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Washington, District of Columbia - 116 schools
An equity score of 35/100 ranks District of Columbia Public Schools #33 of 51 districts in District of Columbia (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $27,425 per pupil, District of Columbia Public Schools ranks #37 of 58 District of Columbia districts by per-pupil spending (District of Columbia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
50,131
Total Enrollment
116
Schools
$27,425
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
District of Columbia Public Schools operates 116 public schools serving 50,131 students, placing it among the largest districts in District of Columbia. The school portfolio breaks down into 83 combined, 18 high, 14 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in District of Columbia.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $27,425 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 58 District of Columbia districts by per-pupil spending. See how District of Columbia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 86.2% local, and 13.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 35/100, ranked #33 of 51 in District of Columbia against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 16 of 116 schools offering Advanced Placement (197 AP courses district-wide), a 325.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 37.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.2% African American, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jackson-Reed Hs, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
Its largest campus is Jackson-Reed Hs, enrolling 1,855 students (4% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Military Road Early Learning Center, at 70 students, a 27x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
District of Columbia Public Schools school enrollment varies 27× across entities
District of Columbia Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 70 students (lowest) to 1,855 students (highest), a spread of 1,785 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
District of Columbia Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 325:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within District of Columbia Public Schools is typically wider than the District of Columbia Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
District of Columbia Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 37.1% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Comparisons are relative to District of Columbia Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in District of Columbia
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in District of Columbia Public Schools?
District of Columbia Public Schools has 116 schools, including 18 high, 83 combined, 14 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 50,131 students.
How much does District of Columbia Public Schools spend per student?
District of Columbia Public Schools spends $27,425 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #33 in District of Columbia.
What is the demographic composition of District of Columbia Public Schools?
District of Columbia Public Schools students are 61.2% African American, 18.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% White, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 116 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for District of Columbia Public Schools?
District of Columbia Public Schools has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #33 out of 51 districts in District of Columbia.