So one night I decided to test my spouse, the Help, about schools in DC. Sadly, despite all our conversations about schools, we were not in agreement about the nature of schools and our choices.
I created this table for the Help, maybe it will help you too.
| DC Public School (DCPS) | DC Public Charter School (DCPCS) |
|---|---|
| Free to DC students | Free to DC students |
| DC Government owned buildings | Mix (former DCPS buildings, rented commercial space, etc) and locations can change |
| Available to in boundary K-12 students. Out of boundary & Pre-K must enter My Schools DC Lottery | New students must enter My Schools DC Lottery regardless of address |
| Has wait lists for popular schools | Has wait lists for popular schools |
| Aftercare costs $850.50 for 2018-2019. Before care availability varies. | Many have before and after care. Costs on a sliding scale. |
| More than 1/2 of students are in the DCPS system | 47.5% of students are in DC charter schools |
| Quality varies by school | Quality varies by school |
| State Board of Education members are elected | DC Charter School Board members are nominated by Mayor |