The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is reminding DC families that the My School DC lottery for the 2024-25 school year opens today. Families can go to myschooldc.org and apply to as many as 12 schools. The application is open through Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m. for grades 9-12 and March 1 at 11:59 p.m. for grades pre-K 3 – Grade 8.

"After more than 8,000 participants turned out for EdFEST, families across DC are ready to make school choices that are best for their students and families,” said State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant. “The My School DC lottery gives families an important voice and choice in the critical decision of their child’s education.”

Since the launch of My School DC in 2013, DC has matched more than 150,000 students to schools of their choice, and the District continues to make the system more accessible for all students and families. These improvements include the equitable access preference offered at 53 DC public and public charter schools for students in the foster care system or experiencing homelessness, qualifying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or high school students who are one year older or more than the expected age for the grade in which they are enrolled.

Now in its 11th year, My School DC is the common application and public school lottery for all DC Public Schools and most public charter schools that serve pre-K 3 – Grade 12. If your child will be a new student in pre-K, dual-language strand, citywide DCPS, out-of-boundary DCPS, selective DCPS, or public charter school, they will require a My School DC lottery application. Families can get a wealth of school information on OSSE’s updated DC School Report Card website, including enrollment, academic achievement, school programs and more.

The My School DC hotline is available Monday—Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., to support families as they navigate the lottery process. The hotline can be reached at (202) 888-6336 or at [email protected]. The team is equipped with bilingual staff and has access to interpreters through a telephonic interpretation service to support non-English speakers.