Trinidad is a Ward 5 neighborhood in Northeast DC between Ivy City and Kingman Park, home to five schools spanning the public and charter spectrum. The neighborhood has been a focus of community investment in recent years, with new development along Florida Avenue NE and H Street NE — DC's corridor for restaurants, arts, and nightlife — bringing families back to the area. One DCPS school and four charter schools serve Trinidad families across pre-K through middle school grades. High school options in the immediate neighborhood are limited, meaning most Trinidad families engage with the citywide lottery for secondary education — looking at options in Capitol Hill, Brookland, and Ward 2. Trinidad is walkable and bikeable, with Capital Bikeshare stations throughout and bus connections along H Street and Florida Avenue. The H Street corridor's ongoing development has improved retail and services for families, and the streetcar line along H Street NE connects the neighborhood toward the Union Station area. Ward 5 families in Trinidad receive a lottery priority point for Ward 5 schools. Early application in November is recommended, particularly for the charter schools in Trinidad whose enrollment caps fill quickly with competitive applicant pools drawn from across Wards 5, 6, and 7.
Ward 5 families can apply to any DC public or charter school through the unified lottery. The application window opens in November at schoolchoice.dc.gov.
DC Lottery Guide →