Schools in Petworth / Brightwood

The Petworth and Brightwood corridor along Georgia Avenue NW in Ward 4 represents one of DC's most dynamic school-choice environments, with over a dozen schools in the combined area spanning DCPS, charter, and specialized program options across all grade levels. Families in this corridor benefit from competitive DCPS schools with strong feeder patterns, high-profile charter programs including Washington Latin PCS and Paul PCS, and proximity to Ward 1 schools along the 16th Street and 14th Street corridors. The Green and Yellow Metro lines at the Petworth station connect families to schools citywide within 20-30 minutes. The Georgia Avenue commercial strip anchors the community, with a range of restaurants, grocery stores, and services that support family life. Petworth and Brightwood have both seen rising property values as more families choose these neighborhoods for their combination of walkability, transit access, and school options. Ward 4 residents receive a lottery priority point for Ward 4 schools. Families new to DC who settle in the Petworth/Brightwood corridor should register for the schoolchoice.dc.gov lottery as soon as they establish DC residency — the November deadline applies regardless of when in the school year families arrive.