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Student Enrollment

The number of students enrolled in public schools in Washington, DC in the 2021-22 school year increased slightly compared to 2020-21 enrollment, with 93,843 students enrolled in District public and public charter schools according to preliminary data released by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

Enrollment Data

The charts below provide an overview of enrollment by grade, enrollment by school quality report tier, demographics, market share, number of schools and schools in each ward. OSSE's annual audited enrollment data is available.

PCS Enrollment by Grade Each School Year

Grade 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-2022
PK3 3,023 3,235 3,305 3,312 3,321 2,904 2,762
PK4 3,454 3,474 3,608 3,527 3,557 3,536 3,312
K 3,101 3,316 3,233 3,320 3,247 3,373 3,353
Grade 1 2,880 2,906< 3,080 3,011 3,065 3,153 3,183
Grade 2 2,657 2,782 2,816 2,849 2,867 3,008 2,954
Grade 3 2,349 2,466 2,674 2,602 2,632 2,829 2,845
Grade 4 2,065 2,243 2,360 2,448 2,405 2,519 2,611
Grade 5 2,102 2,207 2,432 2,415 2,521 2,550 2,650
Grade 6 2,567 2,557 2,799 2,850 2,702 2,973 2,977
Grade 7 2,254 2,390 2,422 2,536 2,481 2,648 2,864
Grade 8 2,040 2,116 2,263 2,267 2,302 2,421 2,567
Grade 9 2,018 2,057 2,013 2,038 1,829 2,012 2,325
Grade 10 1,454 1,581 1,688 1,639 1,580 1,626 1,798
Grade 11 1,329 1,266 1,409 1,452 1,402 1,423 1,484
Grade 12 1,144 1,126 1,143 1,183 1,256 1,268 1,376
Adult  3,992 4,308 4,538 4,806 4,916 4,207 4,735
Special Education schools 251            
Alternative Accountability 770 1,472 1,557 1,605 1,492 1,407 1,452
Total 38,905 41,491 43,340 43,910 43,485 43,857 45, 251
Show All
*Note: In 2016-2017, DC PCSB measures the performance of six schools (Goodwill Excel Center PCS, Kingsman Academy PCS, Maya Angelou PCS – High School, Monument Academy PCS, St. Coletta Special Education PCS, and The Children’s Guild DC PCS) through the Alternative Accountability Framework.

PCS Demographics By School Year

Category 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-2022
Black or African American 76.1% 75.7% 75.0% 73.7% 72.0% 72.0% 71.0%
Hispanic/Latino 15.5% 16.0% 15.9% 16.3% 16.9% 16.4% 16.8%
White 5.7% 5.6% 5.9% 6.4% 7.2% 7.6% 7.6%
Asian 0.99% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0%
American Indian or Alaska 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Other 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Multiracial 1.42]% 1.4% 1.9% 2.3% 2.6% 2.7% 2.9%
At-Risk 43.8% 43.1% 43.7% 42.7% 40.8% 42.9% 46.0%
Economically Disadvantaged 76.7% 73.3% 72.8% 77.0% 74.8% 74.6%  
English Language Learners 6.5% 6.2% 7.5% 7.5% 7.9% 7.8% 8.4%
Special Education 13.3% 14.2%   13.88% 14.46% 14.73%  
Show All
*Note: At-risk students were identified for the first time in SY14-15.

Enrollment by Ward Where Students Live

Ward # of students SY 2019-20 % of enrollment SY 2019-20 # of students SY 2020-21 % of enrollment SY 2020-21
Ward 1 3,338 7.8% 3,172 7.2%
Ward 2 496 1.1% 433 1.0%
Ward 3 449 1.0% 430 1.0%
Ward 4 6,787 15.6% 6,932 15.8%
Ward 5 7,775 17.9% 7,963 18.2%
Ward 6 3,753 8.6% 3,779 8.6%
Ward 7 9,272 21.4% 9,435 21.5%
Ward 8 11,430 26.3% 11,524 26.3%
Show All

Enrollment by Ward of Public Charter School/Campus SY 2020-21

Student Ward # of Students % of Students
Ward 1 3,758 39.8%
Ward 2 1,088 23.9%
Ward 3 0 0
Ward 4 7,138 45.0%
Ward 5 12,412 71.9%
Ward 6 4,079 36.7%
Ward 7 7,309 58.2%
Ward 8 8,073 52.8%
Show All

133 Campuses Educate Students in Grade PK-12, Adult Learners, and Alternative Accountability Schools

Grades Number of Campuses
Educates Early Childhood 61
Educates Elementary 86
Educates Middle School 50
Educates High School 20
Educates Adult 9
Educates Alternative Accountability 10
Show All

Public Charters Schools By Ward

Ward Number of public charter schools in SY 2019-20 Number of Public Charter Schools in SY 2020-21
Ward 1 9 9
Ward 2 2 3
Ward 3 0 0
Ward 4 20 20
Ward 5 30 35
Ward 6 14 16
Ward 7 22 22
Ward 8 26 23
Show All

PK3-12 At-Risk Percentages By School Year

School Year 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
At-Risk (#) 17,036 17,887 18,930 18,730 17,726 18,819 20,808
Not-at-Risk (#) 21,869 23,604 24,410 25,180 25,759 25,038 24,193
% At-Risk 43.8% 43.1% 43.7% 42.7% 40.8% 42.9% 46.0%
Show All
*Note: Not-at-Risk equals PK3-12 and Adult students

Historical Enrollment

View public school enrollment from 1967 until present.
View Public School Enrollment
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