DC Bilingual Public Charter School (DCBPCS)

Founding Institution:  CentroNía (formerly Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center) founded and manages DC Bilingual

Location:  DC Bilingual is located at CentroNía: 1420 Columbia Road, NW, Washington, DC 20009

DC Bilingual Director: Alison Auerbach

Program: DC Bilingual Public Charter School (DC Bilingual) is a public charter school located in Columbia Heights and open to all students who reside in the District of Columbia. DC Bilingual implements a dual language (Spanish and English) program that will enable students to meet high academic expectations and develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills and a joy of learning.

DC Bilingual currently enrolls 120 students in Pre-K (3 and 4 year olds) and Kindergarten. The school will add a grade each year through 5^th grade in 2009. School hours for all students are 8:30am to 3:30pm. A before and after school program (which becomes all-day during school vacations and summer) is available from 7:00am to 8:30am and 3:30 to 6:00pm for a sliding scale fee.

Admissions & Enrollment: Anyone who is a resident of the District of Columbia may apply for admission.

For the 2005-2006 school year, DC Bilingual will add approximately 50 students, thereby expanding to 170 students. DC Bilingual is currently accepting children for Pre-K (children who will be at least 3 by December 31, 2005) through first grade. Enrollment requirements for DC Bilingual are the same as those for DC public schools.

If there are more applications than there are available slots for admission, students will be selected by lottery. In order for DC Bilingual to achieve its mission of implementing a dual language program, DC Bilingual will create two lottery pools (Spanish-dominant and English-dominant) for each grade level.

Educational Focus: Bilingualism and biliteracy (dual-language immersion);
                               Critical thinking and problem solving;
                               Joy of Learning;
                               Traditional academic subject matter;
                               Multiculturalism;
                               Technology as a learning tool:
                               The performing and visual arts; and
                               Health and physical development