Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Center City PCS - Congress Heights

Q: Is Center City PCS - Congress Heights a good school?

Center City PCS - Congress Heights ranks 37 th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-8

37^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 128 District Of Columbia Elementary Schools

Better than 71% of District Of Columbia elementary schools

Summary

Center City PCS - Congress Heights is a public charter elementary school serving 243 students in grades PK-8 in Washington, DC. This school has shown steady academic growth, consistently outperforming the district and state averages, particularly for its students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Center City PCS - Congress Heights ranked #36 out of 128 DC elementary schools, earning a 4-star rating. The school's performance on the DC CAPE assessments was higher than the Center City PCS district and District of Columbia averages, with 47% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 37.9% in mathematics. This is a significant improvement from previous years and outpaces the nearby Hendley Elementary and King Elementary schools, which serve similar demographics.

Center City PCS - Congress Heights has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.4 to 12.9 over the past few years, and higher per-student spending than nearby charter schools, suggesting a focus on providing more resources and individualized attention to students. This, combined with the school's consistent academic growth and strong performance for disadvantaged subgroups, indicates that Center City PCS - Congress Heights is effectively serving its community and preparing students for success.

251

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$28,266

Per pupil spending ?

88.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

220 Highview Place SE
Washington, DC 20032

(202) 562-7070

District: Center City PCS

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.8%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

4.4%

See top rated District Of Columbia elementary schools

Compare Center City PCS - Congress Heights to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2014 → 71st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the District Of Columbia average (38% vs 29% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2014

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Center City PCS

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg24%

District Of Columbia avg29%

Elementary school

37^th of 128

District Of Columbia public elementary schools ?

Top 29%▲ up 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to top 29% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

8^th of 69

District Of Columbia public middle schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 23 pts since 2018

From top 35% (2018) to top 12% (2025)

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

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Center City PCS

21^st of 46Center City PCS 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	58.5	37 of 128	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.9	32 of 126	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	53.5	45 of 128	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.0	42 of 97	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	41 of 122	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.6	51 of 120	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	43.1	56 of 108	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	31.5	63 of 99	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.3	49 of 97	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.3	49 of 109	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	26.2	86 of 112	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	17.3	100 of 111	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.8	110 of 111	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	78.5	8 of 108	92.6%	★★★★★
2024	76.2	7 of 63	88.9%	★★★★★
2019	73.3	18 of 106	83.0%	★★★★☆
2018	61.2	36 of 100	64.0%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	62.3	27 of 91	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	28 of 90	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	55.5	46 of 117	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.3	55 of 110	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	82.5	5 of 92	94.6%	★★★★★
2023	83.7	4 of 53	92.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	50.2	50 of 113	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.7	46 of 113	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	81.8	8 of 69	88.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	12 of 70	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	76.2	11 of 69	84.1%	★★★★☆
2022	60.8	13 of 59	78.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	19 of 75	74.7%	★★★★☆
2018	55.0	25 of 72	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	77.9	11 of 57	80.7%	★★★★☆
2012	32.9	42 of 57	26.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	27.8	44 of 57	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	27.6	41 of 56	26.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2025	88.9	4 of 68	94.1%	★★★★★
2022	81.5	5 of 27	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	11 of 55	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.3	18 of 55	67.3%	★★★★☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	72.1	9 of 50	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.2	14 of 46	69.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2019	58.2	17 of 52	67.3%	★★★★☆
2018	48.8	28 of 53	47.2%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	District Of Columbia percentile	Rating
2023	61.1	10 of 44	77.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile+23 vs school

African American (2025)93rd percentile+21 vs school

At Risk (2019)70th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2019)61st percentile-6 vs school

Male (2019)56th percentile-11 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)94th percentile+6 vs school

At Risk (2019)82nd percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)77th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2019)67th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs District Of Columbia (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts47%+9 vs state

Mathematics38%+12 vs state

Science12%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Center City PCS - Congress Heights and help other families decide.

