Parents will have a chance to learn about more than 200 schools in the District tomorrow at a free education fair at the D.C. Armory.
EdFEST 2015 is hosted by My School D.C., an organization that partners with D.C. Public Schools and most District charter schools that operates the District’s school lottery system. The free fair will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature public and public charter schools from Pre-K through high school. It is the only citywide public school fair in the District.
Representatives from each school will be on hand to talk with parents. Meanwhile, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the D.C. Library will have activities for kids of all ages.
The Department of Health will also be administering immunizations and flu shots at the fair.
Catherine Peretti, executive director of My School D.C., also added that My School D.C. employees will be on hand to answer parent questions about the school lottery application for placement in preferred schools.
My School D.C. applications for the 2016-17 school year will begin on Monday and end on Feb. 1 for High schools and March 1 for elementary and middle schools.
About 4,500 families attended last year’s fair, Peretti said.
“We have some really wonderful school options in the District, so our families are lucky in that way and we are glad to give our schools the opportunity to tell their story,” she said.
The D.C. Armory is located at 2001 East Capitol St. SE and parking will be free throughout the event.
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Photo via Twitter/hstreetweather
Middle schoolers east of the Anacostia River now have the option to attend the high school in Hill East.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a change to school boundaries today that will allow students of Kelly Miller Middle School in Deanwood to attend the school at 1700 E. Capitol St. NE.
Students at Miller previously were assigned to Woodson High School, which is also in Ward 7.
The boundary change was made to give children east of the river access to schools west of the river, according to information from the mayor’s office. The change may increase enrollment and demand for seats at Eastern, the mayor’s office said.
“Providing dual rights for rising 9th grade Kelly Miller students to Eastern HS and HD
Woodson HS may cause an increase in the enrollment at Eastern HS, which may result in fewer out of boundary students admitted to Eastern,” an official information sheet says.
Enrollment at Eastern in the 2013-2014 school year was 783 students, according to D.C. Public Schools.
Joe Weedon, the D.C. State Board of Education member-elect for Ward 6, said officials will have to take a closer look at Eastern’s capacity as enrollment at Hill middle schools increases, creating more demand for seats at the high school.
“As middle schools grow, we’re going to see more and more pressure on Eastern from a numbers standpoint,” Weedon said. “That could take five years, that could take 10 years.”
The middle schools that feed to Eastern now are Brown, Eliot-Hine, Jefferson and Stuart-Hobson.
Families getting ready to apply for a D.C. public school seat can explore their options at the public school fair set to be held Saturday at the D.C. Armory.
Dozens of public and public charter schools serving all grade levels will attend EdFEST to discuss their offerings and achievements.
Joe Weedon, the D.C. State Board of Education member-elect for Ward 6, said the event will help parents learn the latest about local schools.
“I think one of the biggest challenges our public schools have faced is a lack of awareness of what’s going in on them,” he said Tuesday. “EdFEST provides an opportunity to get a taste for what’s really happening in our schools.”
Asked about standout schools on the Hill, Weedon praised Eastern Senior High School for its health and medical sciences programs, Eliot-Hine Middle School for its broadcasting and robotics instruction, and Jefferson Academy for its leadership and “remarkable” test score growth.
Representatives from DCPS will be on hand at the free 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. event to answer questions about the school enrollment process. Applications will be available Dec. 15. Also at the D.C. Armory (2001 E. Capitol St. SE) will be flu shots for adults, dental services for kids and teens, sports for all and story time with the D.C. Public Library.
For more information, see the My School D.C. website.
Photo via Facebook/My School D.C.
