near the Michigan Park and North Michigan Park neighborhoods]] [[File:TubmanES DC.jpg|thumb|Tubman Elementary School, near the Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods]] {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Amidon-Bowen Elementary School || 365 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Bancroft Elementary School || 768 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Barnard Elementary School || 591 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Beers Elementary School || 392 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Brent Elementary School || 421 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Brightwood Elementary School || 603 ||PK (3) || 5th |- | Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View|| 436 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Bunker Hill Elementary School || 206 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Burroughs Elementary School || 297 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Burrville Elementary School || 236 || PK (3) || 5th |- | C.W. Harris Elementary School || 261 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Cleveland Elementary School || 299 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Drew Elementary School || 189 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Eaton Elementary School || 473 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Garfield Elementary School || 202 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Garrison Elementary School || 389 || PK (3) || 5th |- | H.D. Cooke Elementary School || 389 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Hearst Elementary School || 337 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Hendley Elementary School || 251 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Houston Elementary School || 307 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Hyde-Addison Elementary School || 396 || PK (3) || 5th |- | J.O. Wilson Elementary School || 464 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Janney Elementary School || 684 || PK (4) || 5th |- | John Lewis Elementary School || 493 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Ketcham Elementary School || 250 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Key Elementary School || 347 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Kimball Elementary School || 374 || PK (3) || 5th |- | King Elementary School || 202 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Lafayette Elementary School || 933 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Langdon Elementary School || 389 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Langley Elementary School || 348 || PK (3) || 5th |- | LaSalle-Backus Elementary School || 261 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Lawrence E. Boone Elementary School || 436 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School || 146 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School || 488 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Malcolm X Elementary School || 200 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Mann Elementary School || 394 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Marie Reed Elementary School || 452 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Maury Elementary School || 549 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Miner Elementary School || 410 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Moten Elementary School || 238 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Murch Elementary School || 636 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Nalle Elementary School || 307 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Noyes Elementary School || 288 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Patterson Elementary School || 253 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Payne Elementary School || 376 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Peabody Elementary School || 215 || PK (3) || K |- | Plummer Elementary School || 224 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Powell Elementary School || 497 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Randle Highlands Elementary || 300 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Raymond Elementary School || 400 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Ross Elementary School || 182 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Savoy Elementary School || 199 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Seaton Elementary School || 377 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Shepherd Elementary School || 363 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Shirley Chisholm Elementary School || 565 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Simon Elementary School || 207 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Smothers Elementary School || 232 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Stanton Elementary School || 306 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Stoddert Elementary School || 447 || PK (4) || 5th |- | Takoma Elementary School || 483 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Thomas Elementary School || 275 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Thomson Elementary School || 253 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Truesdell Elementary School || 384 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Tubman Elementary School|| 560 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Turner Elementary School || 452 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Van Ness Elementary School || 392 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Watkins Elementary School || 397 || 1st || 5th |- | Whittier Elementary School || 413 || PK (3) || 5th |}

