The Nuts and Bolts of the District's Educational System

If you've ever wondered how education in the District is organized and who is responsible for what, here's a District Extra primer on city education.

How many D.C. public schools are there?

For the 2006-07 school year, there are 142 D.C. public schools. Some children attend the schools closest to their homes; others attend schools outside of their neighborhoods. Each year, parents can apply to send their children to out-of-boundary schools, a process known as discretionary transfer.

How do charter schools work?

A charter school is a public school that is free and open to all District residents. Its main difference from a regular public school is that it is independently operated and created by an individual or a group instead of being part of, and run by, a centralized system. Many public charter schools have unique focuses. To operate, such a school must be granted a charter. This school year, 55 public charter schools will operate on 69 campuses throughout the city.

Who checks on school officials to make sure they do their jobs?

For the public schools, the D.C. Board of Education sets education policy and is responsible for hiring the school superintendent. Superintendent Clifford B. Janey is the person in charge of running the school system from day to day. The D.C. Board of Education also has a public charter school office that authorizes and oversees public charter schools; 18 schools are under its review.

Each public charter school has a nonprofit board of trustees that keeps watch on that individual school. In addition, the D.C. Public Charter School Board holds a public meeting every third Monday of the month. The D.C. Public Charter School Board also authorizes public charter schools and currently has 37 under its review. Board members are appointed to four-year terms and can serve a maximum of two terms.

What role does Congress play?

In 1996, Congress passed the School Reform Act, which greatly changed and expanded the public education landscape in the District. It created the D.C. Public School Charter Board and named it and the D.C Board of Education as authorizers of public charter schools. Congress has line-item authority over the D.C. budget and receives annual reports from charter authorizers. Congress also provides funds to help public charter schools purchase and renovate facilities.

The District is not a state, so is there a state education agency?