Facing School Closures, DC Residents Demand a Say in District’s Education Future

On Thursday afternoon, dozens of parents, teachers, and community advocates gathered outside Charles Drew Elementary on Division Avenue NE, their frustration echoing down the block. DC Public Schools has put nearly a dozen campuses, including Drew and Bruce-Monroe Elementary in Columbia Heights, on a shortlist for possible closure or consolidation in the 2026-27 academic year. Families say they’re worried about where their children will go—and whether the changes will deepen inequities across the city.

The city’s Joint Budget Committee is scheduled to release its revised funding plan by July 16, with a focus on coping with a significant federal pullback tied to the Trump administration’s DOGE restructuring and efficiency cuts. That move, local leaders warn, could shrink DCPS’s operating budget by nearly $100 million for the upcoming year. For communities already fighting for resources, the possibility of school closures has hit hard.

Neighborhoods on Edge

In Deanwood, a historically Black section of Northeast DC, the threat to Charles Drew is deeply personal. Gabrielle Jenkins, who volunteers at the school’s aftercare program, said she’s bracing for a summer of anxiety among families. “We don’t have a lot of options in Ward 7 as it is,” she said, referencing the concentration of closures east of the river. “Kids would have to go miles further, maybe all the way to Woodson, or across the river if they can get a spot.”

In Shaw, where rapid gentrification has already displaced some longtime residents, Bruce-Monroe parents are organizing bilingual town halls. Monica Lopez, who has two children at the school, said many families worry their voices aren’t being heard during a process that’s moved quickly since February’s initial budget alert. “If they close Bruce-Monroe, the next-nearest school is Cleveland Elementary—but that’s already at 98% capacity,” Lopez said, citing DCPS enrollment projections. “We need more transparency, not sudden cuts.”

Pressure Points and Numbers

DCPS enrollment increased citywide by just 0.4% this year, reaching 51,902 according to the May 2026 city data release. Yet east of the Anacostia River, several schools are operating at under 60% capacity. At the same time, median home prices in NoMa topped $780,000 this spring, fueling migration—and shifting student populations—across ward lines. At a May 22 council hearing, Chancellor Antwan Wilson said per-pupil spending could drop by up to 8%, a sharp reversal from pandemic-era increases. Advocates with EmpowerEd, a DC education nonprofit, warn that reductions in arts programs, after-school services, and mental health counselors will hit communities already struggling with economic pressures the hardest.

The city has promised town halls and published an online feedback portal, but advocates say many families face language and technology barriers. Local advisory teams from Benning Road to Columbia Heights have called for a pause on final decisions until full community input is gathered.

What’s Ahead for Families

The school board will convene a public meeting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on July 22 at 6:30 p.m., inviting testimony on the proposed changes. In the meantime, DCPS encourages parents to consult the school assignment tool on its website to review backup placements and submit public comments before July 18. The city’s Office of the Student Advocate is also running drop-in help hours at libraries in Congress Heights and Petworth every Tuesday this month for families needing assistance.

For parents like Jenkins and Lopez, the next weeks will be spent organizing, canvassing, and hoping for a stay on any closures. “Schools are the heart of our neighborhoods,” Jenkins said, watching a group of Drew fourth graders at play. "If these doors close, a lot more than education disappears from Deanwood."