===Education campuses=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Browne Education Campus || 442 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Cardozo Education Campus || 706 || 7th || 12th |- | Columbia Heights Education Campus || 1,494 || 6th || 12th |- | John Francis Education Campus || 529 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Leckie Education Campus || 458 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Oyster-Adams Bilingual School || 781 || PK (4) || 8th |- | River Terrace Education Campus{{efn|River Terrace Education Campus is a special education school.}} || 120 || 3rd || Adult |- | Walker-Jones Education Campus || 313 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Wheatley Education Campus || 361 || PK (3) || 8th |}

=== Citywide schools === {| class="wikitable sortable" ! width="225" | School name<ref name="School_Profiles" />|| Students || class="unsortable" | Low grade ||class="unsortable"| High grade |- | Capitol Hill Montessori School @ Logan || 488 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Dorothy I. Height Elementary School || 396 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Excel Academy ||339 || PK (3) || 8th |- | Military Road Early Learning Center || 67 || PK (3) || PK (4) |- | Ron Brown College Preparatory High School{{efn|Ron Brown College Preparatory High School is an all-male school.}} || 161 || 9th || 11th |- | School-Within-School @ Goding || 325 || PK (3) || 5th |- | Thaddeus Stevens Early Learning Center || 86 || PK (3) || PK (4) |}

==Leaders== Below is a partial list of superintendents, and chancellors of the D.C. Public School system. The head of the school system was known as "Superintendent" until June 2007, when the post was renamed "Chancellor". {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Leader || date-sort-type=date|In office || data-sort-type=string|Acting or interim || data-sort-value="string" |Sources |- | data-sort-value="Scott Hugh J."|Hugh J. Scott || data-sort-value="1970-09-01"|September 1, 1970&nbsp;– June 29, 1973 || || data-sort-value="a"|<ref>{{cite news|last=Feinberg|first=Lawrence|title=Detroit Administrator Hugh J. Scott Named D.C. School Superintendent|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 1, 1970|page=A1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last=Prince|first=Richard E.|title=Scott to Quit D.C. Schools In October|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 10, 1973|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="McKenzie, Floretta D."|Floretta D. McKenzie || || data-sort-value="1973-06-29"|June 29, 1973&nbsp;– August 7, 1973 (acting) || data-sort-value="b"|<ref>{{cite news|title=D.C. Names Woman, 38, Acting Superintendent|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 5, 1973|page=C5}}</ref><ref name=sizemorehired>{{cite news|last=Prince|first=Richard E.|title=D.C. School Board Names Mrs. Sizemore by 7-3 Vote|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 8, 1973|page=C1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Sizemore, Barbara A."|Barbara A. Sizemore || data-sort-value="1973-08-08"|August 8, 1973&nbsp;– October 9, 1975 || || data-sort-value="c"|<ref name=sizemorehired /><ref>{{cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Martha M.|title=City School Board Fires Sizemore, 7 to 4|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 10, 1975|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Reed, Vincent E."|Vincent E. Reed || data-sort-value="1976-03-18"|March 18, 1976&nbsp;– December 31, 1980 || data-sort-value="1975-10-09"|October 9, 1975&nbsp;– March 17, 1976 (acting) || data-sort-value="d"|<ref>{{cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Martha M.|title=Supt. Reed Seen as a Strong Leader|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 12, 1975|page=A15|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last=Daniels|first=Lee|title=Diggs Fails To Halt Reed Appointment|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 18, 1976|page=A1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last=Valente|first=Judith|title=School Chief Is Sought From Area|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 9, 1981|page=B1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Guiness, James"|James Guinness || || data-sort-value="1981-01-03"|January 3, 1981&nbsp;– June 17, 1981 (acting) || data-sort-value="e"|<ref>{{cite news|last=Feinberg|first=Lawrence|title=Acting Head of City's Schools Is a Man of Verse in Adversity|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 4, 1981|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="McKenzie, Floretta D."