Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School vs Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School and Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School are both in Washington Dc, about 9 km apart. Both schools offer IB programmes, and Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School also offers Bespoke. Published annual fees are close, at $0 - 24,044 for Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School and $0 - 24,104 for Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School. Both take pupils from 3 to 11. The two are similar in size, at around 707 and 701 pupils. Typical class sizes are 12 at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School and 15 at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School.
The school operates two campuses in Washington, DC. Brookland Campus is located at 3700 Oakview Terrace NE, Washington, DC 20017. East End Campus is located at 5600 East Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20019. Both campuses are in Northeast Washington, DC.
Location
Two campuses in Washington, DC: Elementary Campus at 220 Taylor Street NE and Early Years Campus at 4350 First Street NE, DC 20017. The campuses are in Ward 5, near the Brookland-CUA Metro station.
Stages
Stages
PK3-5 (Pre-K through 5th grade).
Stages
PK3–5
School type
School type
Public Charter School
School type
Public Charter School
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
English Language Learner (ELL) support and language support services; target language teachers are native speakers or fluent in French or Spanish; ACTFL Can Do statements guide language progression and the ACCESS assessment supports planning.
Additional learning support
Special education services and English Language Learner support are provided.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
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Country affiliation
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Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
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Religious affiliation
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School day structure
School day structure
Pre-K provides instruction in the target language 90% of the time and English 10% of the time; classes are mixed-age for 3- and 4-year-olds with a two-year cycle. Kindergarten through grade 5 follow the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program curriculum in two languages, with about 50% of time in English and 50% in the target language.
School day structure
School hours are 8:05 a.m.–3:40 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:05 a.m.–1:05 p.m. on Friday. Extended hours run from 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. before school and 3:40 p.m.–5:45 p.m. after school on MTWTh (and 1:05 p.m.–5:45 p.m. on Fridays).
Bus service details
Bus service details
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Bus service details
Bus service via DDOT route D74 (Brookland-CUA).
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application fees - There is no separate application fee charged by Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School for students applying through the My School DC common application and lottery; families apply via the My School DC system.
Tuition fees (by year group / term / overall) - For District of Columbia resident students, there is no tuition charged: Stokes School operates as a D.C. public charter school and does not assess annual tuition for resident scholars. - For non-resident students, the school notes that non-residents may be required to pay tuition under District law; specific non-resident tuition amounts or per-term schedules are not published as a standard annual tuition schedule on the school's public materials. Families subject to non-resident tuition should consult the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the school's enrollment office for the exact charge and billing arrangements.
Published school-year / per-term fees - School meals: Breakfast, snack and after-school supper are provided free to all students. Lunch is available at USD 4.50 per meal. This USD 4.50 per-meal rate applies when families purchase lunch rather than qualifying for free or reduced-price benefits. Families are encouraged to submit applications for free or reduced-price meals if eligible.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Meal billing is handled according to the school's meal program and Meal Charge Policy; lunch is charged at the per-meal rate above and the Meal Charge Policy governs collection of unpaid meal charges and delinquent accounts. Families are directed to complete the school's meal application to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Specific monthly or term billing cycles for paid lunches are not listed in the public summary; families should contact the school operations staff for account setup and payment timing.
Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable. Stokes School is a day public charter school with Brookland and East End campuses; there is no boarding program or boarding fee listed.
Other costs and fees (uniforms, supplies, extracurriculars, trips, aftercare) - Uniforms / dress code: The school's family/student handbook and school policies contain the school's dress-code/uniform expectations and any related guidance; specific uniform purchase costs are not published as a standardized school fee. Families should expect routine costs for required uniforms, school supplies, and occasional class or field-trip fees where applicable. - Optional programs and extracurriculars: Fees for optional or third-party programs (for example some after-school offerings, field trips, or enrichment providers) may be charged separately when those activities are offered; such fees are assessed only for optional services and are not a substitute for general tuition. Details and current prices for optional program fees are provided by the school when each program is offered.
Refund information - Meal refunds and handling of unpaid meal charges are governed by the school's Meal Charge Policy and related federal/state program rules; the Meal Charge Policy describes the school's approach to insufficient funds and delinquent accounts for school meals. Refund rules for other fees (for example for optional paid activities or program withdrawals) are covered in the school's Family and Student Handbook or in the specific program terms; families should consult the relevant policy or program agreement for precise refund deadlines and penalty rules.
