Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

“Justitia Omnibus”

About Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia has a "State" Superintendent of Education, a Chancellor, and a "State" Board of Education. The Board, led by the Executive Director, has 9 members elected to 4-year terms.

Education law

Education law and structure

  • Education in Constitution: The District of Columbia is not a state, and therefore does not have a constitution.

Education law

  • "State" Board Members: 9 Members; Elected; 4-year term

  • Education Authorities: Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE); District of Columbia State Board of Education

Education Leadership

Education leadership

government building

Education Choice

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Education Stats And Facts

  • While Washington, D.C. isn’t a state, its governing educational body is still referred to as a “state board of education.” According to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), there were 49,890 students enrolled for the 2020-2021 academic year. Students can choose from a wide variety of programs in DCPS to enhance their learning experience, including dual language programs, career academics, advanced placement (AP) courses, study abroad programs, and internships. In the 117 schools in DC, there are 114 principals, 181 assistant principals, and 4,210 teachers.

    For other school options, families may choose to use My School DC, which partners with DCPS and serves as a common public school lottery for children to be enrolled in DCPS or one of DC’s charter schools. For every student’s application with My School DC, a family lists the order of schools that they want their child to attend, and the lottery will randomly place the child in an available participating school.

    Reference:

    https://sboe.dc.gov/page/what-are-my-school-options

Resources

Here we've collected links to additional resources so you can become better acquainted with your state system.

District of Columbia Public Schools

Washington, D.C. Code

D.C. State Board of Education