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Test scores delayed: 2025-2026 science scores will be released by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education in October, at which point rankings will be updated.

Smothers Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

118^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 124 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Smothers Elementary School serves 250 students in grades PK-5 in Washington, DC's Ward 7/NE area as part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. The school is currently one of the lowest-performing elementary schools in the city, ranking 118th out of 124 DC elementary schools (5th percentile) with a 0-star rating. Proficiency rates are dramatically below district and state averages: just 12.5% of students are proficient in English Language Arts and 7.4% in math, compared to state averages of 39.6% and 28.2%. Math is a particularly severe weakness—only 2.7% of 5th graders met proficiency in math in 2025-26, compared to a state average of 30.1%.

Nearby schools demonstrate that stronger outcomes are possible within the same district and community. Burrville Elementary School, less than a mile away, posts ELA proficiency of 31.1% and math proficiency of 16.8%—more than double Smothers' rates. Nalle Elementary School (23.0% ELA) and Houston Elementary School (18.6% ELA) also outperform Smothers. Public charter schools in the immediate area are even further ahead in math: KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS posts 36.3% math proficiency, and DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary School posts 39.0% ELA and 31.2% math. Smothers' state rank has also declined sharply since reaching the 23rd percentile in 2022-23.

What makes the low performance especially striking is that Smothers spends $31,179 per pupil—more than most nearby DCPS and charter schools—and maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 8.6. This suggests the issue is not a lack of resources or adult support, but rather instructional strategy, intervention design, or school climate. Science performance (11.5%) is closer to the state average of 12.1%, but ELA and math remain far behind. Subgroup data shows the school ranks in the 8th percentile for African American students and 14th percentile for low socioeconomic status students statewide. Taken together, the evidence indicates that additional resources alone are not translating into academic gains.

250

Students ?

8.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,114

Per pupil spending ?

80.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

4400 Brooks St. NE
Washington, DC 20019

(202) 939-3600

District: District of Columbia Public Schools

Students who attend Smothers Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kelly Miller Middle School
High:	H.D. Woodson High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

87.6%

Hispanic:

12.0%

White:

0.4%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Smothers Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2014 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the District Of Columbia average (10% vs 34% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school10%

District avg39%

District Of Columbia avg34%

118^th of 124

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 9% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of District Of Columbia Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 74Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools

19^th of 46District of Columbia Public Schools among District Of Columbia districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	13.7	118 of 124	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	118 of 128	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.0	104 of 126	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.8	98 of 128	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	117 of 122	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.3	118 of 120	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	10.1	108 of 108	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	16.4	90 of 99	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.0	78 of 97	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.2	92 of 109	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.8	88 of 112	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.9	82 of 111	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.9	80 of 111	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	18.3	88 of 96	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.1	102 of 106	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	98 of 100	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	16.8	86 of 91	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.9	89 of 90	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	12.0	113 of 117	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.5	108 of 110	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2026	25.5	69 of 80	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.6	74 of 92	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	17.9	104 of 113	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	104 of 113	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)14th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2026)8th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2019)8th percentile+4 vs school

At Risk (2019)5th percentile~ school

Female (2019)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts12%-27 vs state

Mathematics7%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Smothers Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DC CAPE English Language Arts (2026)				DC CAPE Mathematics (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC CAPE English Language Arts 3rd Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 4th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 5th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts All Grades	DC CAPE Mathematics 3rd Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 4th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 5th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Smothers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 Brooks St. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-3600	250	29	8.6	80.0%	1 (0.4%)	219 (87.6%)	30 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.7	118^th of 124 public elementary schools	4.8%		16.5	118^th of 128 public elementary schools	7.8%				10.5	12.5	7.7	12.8	2.7	7.4	$31,114	$2,662	$28,453
Lorraine H. Whitlock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	533 48th Pl NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6060	162	19	8.7	71.6%	0 (0.0%)	144 (88.9%)	16 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	15.5	113^th of 124 public elementary schools	8.9%		31.8	81^st of 128 public elementary schools	36.7%	32	4.6	10.5				10.5	6.7	16.9	$40,847	$5,139	$35,708
DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	100 41st Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	DC Prep PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-2838	430	32	13.4	63.0%	0 (0.0%)	388 (90.2%)	24 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.0%)								(n/a)					28.2				$28,440	$3,298	$25,142
Plummer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4601 Texas Ave. SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4360	233	31	7.5	75.1%	0 (0.0%)	183 (78.5%)	49 (21.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	15.1	114^th of 124 public elementary schools	8.1%		17.3	116^th of 128 public elementary schools	9.4%	2		12.0	9.1	11.7	13.3		9.1	7.7	$35,352	$2,707	$32,645
Global Citizens PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	4095 Minnesota Avenue NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	Global Citizens PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(202) 221-6400	198	19	10.4	42.4%	7 (3.5%)	157 (79.3%)	18 (9.1%)	6 (3.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)								(n/a)					52.3				$27,727	$1,326	$26,402
Nalle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	219 50th St. SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6280	287	34	8.5	73.5%	6 (2.1%)	226 (78.7%)	51 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)								(n/a)		27.3		23.0			12.5		$32,864	$2,810	$30,054
KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS	Public, Charter	1-4	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	388	27	14.2	70.4%	0 (0.0%)	375 (96.6%)	10 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25.7	85^th of 124 public elementary schools	31.5%		17.1	117^th of 128 public elementary schools	8.6%	32	14.5	15.0		14.8	24.5	23.2		23.8	$27,805	$3,914	$23,891
KIPP DC - Arts and Technology Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK-K	5300 Blaine Street NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 398-6811	244	18	13.3	75.4%	0 (0.0%)	238 (97.5%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)									$31,311	$3,097	$28,214
KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS	Public, Charter	K-4	4801 Benning Road SE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 582-1390	614	43	14.3	65.3%	0 (0.0%)	586 (95.4%)	25 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40.8	59^th of 124 public elementary schools	52.4%		41.7	54^th of 128 public elementary schools	57.8%	5	20.7	25.0		22.9	37.6	35.0		36.3	$27,533	$3,418	$24,116
Burrville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Division Ave. NE	Washington	20019	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 671-6020	232	20	11.6	77.6%	2 (0.9%)	217 (93.5%)	13 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40.2	60^th of 124 public elementary schools	51.6%		31.3	82^nd of 128 public elementary schools	35.9%	22		52.4		31.1	42.8	9.5	5.7	16.8	$31,900	$2,742	$29,158

Frequently Asked Questions about Smothers Elementary School

What district is Smothers Elementary School in?

District of Columbia Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Smothers Elementary School?

Students at Smothers Elementary School are 88% African American, 12% Hispanic.

Is Smothers Elementary School a good school?

Smothers Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.8% of District Of Columbia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Smothers Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Smothers Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kelly Miller Middle School
High : H.D. Woodson High School

How many students attend Smothers Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 250 students attended Smothers Elementary School.

Rate Smothers Elementary School!

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Latest District Of Columbia data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataSep 2, 2026

2025–26 DC CAPE test scoresAug 20, 2026

2024–25 DC Science test scoresDec 5, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesDec 4, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.