Fee payment options - The school's publicly posted pages do not list a single, published payment portal or exhaustive list of accepted payment methods (credit card, bank transfer, check, cash). For meal accounts and any payable programs, families should contact the campus operations staff to arrange payment and confirm accepted payment methods and online account options. Contact for operations: - Brookland Operations Manager: Mirsa Lopez — 202-265-7237. - East End Operations Manager: Nancy Cruz — 202-975-2100.
Concise summary (what a parent needs to know) - There is no application fee for families applying through the My School DC common application. - Resident students pay no annual tuition; the only standard per-student public charge published by the school is the per-lunch fee of USD 4.50 when not eligible for free or reduced-price meals. - Boarding is not offered. Additional charges (uniforms, supplies, optional activities, aftercare) may apply from time to time and are handled separately. Families should contact the campus operations staff for payment arrangements, precise program fees, and any account or refund questions.
Fee details
Application fees
- There is no application fee charged by Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School for entry; all new applications are submitted through the My School DC common lottery system (no per-school application charge).
Tuition fees (by year group / school year)
- For District of Columbia resident students attending Washington Yu Ying PCS: there is no tuition and no mandatory school attendance fee; the school is a public charter school and does not charge tuition or mandatory payments for DC resident enrollment.
- For non-resident students (i.e., students who are not DC residents) a non-resident tuition charge may apply. The OSSE Nonresident Tuition Payment Scale for school year 2025–2026 (used where applicable) lists annual non-resident tuition amounts by grade group as follows: 2025–2026 rates — Pre-K3: USD 20,194; Pre-K4 & Kindergarten: USD 19,591; Grades 1–5: USD 15,070; Grades 6–8: USD 16,276; Grades 9–12: USD 18,385. For public charter schools an additional facilities fee applies (USD 3,850 for SY 2025–2026). These non-resident and facilities amounts are billed in addition to any applicable program-specific charges for students who qualify as non-residents. (If 2026–2027 OSSE nonresident rates are needed, those should be checked when published; the figures above are the OSSE SY 2025–2026 schedule.)
Per-term / per-year detail
- DC resident students: Annual tuition per student = USD 0 (no per-term tuition). Mandatory per-term or per-year tuition charges are not assessed for DC resident students.
- Non-resident students: the OSSE schedule above is expressed as an annual amount by grade band (annual total). Where charged, the OSSE annual total and the charter facilities fee are the baseline tuition-related amounts; billing frequency (term/month) for non-resident invoicing follows the enrollment agreement and OSSE/authorizer billing procedures.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- There is no school tuition billing for DC resident students.
- Optional and program fees (for example: before- and after-care, paid meals for non-eligible students, and fee-based extracurricular activities or individual field trips) are billed separately from enrollment and are collected by the responsible program or vendor. Washington Yu Ying uses the REEF aftercare registration system for before/after-school care and E-Funds for lunch and fee payments; those systems manage their own registration and billing schedules and payment terms. Before- and after-care is offered on a sliding-scale / voucher basis when eligible; families are billed according to the vendor's published schedule when they register for those services. Parents should expect program-level billing (monthly or per-session) for aftercare and per-event billing for optional activities.
Boarding / residential fees
- Washington Yu Ying PCS does not operate a boarding program. Boarding fees are not applicable.
Other costs and optional fees
- School uniform: Not required. There is no mandatory uniform fee.
- Meals: Breakfast is provided free to all students through the federal School Breakfast Program; paid lunch or snacks for families who do not qualify for free/reduced benefits are managed through the school's meal program and paid via the school's lunch payment system. Families should complete the Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) application if they believe they qualify for reduced or free meals. Meal charges, when applicable, are billed through the school's lunch payment system.
- Aftercare / extended-day programs: Before- and after-school care is offered and is fee-based; fees are charged and collected through the school's aftercare vendor/registration system (REEF/EZChildTrack) and are subject to that vendor's rates and payment rules. Sliding-scale and voucher options are noted as available.
- Field trips and voluntary activities: The school may charge fees for voluntary activities such as field trips or certain enrichment programs; such charges are activity-specific and billed separately when those activities occur.
