The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Center City Pcs - Capitol Hill
Center City PCS Capitol Hill sits on East Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., serving prekindergarten through eighth grade as part of the Center City Public Charter Schools network. The campus is one of six in the network, and the school's enrollment is small for its grade band. The student body is predominantly Black, with small Hispanic and multiracial populations and very few students identifying as white or Asian. Information on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education rates, and English learner status was not available, so the economic and linguistic profile of the enrolled families cannot be characterized from the data provided.
On the most recent state assessment, the school's proficiency rates in both math and English language arts for grades three through eight were low, with only a small fraction of tested students meeting or exceeding expectations. Science results from the prior testing cycle tell a similar story, with fifth and eighth grade science proficiency falling in the lowest reported range and no students reaching proficiency in either tested grade. Participation rates were solid, so the results reflect the full tested population rather than a skewed subset. These are weak academic outcomes by any standard reading, and a parent considering this school may want to look into this further with the school, asking what instructional supports and interventions are in place and how leadership plans to move results. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is unclear whether performance is stable, declining, or improving.
Because the school ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. That metric does not apply here. Similarly, no course access, staffing, discipline, attendance, or civil rights data was provided, leaving a limited picture of the day-to-day school environment. Program offerings were not listed in the data sections, though the network as a whole has made a publicly reported capital investment that reaches students across all campuses. In 2025, Center City PCS opened a dedicated Makerspace in Ward 5, described as the first K-8 facility of its kind in the District. The building was purchased in 2022 and houses six labs with tools for hands-on work in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. This is a genuine strength, giving students access to applied STEAM learning that many elementary and middle schools cannot offer, and it reflects a network-level commitment that extends to the Capitol Hill campus.
The school's location on Capitol Hill places it in one of Washington's more expensive residential markets. Home values in the surrounding zip code sit well above both the District-wide and national benchmarks, and rents are similarly elevated, though both have eased slightly in the past year. Mortgage rates remain in the mid-six-percent range. For families already settled in the neighborhood, the school is walkable to a part of the city defined by its proximity to the Capitol building, the National Mall, and the broad avenues of the L'Enfant Plan. For families coming from elsewhere in the District, Metrorail and Metrobus connect the area to neighborhoods across all quadrants. Washington's economy is anchored by the federal government and a dense concentration of nonprofits, associations, lobbying firms, and international organizations, which shapes the labor market parents navigate and the civic environment students grow up in.
No neighbor comparison fact-set was provided for this school, so it cannot be positioned against nearby campuses or charters. A parent weighing this school against other options in the Capitol Hill area or across the Center City network would need to gather that context independently. What the data does show is a small, predominantly Black charter school with a recently expanded STEAM facility at the network level, situated in an affluent corner of the city, carrying proficiency results that are low and warrant direct conversation with school leadership.
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