Enrollment for SY2025-2026
Thank you for your interest in Richard Wright Public Charter Schools for Journalism and Media Art (RWPCS). Richard Wright Public Charter Schools is a public school free of charge serving students who reside in the District of Columbia.
For this upcoming 2025-2026 School Year, Richard Wright Public Charter Schools is a participant in the city-wide “Common Application and Common Lottery” for DCPS and most DC Public Charter Schools. Our application period for SY2025-2026 becomes available December 16, 2024, for Grades 8 through 12. Parents residing in the District of Columbia wishing to enroll their child in grades 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 at Richard Wright Public Charter Schools must complete an application at www.MySchoolDC.org.
The Lottery results are released on March 28, 2025. You will need to log in to your My School DC account to review your lottery results. If you were matched with RWPCS through the lottery, you must accept your space by completing the New Student Admissions Requirements by May 1, 2025. An email from the school will be sent to you about next steps to enroll your student.
If you fail to complete the mandated documents, inclusive of providing DC Residency by the city-wide deadline of May 1, 2025, your child will lose their seat for the 2025-26 school year and will need to reapply through My School DC.
You may complete all enrollment online via RWPCS PowerSchool Parent Portal or in person. Admission appointments are from Monday through Thursday from 10AM to 1PM; schedule by clicking here. The in-person appointments will require you to use our computers to complete the enrollment process.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the enrollment process, please contact via email at kara.sheler@richardwrightpcs.org. Please allow up to 2 business days for a reply to all emails due to high volume of enrollment questions.
Residency Requirements
To be enrolled at Richard Wright PCS (RWPCS), a parent/primary caregiver must show original documents as proof of DC residency for each student assigned to or wishing to attend RWPCS.
All students enrolled in public schools in the District of Columbia (DCPS and charter) must provide proof of residency in the District. Residency verification usually takes place upon enrollment at the school. In addition, students who are matched through the My School DC lottery or offered a space off a waitlist to a DCPS school because of an address-based preference (in-boundary or proximity) must prove residency at the specific address used to determine the preference.
In some cases, non-residents may attend DC public schools, but they must pay tuition after meeting established criteria. In addition, in order for non-residents to attend a public school, that school may not have any residents on its waiting list. Residency requirements are established by the Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE) and processed by schools, not My School DC. A bona fide DC resident is defined as a person that has established a physical presence in the District of Columbia. To verify residency, the student’s parent/guardian completes a DC Residency Verification Form and presents documents showing their address. The parent/guardian must enroll that student with the school and must be the individual listed on the residency documents.
New Enrollment Student Information
We are very excited that you selected Richard Wright Public Charter School (RWPCS) to educate your student for the 2025-26 School Year. We want to thank you for using the My School DC Lottery process and hope that it was a smooth transition for you. To secure your student's seat, you must adhere to the following deadlines for registration:
- Completion of the New Student Enrollment Packet via PowerSchool Link (Due May 1, 2025)
- OSSE DC Residency Verification Form (DUE - MAY 1, 2025)
- Upload all the required documents listed below
- DC proof of residency
- Birth Certificate (DUE AT TIME OF ENROLLMENT)
- Current Health Physical with Immunization Record and Dental Forms (DUE AT TIME OF ENROLLMENT)
- Individualized Educational Plan or a 504 Plan (if applicable, we MUST have a copy at the time of enrollment)
- Final Report Card (DUE BY JULY 1, 2025)
- Transcript from previous school is MANDATORY for all 10th, 11th and 12th graders (DUE BY JULY 1, 2025) No Exceptions
You may click here to schedule an in-person enrollment appointment with Ms. Sheler, Registrar.
If you have questions regarding the enrollment process, please contact via email at kara.sheler@richardwrightpcs.org. Please allow up to 2 business days for a reply to all emails due to high volume of enrollment questions.
Re-enrollment Student Information
Current students at RWPCS electing to re-enroll for SY2025-26 may do so during the Re-enrollment Period conducted from April 1, 2025, to May 1, 2025. Students failing to re-enroll by May 1, 2025, will not be guaranteed placement for the upcoming school year and may be required to participate in the enrollment process with new students seeking admission to the school. All re-enrollment forms and uploaded documents should be completed via your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account.
Completion of The Returning Student Enrollment Packet via PowerSchool Parent Portal - (DUE MAY 1, 2025)
OSSE DC Residency Verification Form (DUE MAY 1, 2025)
Students failing to re-enroll by May 1, 2025, will not be guaranteed placement for the upcoming school year and may be required to participate in the enrollment process with new students seeking admission to the school.