|Floretta D. McKenzie || data-sort-value="1981-01-03"|July 1, 1981&nbsp;– February 8, 1988 || || data-sort-value="f"|<ref>{{cite news|last=Valente|first=Judith|title=McKenzie Named D.C. School Chief|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 18, 1981|page=A1}}</ref><ref name=mckenzieresigns>{{cite news|title=Acting D.C. School Chief Named|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 29, 1988|page=C4}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Jenkins, Andrew E."|Andrew E. Jenkins || data-sort-value="1988-05-25"|May 25, 1988&nbsp;– May 15, 1991 || data-sort-value="1988-02-09"|February 9, 1988&nbsp;– May 24, 1988 (acting) || data-sort-value="g"|<ref name=mckenzieresigns /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sanchez|first1=Rene|last2=Pink|first2=Daniel H.|title=Insider Jenkins to Head D.C. Schools|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 25, 1988|page=A1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last1=Sanchez|first1=Rene|last2=Pink|first2=Daniel H.|title=Jenkins to Stay On for Final Year|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 13, 1990|page=A1}}</ref><ref name=franklinhired /> |- | data-sort-value="Smith, Franklin L."|Franklin L. Smith || data-sort-value="1991-05-15"|May 15, 1991&nbsp;– November 4, 1996 || || data-sort-value="h"|<ref name=franklinhired>{{cite news|last=Richardson|first=Lynda|title=D.C. Schools Chief to Make $131,000|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 16, 1991|page=C3}}</ref><ref name=franklinfired /> |- | data-sort-value="Becton, Julius W. Jr."|Julius W. Becton Jr. || data-sort-value="1996-11-05"|November 5, 1996&nbsp;– March 26, 1998 || || data-sort-value="i"|<ref name=franklinfired>{{cite news|last=Vise|first=David|title=D.C. Control Board to Oust Superintendent, Sources Say|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 6, 1996|page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wilgoren|first1=Debbi|last2=Loeb|first2=Vernon|title=D.C. Schools Chief Resigns|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 27, 1998|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Ackerman, Arlene"|Arlene Ackerman || data-sort-value="1998-03-27"|March 27, 1998&nbsp;– July 17, 2000 || || data-sort-value="j"|<ref>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Vanessa|title=Ladner Optimistic On School Shake-Up|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 28, 1998|page=B10|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|last1=Blum|first1=Justin|last2=Strauss|first2=Valerie|title=Ackerman Quits As D.C. School Superintendent|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 18, 2000|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Vance, Paul L."|Paul L. Vance|| data-sort-value="2000-07-18" |July 18, 2000&nbsp;– November 14, 2003 || || data-sort-value="k"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Control Board Signs Contract With Vance|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 19, 2000|page=B3}}</ref><ref name=vanceresigns>{{cite news|last1=Blum|first1=Justin|last2=Nakamura|first2=David|title=Vance Resigns as Chief of D.C. Schools|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 15, 2003|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Massie, Elfreda W."|Elfreda W. Massie || || data-sort-value="2003-11-19"|November 19, 2003&nbsp;– April 21, 2004 (acting) || data-sort-value="l"|<ref>{{cite news|title=Metro: In Brief|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 20, 2003|page=B3}}</ref><ref name=massieresigns>{{cite news|last=Blum|first=Justin|title=Temporary Chief Of Schools Named|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 2, 2004|page=B1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Rice, Robert C."|Robert C. Rice || || data-sort-value="2004-04-22"|April 22, 2004&nbsp;– September 14, 2004 (acting) || data-sort-value="m"|<ref name=massieresigns /><ref>{{cite news|last=Chan|first=Sewell|title=Acting Superintendent Made an Impression in the Interim|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 12, 2004|page=C5}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Janey, Clifford B."