DC school lottery Statistics (2026): 40+ Data Points on Enrollment Shifts, Lottery Demand, and Ward Demographics

Nearly half (49%) of all public school students in the District of Columbia are classified as at-risk, a designation for those experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or qualifying for public assistance (DC Policy Center, 2026). This single statistic underpins the city's entire educational framework, from its equity-focused funding formulas to the intense demand for school choice. For the 2025-26 school year, total audited enrollment plateaued at 99,353 students across DCPS and public charter schools (OSSE, 2026). Meanwhile, the My School DC common lottery processed applications from 22,443 unique students, achieving a record-high 75% match rate even as the applicant pool shrank, reflecting broader demographic shifts in the city (OSSE, 2025). We aggregated data from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPSCB), the DC Policy Center, and dozens of other primary sources to build the definitive reference for DC school lottery in 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Total audited public school enrollment for SY 2025-26 was 99,353 students, a slight contraction from the prior year (OSSE, 2025-26 School Year Enrollment Audit Report).
• The My School DC lottery for SY 2025-26 had 22,443 unique applicants, a 3.7% decrease from the previous year (OSSE, My School DC Press Release 2025).
• A record 75% of lottery participants were matched with a school they applied to in the SY 2025-26 lottery (OSSE, My School DC Press Release 2025).
• The public charter school sector enrolls 47.9% of the District's public school students (DCPSCB, 2025 Annual Report).
• Citywide, 49% of all public school students are designated "at-risk," a figure that rises to 70% in Ward 8 (DC Policy Center, State of D.C. Schools 2024-25).
• The FY2026 base per-pupil funding amount (UPSFF) increased to $15,070, a 2.74% rise from the prior year (DC OCFO, Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act of 2025).
• Pre-Kindergarten enrollment saw the sharpest decline of any grade band, dropping 3.0% due to declining city birth rates (DME, EdScape 2026).
• In contrast, 78% of public school students residing in affluent Ward 3 attend their in-boundary DCPS school, the highest rate in the city (DME, EdScape 2026).
• The four-year high school graduation rate reached a new citywide high of 78.7% for the 2024-25 cohort (OSSE, DC School Report Card 2025).
• The lottery for SY 2026-27 saw a further 6.5% drop in applicants to 20,987, confirming a trend of demographic contraction (OSSE, My School DC Press Release 2026).
• PK3 is the single highest-demand entry point in the lottery, with 4,798 students applying for 7,476 seats for SY 2025-26 (My School DC, Applications and Seats by Grade 2025).

1. Citywide Enrollment: A System at a Demographic Plateau

After years of steady growth, DC's public school enrollment has leveled off, masking a significant divergence between grade levels and sectors. The total audited enrollment of 99,353 for the 2025-26 school year represents a minor contraction, driven almost entirely by a 3.0% drop in Pre-Kindergarten enrollment. This decline is a direct consequence of lower city birth rates since 2016, signaling smaller elementary school cohorts for years to come. Conversely, high school enrollment grew by 1.0%, propelled by larger cohorts from the mid-2010s aging through the system. This trend was concentrated in the charter sector, where high school enrollment surged 3.6% while DCPS high schools saw a 1.2% decrease, pointing to shifting parental preferences for charter schools in DC at the secondary level.

2. My School DC Lottery: Shrinking Applicant Pool, Rising Efficiency

The My School DC lottery remains the central mechanism for school choice, but its dynamics are changing. The SY 2025-26 lottery saw 22,443 applicants, a 3.7% decrease that aligns with citywide demographic trends. Despite fewer applicants, the system achieved its highest-ever match rate of 75%, indicating increased efficiency and alignment between family preferences and available seats. This trend continued into the next cycle, where the SY 2026-27 applicant pool shrank a further 6.5% to 20,987 participants while maintaining a 74% match rate. Of those matched, 63% received an offer from their first-choice school, a key indicator of satisfaction for families navigating the DC school lottery. PK3 remains the most competitive entry point, as it is the only grade without a guaranteed in-boundary DCPS option.

3. Demographics: A System Divided by Ward

The District's student population is defined by deep geographic segregation along racial and economic lines. Citywide, 62% of students identify as Black and 19% as Latino, but these populations are heavily concentrated. In Ward 8, 92% of students are Black and an overwhelming 70% are classified as at-risk. In stark contrast, Ward 3 is the only majority-white (55%) ward, and just 12% of its students are at-risk. These disparities dictate educational experiences and outcomes, driving the very school choice patterns seen in the lottery. The highest concentrations of English Language Learners are in Wards 1 and 4, while Students with Disabilities are most concentrated in Wards 7 and 8, placing immense resource demands on the schools in those communities.

4. School Funding: Driving Equity Through the UPSFF

The District's commitment to education is codified in its funding formula. For Fiscal Year 2026, the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) base amount was increased by 2.74% to $15,070 per student. This foundation serves as the basis for a weighted formula designed to direct more resources to students with greater needs. The total UPSFF-driven instructional budget is approximately $2.6 billion, split between DCPS ($1.4B) and public charters ($1.2B before facilities allowance). The formula's most critical equity component is the "At-risk Concentration Supplement," which provides significant additional funding to schools where more than 40% and 70% of students are designated at-risk, ensuring resources are targeted to the city's most vulnerable communities.

5. School Choice by Ward: Proximity vs. Opportunity

How families use the school lottery is directly correlated to their home ward and the perceived quality of their in-boundary school. In affluent Ward 3, school choice is largely exercised through the real estate market; an overwhelming 78% of public school students attend their local, in-boundary DCPS school, the highest rate in the city. Conversely, in areas with historically under-resourced schools, families use the lottery to access other options at much higher rates. In Ward 5, 57% of resident students attend a public charter school, followed by 56% in Ward 8 and 52% in Ward 7. This mass cross-ward commuting—with 43% of all DC students attending a school outside their home ward—highlights a system where families are actively seeking alternatives to their neighborhood-assigned DCPS schools.

DC school lottery by the Numbers

Methodology and Sources

This analysis is based exclusively on primary and authoritative secondary data. Every statistic is attributed to its original source document. Sources include:

• DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE): 2025-26 School Year Enrollment Audit Report (2026); My School DC Press Releases (2025, 2026); 2025-26 UPSFF Payment Memo (2025); 2025 DC School Report Card Technical Guide (2025); DC School Report Card – Live '25 Blog (2026); DC's 2025 Statewide Assessment Results (2025). https://osse.dc.gov/
• DC Public Charter School Board (DCPSCB): 2025 Annual Report (2025); Student Enrollment Data (2025). https://dcpcsb.org/
• DC Deputy Mayor for Education (DME): EdScape Data Portal (2026). https://edscape.dc.gov/
• DC Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO): Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act of 2025 (2025). https://cfo.dc.gov/
• DC Policy Center: State of D.C. Schools, 2024-25 (2026); Updating D.C.'s enrollment projections (2026); Various "Chart of the week" and "D.C. Voices" analyses (2025, 2026). https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/
• My School DC: Applications and Seats by Grade Report (2025); Understand Your Lottery Results Guide (2025). <a href="https://www.myschooldc.org/" rel="nofollow">https://www.myschooldc.org/</a>

Last updated: April 2026 We update this page quarterly with the latest data from OSSE, DCPSCB, and federal sources.