Best Public Schools in Zip Code 20019

ZIP code 20019 in Washington, DC contains 33 schools serving roughly 10,400 students, including 20 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 7 high schools, and 1 alternative campus, split between 16 schools in the District of Columbia Public Schools and 17 public charter schools.

Families will find several bright spots. DC Prep PCS - Benning Middle School is the area's top middle school, with ELA proficiency of 43.2% — the highest in the ZIP code and above the DC state average — despite spending a modest $26,762 per student. Its sister school, DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary School, also earns 4 stars with above-average proficiency. For math, KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS leads with 36.3% math proficiency, well above the state average of 28.2%. Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS - East End is the highest-ranked elementary school in the area (57th of 124), while Kimball Elementary School performs near state averages and Burrville Elementary School jumped from 113th to 60th in DC rankings. At the high school level, Ron Brown College Preparatory High School has a 92.7% graduation rate, and Idea Pcs holds the best high school ranking in the area.

Despite these bright spots, the area faces serious challenges. Average proficiency is roughly half the DC state average in both ELA (18.9% vs. 39.6%) and math (13.6% vs. 28.2%). Math is the biggest concern: 3rd grade scores often collapse by 5th grade — Burrville Elementary School drops from 42.8% to 5.7% — and high school math proficiency remains in single digits at most schools. Rocketship PCS - Legacy Prep ranks last of 124 DC elementary schools with just 2.5% ELA proficiency, while The SEED PCS of Washington DC spends the most per student ($67,610) yet ranks last district-wide. Notably, spending does not predict outcomes: DC Prep PCS - Benning Middle School achieves top results with far less money. The graduation paradox also stands out — several high schools graduate 80-90% of students despite very low test scores, suggesting students may graduate without college-ready academic skills.