Upload all the required documents listed below via the Power School Parent Portal
- DC proof of residency
- Valid Health with Immunization Record
- Valid Dental Form
If you have questions regarding the re-enrollment process, please contact via email at kara.sheler@richardwrightpcs.org. Please allow up to 2 business days for a reply to all emails due to high volume of enrollment questions.
Non-District Residents Wishing to Apply
Non-District residents wishing to enroll at Richard Wright Public Charter Schools will need to follow the same protocols for D.C. residents and pay tuition. Richard Wright Public Charter Schools' tuition will equal the per-pupil allocations provided by OSSE’s Uniform Per Student Funding Formula during each fiscal school year.
"Enrollment Saturday" TBD
Richard Wright Public Charter Schools will be open to collect Enrollment Documents from new students offered a seat via My School DC lottery and returning families on the following day: Saturday April 26, 2025 @ TBD
Please take advantage of this date to complete and provide mandated documents for enrollment.
If you have questions regarding the enrollment process, please contact via email at kara.sheler@richardwrightpcs.org. Please allow up to 2 business days for a reply to all emails due to high volume of enrollment questions.
Annual Health and Dental Forms
DC laws and regulations require that any child attending a school or daycare in DC submit a completed Universal Health Certificate and Oral Health Assessment Form annually to demonstrate that all students are receiving the health care they need. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, all students must be fully immunized. Immunizations are the best defense against some of the most common and sometimes deadly infectious diseases.
Once a student is due for a vaccine, that student will be considered non-compliant with DC’s school immunization mandate. DC Health and the Office of the State Superintendent for Education. (OSSE) will no longer differentiate between “due” and “overdue” in the determination of compliance. Students in grades pre-K3, kindergarten, 7th and 11th will be temporarily excluded from school if they are not up to date on their immunizations. Review this page to guarantee your students are ready for school.
Find more detailed information and resources for families here.
TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS
RWPCS is now offering a convenient and secure link for current and former students to request transcripts online. Please note, if you have withdrawn at any time during the current school year, contact the registrar for copies of records.
PLEASE FIND THE TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM HERE.
Important Information:
- Phone, mail, or fax requests will no longer be accepted.
- *ALL FORMER STUDENTS/GRADUATES: YOU MUST PAY $5 IN ORDER FOR YOUR TRANSCRIPT REQUEST TO BE FULFILLED**
- All requests for student records/information will be submitted and paid for online using a credit or debit card here. Please indicate the student's name and "transcript request" in the memo.
- CURRENT SENIORS: Please allow 1-2 business days for your request to be fulfilled.
- PREVIOUS STUDENTS: Please allow 3 business days for your request to be fulfilled.
- FOR MULTIPLE TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS: Please fill out ONE form per college/university/Company
- For those requesting to pick up records, an official, unexpired photo ID is required such as a driver's license, passport or military ID.
- Records will be delivered electronically wherever possible.
- You will receive emails from leia.harris@richardwrightpcs.org to notify you of the status of your order. It is important you read those emails carefully as additional information may be required to process your request.
Per District policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) student records are only available to those who have authorization from the student or parent, guardian, or responsible person if the student is under 18 years of age. If the student is 18 years of age or older, school records will not be released to a parent, guardian, or responsible person without the student's written consent.
WITHDRAWAL REQUESTS
In order to complete a student's withdrawal, Richard Wright PCS must receive valid confirmation of the student's enrollment into another school or confirmation that an exception to the compulsory education rule applies to the student, for example the student is permanently incapacitated or is under 18 but completed the requirements for a high school diploma. Valid confirmation includes a RWPCS withdrawal form completed by the receiving school, official written confirmation from the receiving school that the student is enrolled, or a request for records from the receiving school. Additionally, student information will not be released to the receiving school until documentation required for the withdrawal is completed.
Students of compulsory age who leave or stop attending school without providing confirmation of enrollment at another school or confirmation that an exception to the compulsory education rule applies to the student will be subject to truancy protocols and processing until confirmation is received. Adult students may withdraw themselves from RWPCS at any time and such students are not subject to the truancy and compulsory education requirements explained above.
PLEASE FIND WITHDRAWAL FORM HERE
Important Information:
- Phone, mail, or fax requests will no longer be accepted.
- PLEASE ALLOW 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS FOR COMPLETION
- For those requesting to pick up records, an official, unexpired photo ID is required such as a driver's license, passport or military ID.
- Records will be delivered electronically wherever possible.
- You will receive emails from Kara.Sheler@richardwrightpcs.org to notify you of the status of your order. It is important you read those emails carefully as additional information may be required to process your request.