Rate Center City PCS - Congress Heights

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Center City PCS - Congress Heights

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				DC Science Science (2025)		DC CAPE English Language Arts (2025)							DC CAPE Mathematics (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DC Science Science 5th Grade	DC Science Science All Grades	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 6th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 7th Grade	DC CAPE English Language Arts 8th 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 6th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 7th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics 8th Grade	DC CAPE Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Center City PCS - Congress Heights	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	220 Highview Place SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Center City PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-7070	251	20	12.4		5 (2.0%)	223 (88.8%)	11 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.4%)	58.5	37^th of 128 public elementary schools	71.1%		61.9	32^nd of 126 public elementary schools	74.6%	5	19.1	12.2	50.0	37.5	52.4	45.5	38.1	60.0	47.0	12.5	33.3	28.6	40.9	47.6	70.0	37.9	$28,266	$4,846	$23,419
King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 6th St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 939-4900	193	25	7.7		0 (0.0%)	192 (99.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	17.3	115^th of 128 public elementary schools	10.2%		29.6	86^th of 126 public elementary schools	31.7%	29			13.6	13.6	12.5				13.2	13.6	13.6	9.4				11.8	$32,988	$4,837	$28,152
Simon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	401 Mississippi Ave. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3360	231	26	8.8		0 (0.0%)	208 (90.0%)	21 (9.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	18.3	112^th of 128 public elementary schools	12.5%		22.3	110^th of 126 public elementary schools	12.7%	2			6.9	12.1	24.0				13.8	10.3		12.0				8.0	$32,922	$5,054	$27,868
KIPP DC - Pride Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK-K	3301 Wheeler Road SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-9101	212	16	12.9		0 (0.0%)	200 (94.3%)	9 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$41,366	$9,986	$31,381
KIPP DC - Inspire Academy PCS	Public, Charter	1-4	3301 Wheeler Road SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	KIPP Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-9101	314	22	14.0		0 (0.0%)	306 (97.5%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18.6	110^th of 128 public elementary schools	14.1%		29.6	87^th of 126 public elementary schools	31.0%	23			10.2	17.1					13.1	15.6	12.9					14.4	$28,555	$5,633	$22,922
Friendship PCS - Southeast Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	645 Milwaukee Place SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Friendship PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-1980	357	30	11.8		0 (0.0%)	354 (99.2%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)			12.1						12.1								$31,822	$4,887	$26,935
Learn Dc Pcs	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	100 Duncan Street SW	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Learn Dc Pcs	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 949-0930	290	22	12.9		80 (27.6%)	98 (33.8%)	68 (23.4%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	37 (12.8%)	57	40^th of 128 public elementary schools	68.8%					(n/a)			28.6	47.6					38.1	23.8	47.6					35.7	$36,915	$11,306	$25,609
Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS - Wahler Place Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	908 Wahler Place SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 562-1307	409	32	12.7		0 (0.0%)	387 (94.6%)	13 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	28.5	87^th of 128 public elementary schools	32.0%		20.9	116^th of 126 public elementary schools	7.9%	29			13.3	25.5	16.7	32.4			21.5	24.4	13.7		14.7			14.5	$37,143	$4,265	$32,878
Hendley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Chesapeake St. SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	District of Columbia Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 645-3450	276	29	9.5		0 (0.0%)	249 (90.2%)	24 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	15.1	122^nd of 128 public elementary schools	4.7%		15.6	124^th of 126 public elementary schools	1.6%	2			12.1	14.0	10.5				12.4	18.2	10.0					9.9	$33,572	$4,783	$28,790
Early Childhood Academy PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-3	885 Barnaby Street SE	Washington	20032	District Of Columbia	Early Childhood Academy PCS	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(202) 373-0035	281	17	16.5		0 (0.0%)	260 (92.5%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)								(n/a)			45.0						45.0	27.5						27.5	$35,223	$4,033	$31,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Center City PCS - Congress Heights

How many students attend Center City PCS - Congress Heights?

In the 2024-25 school year, 251 students attended Center City PCS - Congress Heights.

What is the racial makeup of Center City PCS - Congress Heights?

Students at Center City PCS - Congress Heights are 89% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

Is Center City PCS - Congress Heights a good school?

Center City PCS - Congress Heights ranks 37^th of 128 District Of Columbia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Center City PCS - Congress Heights in?

Center City PCS

Rate Center City PCS - Congress Heights!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

DCDistrict Of Columbia Elementary School Rankings

DCDistrict Of Columbia District Rankings

Schools in Washington, DC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Center City PCS - Congress Heights!

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.