Frequently Asked Questions

DC Prep serves students in Pre-K3 through 8th grade. Our three campuses include Benning, Edgewood, and Anacostia. Learn more about our locations and contact information here.

DC Prep’s welcomes families as early as 7:30AM. Classes begin promptly at 8:00AM (“8 is late!”). DC Prep dismisses students at 3:45PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 2PM each Wednesday.

DC Prep has partnered with Champions to provide on-site aftercare options for DC Prep students in PK3-6th grade. Please refer to additional aftercare options on our website.

DC Prep welcomes families as early as 7:30 AM.

After-care pricing:
*Champions does accept childcare vouchers

• Anacostia
• Benning
• Edgewood

All DC Prep students are required to wear the DC Prep school uniform every day. DC Prep has partnered with Risse Brothers to provide school uniform shirts. Polos, Oxfords, and T-shirts featuring the DC Prep logo are only available from Risse Brothers. Bottoms (shorts, pants, skorts, skirts) may be purchased at Risse Brothers or elsewhere.

Click here for the full SY24-25 Uniform Policy.

Click here for the DC Prep Uniform Look Book.

Yes! DC Prep offers free breakfast and lunch to all DC Prep students. All elementary campuses also provide snacks.

A Preppie is a student attending DC Prep! Preppies have bright minds, kind hearts, and always strive for excellence.

DC Prep participates in My School DC, a common application for nearly all DC-based public schools. Visit www.myschooldc.org for more details about the application process.

The lottery application opens on December 15, 2025, and the deadline to complete the application is March 2, 2026. We encourage all prospective families to apply by the deadline.

Remember, ranking matters! Rank all DC Prep campuses as your top choices on your My School DC application.

We will not know until the Spring of 2026 because we don’t know how many returning students will re-enroll at DC Prep. PK3 seats will be open for all students, typically 65 PK3 students.

In PK4 an additional classroom is added at most campuses. Most grade levels have 3 homerooms per grade.

No, your child does not need to be fully potty-trained to attend DC Prep! However, we encourage families to continue to support your child in the potty-training process prior to the first day of school. Pull-ups and diapers are NOT allowed.

Click here for some potty-training tips.

Please visit the DC Prep Resources page for more detailed information and to access relevant forms.

DC Prep works with all students to ensure they meet their goals. Teachers track student growth and achievement on an ongoing basis. Each student also receives small-group instruction every day.

At DC Prep, we are committed to serving any student who enrolls with us, no matter what their needs are. We are a full-service network and we will work with you to ensure that your child receives the maximum benefit of our educational programming. We understand that families choose us because of our commitment to inclusion.

No, DC Prep does not offer a foreign language at this time. We are, however, committed to ensuring that all students receive high-quality instruction in our current course offerings: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, and extracurriculars. These course offerings set our graduates up to gain entry to top tier high schools, that offer a variety of courses, including foreign language.

We recently created a Family Experience Task Force to gain greater insight into what our families care about the most. What we have heard most from our families is that they want DC Prep to focus on core academic growth and achievement for their children, especially in response to the academic needs that have surfaced over the last few years. We are committed to addressing these needs first, which is why we continue to place an emphasis on our ELA and Math programming. In addition, we offer multiple extracurricular activities at each campus (offerings vary by campus)!

Yes, DC Prep elementary campuses (serving PK3 to 3rd Grade) offer art, music, and physical education. After-school clubs are offered including dance, photography, cooking, and more. Types of clubs vary from campus to campus.

DC Prep middle campuses (serving 4th to 8th Grade) offer physical education and health, African drumming, and art. After-school clubs and sports are offered including basketball, cheerleading, and debate.

Field trips based on lessons, team-building, and incentives for students are offered for every grade level.

Guest speakers are also offered across all campuses during the school year.

In Pre-K3, Pre-K4, and kindergarten classrooms, there are two teachers assigned to each classroom with a teacher-to-student ratio of 10:1.

In 1st-8th grade classrooms, there is one teacher per classroom with an additional support staff. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1.

Support staff includes but is not limited to Junior Teachers, Specials Teachers, Leadership Staff, Interventionalists, Special Education Inclusion Teachers, & members of the Social-Emotional team.

At DC Prep we recruit, attract, and work hard to retain talented educators who share the fundamental belief that every child can succeed at the highest levels, and who work diligently every day to make that a reality. Teachers and staff receive ongoing professional development, including through weekly staff development time on Wednesday afternoons.

DC Prep communicates with families in multiple ways! Our “Prep Notes” are a communication tool that parents, teachers, and students use to communicate daily. Teachers also communicate with parents through DC Prep’s parent portal in real-time and are available by phone or email until 8:00 PM during the weekday. Campus-wide updates are shared through weekly emailed Prep Packs. We also hold Family-Student-Teacher Conferences twice a year.

Parents are encouraged to be a member of our Parent Action Team (PAT) and/or a Parent Ambassador that supports student recruitment efforts. Parents can also share ideas and concerns through quarterly parent surveys. Parents are frequently invited to participate in or chaperone field trips, attend community meetings, and participate in schoolwide events such as BINGO night, sneaker ball, summer block parties, and much MORE!