On April 9, 2023, D.C. Policy Center Education Policy Initiative Director Chelsea Coffin was quoted by the Washington Post:
It is still early — the number of students who end up attending each of D.C.’s schools will fluctuate until at least October — but interest in the lottery this year could signal that enrollment next year will be on par with this year’s figures, said Chelsea Coffin, director of the Education Policy Initiative at the D.C. Policy Center, a think tank.
Recent enrollment growth in D.C. has been largely driven by high schools, with little increase at the elementary and middle-school grades, Coffin said. Ninth grade tends to be a popular entry point for families who are new to D.C. or returning to the city’s schools. Students are also more likely to repeat their first year of high school, compared to other grades, which creates an enrollment bulge, Coffin added.
“That maps pretty well to what you’re seeing in the application data, where you are seeing this increased interest in grade nine and pre-K,” she said.
Read more: D.C. school lottery sees uptick in applications, high school interest