Center City PCS - Congress Heights

At a Glance

Center City PCS - Congress Heights is a public charter school in Ward 8, serving students from PK3 through 8th grade. The campus sits at 220 Highview Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood, one of six campuses operated by the Center City Public Charter Schools network across the District. As a charter school, it is tuition-free and open to any DC resident through the citywide lottery.

The school's stated mission is to empower students and families for lifelong success by building moral character, promoting academic excellence, and generating public service throughout Washington, D.C. With a PK3–8 grade span, it is designed for families looking for a single school community that can carry a child from early childhood all the way through middle school.

What Parents Should Know

• It's a charter, not a DCPS school. That means there is no in-boundary enrollment. All seats are filled through the My School DC common lottery, and families apply each year by the published deadlines.
• The grade configuration is PK3 through 8. This is a long runway under one roof — your child can start as a 3-year-old and stay through 8th grade without changing schools. Families should plan ahead for the high school transition, since Center City does not serve grades 9–12.
• Location matters. The campus is in Congress Heights in Ward 8, near the Congress Heights Metro station on the Green Line, which can make commuting from elsewhere in the ward (or across the river) more manageable for working parents.
• Uniforms are required. Plan for that in your back-to-school budget and routine.
• It's part of a larger network. Center City PCS runs six campuses across DC, which means the Congress Heights campus shares an overall mission, leadership structure, and approach with sister campuses in other wards.

Programs and Approach

As a DC public charter school, Center City PCS - Congress Heights enrolls students through the My School DC lottery (myschooldc.org). Families create one application, rank their school choices, and receive a single match. Pre-K applications, in particular, are competitive across the city, so families with rising PK3 and PK4 students should apply early in the lottery window.

The school describes its approach in terms of three pillars drawn directly from its mission: moral character, academic excellence, and public service. Day-to-day instruction is shaped by the broader Center City PCS network, which serves elementary and middle grade students across its six campuses. For the most current information on curriculum, specials, after-school options, and any campus-wide resources shared across the network, the school's own website is the best source — program offerings change year to year, and Center City's communications team keeps campus pages updated.

Families considering this school are encouraged to attend an open house or tour before ranking it on their lottery application, so they can see classrooms in action and ask questions about supports for their specific child.

Visiting and Contact

Address: 220 Highview Place SE, Washington, DC 20032 (Congress Heights, Ward 8) Phone: 202-562-7070 Website: centercitypcs.org/campuses/congress-heights

For tour dates, open house schedules, enrollment timelines, and the most current information about staff and programs, visit the school's website or call the front office directly.