We got this question at our meeting at Powell on Tuesday, 11/3 and wanted to follow up:

“How does the guarantee work for students in dual language programs at DCPS elementary schools? Are they guaranteed a spot regardless of where they rank MacFarland in the lottery? If they match with another school they rank higher, do they lose the guarantee?”

Answer:

The “guaranteed right” to MacFarland means students from dual language programs at DCPS elementary schools will be guaranteed a seat at MacFarland as long as they apply in Round 1, rank MacFarland as one of the schools on their application, and are not matched with a school they ranked higher. As is the case with all other applications, if they are matched at a school they ranked higher, they will not be waitlisted for MacFarland and will no longer have a guaranteed right to the school.

In other words, the surest way to secure the guaranteed seat is to rank MacFarland #1 on your first round lottery application. If you rank other schools above MacFarland, a match with any of those more highly ranked schools will forfeit the guaranteed seat at MacFarland.

Questions? Contact DCPS.Planning@dc.gov.

Katarina Brito (top, purple) and Rosanna de Mammos (right) from DCPS’ Language Acquisition Division discuss MacFarland’s Dual Language Program with parents at Powell Elementary School on Tuesday, 11/3.