|Clifford B. Janey || data-sort-value="2004-09-15"|September 15, 2004&nbsp;– June 12, 2007 || || data-sort-value="n"|<ref>{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Clarence|last2=Strauss|first2=Valerie|title=Janey Takes Reins at Schools|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 16, 2004|page=B01}}</ref><ref name=janeyfired>{{cite news|last=Nakamura|first=David|title=Fenty To Oust Janey Today|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 12, 2007|page=A1}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Rhee, Michelle"|Michelle Rhee || data-sort-value="2007-07-10"|July 10, 2007&nbsp;– October 30, 2010 || data-sort-value="2007-06-12"|June 12, 2007&nbsp;– July 9, 2007 (acting) || data-sort-value="o"|<ref name=janeyfired /><ref>{{cite news|last=Stewart|first=Nikita|title=D.C. Council Approves Rhee as Schools Chief|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 11, 2007|page=B1}}</ref><ref name=rheeresign /> |- | data-sort-value="Henderson, Kaya"|Kaya Henderson || data-sort-value="2011-06-22"|June 22, 2011&nbsp;– September 30, 2016 || data-sort-value="2010-11-01"|November 1, 2010&nbsp;– June 21, 2011 (interim) || data-sort-value=p"|<ref name=rheeresign>{{cite news|last1=Craig|first1=Tim|last2=Turque|first2=Bill|title=Rhee to resign as schools chancellor|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 13, 2010|page=A1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Turque|first1=Bill|last2=Clement|first2=Scott|title=Ratings up for District schools|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 22, 2011|page=A1}}</ref><ref name=hendersonresign>{{cite news|last1=Stein|first1=Perry|last2=Brown|first2=Emma|title=D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson to step down, leaving legacy of progress|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 29, 2016|access-date=November 6, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-schools-chancellor-kaya-henderson-to-step-down-leaving-legacy-of-progress/2016/06/29/1189e7e6-3df8-11e6-80bc-d06711fd2125_story.html}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Davis, John"|John Davis || || data-sort-value="2016-10-01"|October 1, 2016 to February 1, 2017 (interim) || data-sort-value="q"|<ref name=hendersonresign /> |- | data-sort-value="Wilson, Antwan"|Antwan Wilson || data-sort-value="2017-02-01"|February 1, 2017&nbsp;– February 20, 2018 || || data-sort-value="r"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/antwan-wilson-confirmed-as-chancellor-of-dc-public-schools/2016/12/20/be7a4aa4-c6ce-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html|title=Antwan Wilson confirmed as chancellor of D.C. Public Schools|first=Alejandra|last=Matos|date=December 20, 2016|access-date=December 10, 2017|via=www.WashingtonPost.com}}</ref><ref name=austmcg>{{cite news|last1=Austermuhle|first1=Martin|last2=McGee|first2=Kate|title=D.C. Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson Resigns After School-Transfer Scandal|work=WAMU|date=February 20, 2018|access-date=February 21, 2018|url=https://wamu.org/story/18/02/20/d-c-schools-chancellor-antwan-wilson-school-transfer-scandal/}}</ref> |- | data-sort-value="Alexander, Amanda"|Amanda Alexander&nbsp; || || data-sort-value="2018-02-20"|February 20, 2018&nbsp;– December 3, 2018 (interim) || data-sort-value="s"|<ref name=austmcg /> |- | data-sort-value="Ferebee, Lewis"|Lewis Ferebee||March 5, 2019 – present | data-sort-value="2018-12-03" |December 3, 2018&nbsp;– March 4, 2019 (acting) || data-sort-value="t" |<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://dcps.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-announces-dr-lewis-d-ferebee-dcps-chancellor |title=Mayor Bowser Announces Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee as DCPS Chancellor |date=December 3, 2018 |publisher=DCPS |access-date=February 25, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dcps.dc.gov/release/statements-confirmation-dc-public-schools-chancellor-lewis-d-ferebee|title=Statements on the Confirmation of DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee|date=March 5, 2019|work=District of Columbia Public School Official Home Page|access-date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> |- |}

==See also== {{Portal|United States|Schools}} * List of parochial and private schools in Washington, D.C. * Susan E. W. Fuller, artist, first instructor of art in the District's public schools<ref name="Cosentino1983">{{cite book|author=Andrew J. Cosentino|title=The Capital Image: Painters in Washington, 1800–1915|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vHPqAAAAMAAJ|date=17 November 1983|publisher=Smithsonian|isbn=978-0-87474-338-8}}</ref> * {{ussc|name=Bolling v. Sharpe|volume=347|page=497|year=1954}}; landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that held school segregation in the District of Columbia Public Schools to be unconstitutional {{Clear}}

== Notes == {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|District of Columbia Public Schools}} *{{Official website|https://dcps.dc.gov/}} *{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.k12.dc.us|title=District of Columbia Public Schools}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070604153216/http://www.k12.dc.us/dcps/OFM/boundaries/boundaries.html District of Columbia Public Schools boundary maps] *[https://nonpartisaneducation.org/DCdocuments.htm Special Section: District of Columbia Public Education Documents: Agreements, Audits, Reports, Requests, etc., by Erich Martel]

{{United States school districts}} {{District of Columbia}} {{NFHS}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:District Of Columbia Public Schools}} Category:District of Columbia Public Schools Category:School districts in the United States Category:Public education in Washington, D.C. Public Schools Category:1805 establishments in Washington, D.C.