Admissions

Brent participates in the DCPS lottery system to allocate spots for:

• all new early childhood education (pre-kindergarten) students, both in-boundary and out-of-boundary
• new, out-of-boundary K-5th grade students

All new, in-boundary students are guaranteed admission in grades K-5th. A student's in-boundary school is based solely on the student's home address. Not sure which public school your residence is in-boundary for? Check easily using this DCPS site.

In addition to in-boundary preference, Brent also offers sibling and proximity preferences for all grades and equitable access preference for early childhood education (pre-kindergarten). Sibling preference applies to students with siblings who already attend Brent or have received a lottery placement. Proximity preference applies to students who live greater than a half-mile walking distance from their DCPS in-boundary elementary school and a half-mile or less walking distance from Brent. Qualifications for the equitable access preference can be found here.
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The lottery for the upcoming school year opens in December, with applications due in early March. Results are available in late March, prior to the start of enrollment. Specific dates for these key deadlines and other useful information on the DCPS lottery system can be found at myschooldc.org. Historical information on the number of available lottery seats, waitlist lengths, and waitlist offers at Brent can be accessed here. For questions specific to the lottery process at Brent, please email brentelementary@k12.dc.gov.

Visit Brent!

Interested in enrolling your child at Brent? Join us at an open house to learn about our academic principles, admissions process, and more!

Check our open house calendar here to plan your visit, and RVSP to brentelementary@k12.dc.gov.
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Enrollment

All new and returning students are required to enroll at Brent yearly. DCPS enrollment begins in late March and runs through the end of April. Look for more information from DCPS and the Brent front office in March, including key deadlines and instructions on how to complete the enrollment application.

Enrollment can be completed online using the ASPEN parent portal. Caregivers should ensure they have access to their account. If you do not have access or need to reset your credentials, please contact the Brent front office or email enroll@k12.dc.gov. New families will need to create an ASPEN account. Paper forms are also available on the DCPS enrollment site, and can be completed and returned to the Brent front office.

All students are required to provide proof of residency as part of their enrollment application. See this form for a complete list of accepted documents. These documents can be uploaded in many formats and are submitted online as part of the enrollment application. Please note that the caregiver on the proof of residency documents must be the same caregiver who submits the enrollment application.
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Students who are new to DCPS must also submit one proof of age document – examples include a birth certificate, hospital records, previous school records, passport, or baptismal certificate.

Prior to the start of the school year, all students must also submit a Universal Health Certificate - including a record of required immunizations - and an Oral Health Assessment. These forms can be included as part of the enrollment application. See here for more information about school health requirements.

Families will receive a confirmation email when each enrollment application is received and reviewed. For more information on the enrollment process, please visit enrolldcps.dc.gov.