"My husband and I considered private schools for our children.... But we were attracted to Capital City because it had many of the resources of private schools, along with a strong focus on enrichment and incredible diversity."
— Capital City Parent
A charter school is a free public school that operates independently of the local school system with funding determined by a per-pupil formula. As required by law, admission is by a random lottery through MySchoolDC. There is not a selective admissions process, but preference is given to siblings of current students and to full-time staff.
Capital City is one of over 100 public charter schools in Washington, D.C. As a charter school, we have a great deal of autonomy. We develop our own curriculum, manage our own budget, secure and manage our own facility, and determine our own staffing model and personnel policies. We welcome the accountability that comes with our autonomy: we believe it is important that publicly funded schools demonstrate compliance and results.
Capital City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by a Board of Trustees and authorized and monitored by the D.C. Public Charter School Board. During the 2022-2023 school year, the D.C. Public Charter School Board will oversee 136 public charter schools, operated by 69 nonprofits, around the District. Public charter schools now serve nearly half of all public school students in Washington, D.C.
For more information on Washington D.C. charter schools, please visit:
Top photo of Capital City students courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action