In what marks a consistent stride towards educational growth in the nation's capital, Mayor Muriel Bowser, alongside the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), highlighted a surge in public school enrollment across the District of Columbia. This year witnesses the third successive year of enrollment uptick, with data showing a 1.1% districtwide increase for the 2024-25 school year. In hard numbers, that's an uptick of 1,121 students, swelling the ranks to 99,770, the highest since OSSE's data tracking began in 2007.
The preliminary figures, which are not yet audited, report a rise within DC Public Schools (DCPS) of 1.4%, or an additional 743 students, with public charter schools seeing their numbers swell by 0.44%, adding on 208 students. Over the last decade, these sectors combined have seen a total surge of 14.2%, according to a statement issued by the Executive Office of the Mayor.
With a nod to the city's commitment to education, Mayor Bowser said, "Our city has made historic investments in education, because when we invest in our students, we invest in the future of the District." The statement, which also emphasized the quality and trust in the city's educational programs, came ahead of EdFEST 2024, an annual school fair promoting DC's public and charter school offerings, as per the Executive Office of the Mayor.
The forthcoming EdFEST event plays a dual role, working both as a showcase for the schools and as an educational resource hub for families. It is slated to occur in early December, spreading over two Saturdays, with the first session on December 7 for high schoolers, and the second on December 14 for the pre-K 3 through eighth-grade cohort.
