Programmatic capacity indicates the maximum number of students who can be housed in a school building based on the number and types of spaces available and the type of educational plan offered. Typically the more facilities, the greater the programmatic capacity in specific geographies. As of SY2023-24, DCPS and public charter schools had a total capacity of 125,505 seats.
Public School Programmatic Facility Capacity, SY2013-14 to SY2023-24
Users can select four different geographies - ward, DCPS high school boundaries, Comprehensive Plan planning areas, and neighborhood clusters - to view public school facility capacities. In SY2023-24, Ward 8 had the greatest total capacity of public school facilities, followed by Ward 5 and Ward 7. By neighborhood cluster, Congress Heights (Cluster 39), Edgewood and Bloomingdale (Cluster 21), Crestwood and Petworth (Cluster 18), and Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant (Cluster 2) had the greatest number of total seats across both sectors.
Capacity of Public School Facilities by Varying Geographies, SY2013-14 to SY2023-24
Notes: - The methodology to collect capacities for DCPS schools was revised for the Master Facilities Plan 2023 and may not be directly comparable to data before SY2022-23. See the Master Facilities Plan 2023 for more information. - See the downloadable data file notes to learn how programmatic capacities for public charter schools and DCPS capacities before SY2022-23 are disaggregated across grade bands. - Capacities for public charter schools in SY2021-22 may not be directly comparable to capacity in previous years. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some public charter LEAs may have reported a lower capacity for their facilities that was in line with social distancing guidelines. - Capacities for DCPS schools that are swinging due to modernization are not reported. Sources: DCPS and public charter LEA capacities (collected by DC PCSB)
