Out-of-Boundary Lottery

Applying for a school other than your child's assigned school

The Out-of-Boundary online application period is now CLOSED. Learn more.
Have questions about the DCPS Out-of-Boundary lottery process? Read the transcript of our live online chat.
What is the Out-of-Boundary Lottery?
When do I apply?
How do I find out if I received a seat through the lottery?
When will I have to decide whether I will accept a seat I received through the lottery?
If my child has a sibling at the school to which I'm applying, or lives close to the school, will I have a better chance of being accepted through the lottery?
Can my child be accepted to more than one school through the lottery? If we get into a school, what happens to our application for the other school(s)?
What is my likelihood of receiving a seat through the lottery?
Can I apply to a school that does not anticipate being able to accommodate any out-of-boundary students in the particular grade for which I am applying?
How is the number of available seats determined?
I plan to submit Out-of-Boundary Lottery and/or Pre-school and Pre-k Lottery applications for more than one child, and I'd like them to be admitted to the same school. Is this possible?
My child attends his/her current school as an out-of-boundary student. Do I need to reapply to keep him/her at the school next year?
My child attends his/her current school as an out-of-boundary student and will be moving to middle/high school next year. Do I need to apply through the lottery to secure a seat at my current school's "destination school" in the feeder pattern?
I want to place my four-year-old in kindergarten. Is this allowed?
Where can I learn more about the schools I'm interested in applying to?
Schools that still have seats open

The Out-of-Boundary online application period is now CLOSED. Learn more.

Thanks for your interest in the Pre-School / Pre-K / Head Start and Out-of-Boundary online lottery application. The application period has now closed for school year 2010-2011.

If you submitted a lottery application:
Check the results website on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at noon for your lottery results. You will need your application tracking number in order to check your results.

If you did not submit a lottery application:
Many schools still have seats available after the lottery takes place, so it's not too late to find a pre-school / pre-k / Head Start or out-of-boundary seat for next year. Check the results website or give us a call at (202) 478-5738 after the lottery results are posted on Wednesday, March 3, so we can help you identify the remaining options.

Questions about the lottery?
- E-mail us at enrollmentprocess@dc.gov
- Call us at (202) 478-5738.

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Please note that on March 1, 2010 DC Public Schools Central Office will move to 1200 First St, NE, Washington, DC 20002. All phone numbers will remain the same.

Have questions about the DCPS Out-of-Boundary lottery process? Read the transcript of our live online chat.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, Chief of Transformation Management Abigail Smith and her team took your questions about the Out-of-Boundary lottery process.

Read the transcript.

What is the Out-of-Boundary Lottery?

Every student from kindergarten through 12th grade has a right to attend his or her assigned DCPS school(s). However, a student may enroll at a different DCPS school if space is available.

The Out-of-Boundary Lottery allows parents to apply for kindergarten through 12th grade at a different DCPS school than their child's assigned school(s). (If you seek to apply for a three- or four-year-old seat, please read about the Pre-School / Pre-K / Head Start Lottery.)

The lottery application period takes place annually between January 28 and February 28, for the following school year. However, if a school does not fill all of its available seats through the lottery, out-of-boundary students may still enroll at the school on a first-come first-served basis.

The Out-of-Boundary Lottery is not for children attending their current school as an out-of-boundary student (see below) or for those seeking admission to a selective citywide high school.

When do I apply?

The Out-of-Boundary Lottery application period for the 2010-2011 school year has closed. However, many schools did not fill all of their seats through the lottery and still have seats available. We encourage you to call the schools in which you are interested directly. We also invite you to call us at (202) 478-5738 in order to discuss school options that still have seats available.

How do I find out if I received a seat through the lottery?

On March 3, you may check your results. Results will also be mailed home to the address listed on your application by March 8.

When will I have to decide whether I will accept a seat I received through the lottery?

Applicants who receive a seat in the lottery must accept the offer by April 1 and register by May 1 (including DC residency verification) in order to secure the seat. If you were admitted to Watkins Montessori or Hardy Middle School, you will need to complete additional steps before enrolling at the school. For more information, contact Watkins Montessori at (202) 698-3355 or Hardy Middle School at (202) 729-4350.

If my child has a sibling at the school to which I'm applying, or lives close to the school, will I have a better chance of being accepted through the lottery?

Yes. The DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR) allow for a preference in the lottery for a particular school if your child has a sibling at the school, or if your child lives within a reasonable walking distance of the school as defined by DCMR § 5B 2106.3. If admitted with a "sibling preference," you must be prepared to prove that your children are siblings when registering at the school.

Can my child be accepted to more than one school through the lottery? If we get into a school, what happens to our application for the other school(s)?

In order to maximize the number of applicants who receive a seat at a school to which they've applied, students will not be admitted into more than one school in the Out-of-Boundary Lottery. However, all applicants will be placed on the waitlist at each school to which they are not admitted during the lottery.

What is my likelihood of receiving a seat through the lottery?

The likelihood of receiving a seat through the lottery depends on which schools you apply to and whether you have a preference in the lottery for those schools. Download the results of last year's lottery to find out more.

Can I apply to a school that does not anticipate being able to accommodate any out-of-boundary students in the particular grade for which I am applying?

Yes; your child will be placed on a waitlist in case a seat becomes available at a later date.

How is the number of available seats determined?

The number of seats available for out-of-boundary students in each grade at each school is determined based on the school's enrollment projections for the coming year and the school's building capacity, with input from the principal.

I plan to submit Out-of-Boundary Lottery and/or Pre-school and Pre-k Lottery applications for more than one child, and I'd like them to be admitted to the same school. Is this possible?

Each child's application is treated independently in the Out-of-Boundary and Pre-school/Pre-k Lotteries; therefore, if one sibling is admitted to a particular school, there is no guarantee that the other will be able to attend the same school. However, DCPS seeks to accommodate families by elevating children to the top of the waitlist for their particular grade at a particular school if their sibling was admitted to that school through the lottery.

My child attends his/her current school as an out-of-boundary student. Do I need to reapply to keep him/her at the school next year?

No. DCPS seeks to create consistent pathways for students throughout their school years. Thus, all out-of-boundary students who are admitted to a school receive the right to continue attending that school through all its available grades, as well as to attend the school's destination school in the feeder pattern.

My child attends his/her current school as an out-of-boundary student and will be moving to middle/high school next year. Do I need to apply through the lottery to secure a seat at my current school's "destination school" in the feeder pattern?

I want to place my four-year-old in kindergarten. Is this allowed?

No. DC Municipal Regulations state that students applying for kindergarten must turn five by September 30, 2010. You may apply for a seat in pre-kindergarten.