- Other incidental fees: The school maintains an online payments link for lunch and miscellaneous school fee payments (E-Funds). Any incidental or optional fee assessed to a family (for example, lost-library materials, optional program supplies, or community-event tickets) would be billed through the school's established fee-payment channels.
Refund information
- There is no tuition to refund for DC resident students. Refund practices for optional, paid programs (aftercare, paid lunches, field trips, enrichment classes) are determined by the specific program or payment vendor and by the school's program policies; families should follow the refund and cancellation policies published by the program provider at the time of registration for that program. Examples of the program vendors used for billing at the school include REEF (aftercare) and E-Funds (lunch & fees payments).
Fee payment options
- Online payment through the school's E-Funds Lunch & Fees Payments portal is used for meal and miscellaneous fee payments.
- Before- and after-care registration and payment are processed through the REEF / EZChildTrack parent portal. Payment methods available there include the portal's accepted online payment methods (as provided by that vendor at registration).
- For non-resident tuition billing, invoicing and permitted payment methods follow OSSE/authorizer billing procedures for out-of-district tuition (as applicable).
Summary (key points for parents)
- Washington Yu Ying PCS does not charge tuition or mandatory attendance fees for DC resident students; there is no per-term or per-year tuition to be paid by resident families.
- Non-resident students may be billed OSSE's nonresident tuition by grade band plus a charter facilities fee (the OSSE SY 2025–2026 schedule provides the most recent published example of those amounts).
- Optional services (aftercare, paid meals for non-eligible families, field trips, enrichment) have separate fees and are billed through the program vendors (REEF, E-Funds, etc.). Sliding-scale and voucher help for aftercare is available where eligible.
If you need a single-line summary for a database entry: “Washington Yu Ying PCS: No tuition or mandatory fees for DC residents; non-resident tuition may apply per OSSE non-resident schedule (e.g., SY25–26 rates) plus charter facilities fee; optional paid programs (aftercare, meals, field trips) billed separately via REEF/E-Funds.”
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme for PK3-5. The academic program is structured around a dual-immersion model where students learn language (English and Spanish or French) through the content areas. The IB program exists worldwide and promotes high-quality, challenging international education. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The PYP curriculum framework emphasizes inquiry-based, transdisciplinary learning with a student-centered approach and ownership of learning. IB Learners strive to be inquirers, thinkers, knowledgeable, principled, communicators, caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective, open-minded.
Curriculum details
The school uses the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) within an immersive Chinese-English model. PK3 and PK4 have 100% Mandarin instruction with no English classroom instruction. Kindergarten and Grade 1 have Mandarin instruction for all subjects with 75% Mandarin and 25% English in core subjects, and English Language Arts is taught for 180 days. Grades 2–5 have a 50/50 Mandarin-English model with all subjects taught through 90 days Mandarin and 90 days English, delivered on an every-other-day language model.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
Small class sizes and team teaching with a learning specialist assigned to each grade level.
Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
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Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
The school participates in the My School DC common application and lottery. Open House events are offered for the 2026-2027 application season at the Brookland Campus and East End Campus. Language immersion teaches in two languages: English and French or English and Spanish. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme for PK3–5. Applications are accepted from all DC residents. Pre-kindergarten requires a child to be three by September 30 of the first pre-kindergarten year and to be able to use the bathroom with minimal assistance; kindergarten requires turning five by September 30 of the kindergarten year.
Admissions
To enroll, families apply through the My School DC lottery. Yu Ying participates in the My School DC common application and common lottery, which means only applications submitted through My School DC are accepted. New students must complete the Yu Ying online registration form via PowerSchool (you'll receive instructions in a separate email) and submit a copy of the child's birth certificate. You must also submit the DC Residency Form and proof of DC residency via DocuSign; the DocuSign message will include instructions on online completion and document attachment. Before the first day of school, submit additional forms including the DC Universal Health Certificate, the DC Oral Health Assessment Form, up-to-date immunizations, and any applicable Medical Dietary Accommodations Form or Milk Substitution and Philosophical Dietary Accommodations Form; provide an IEP if applicable. Immunizations must be current to attend in person. Siblings of current Yu Ying and DCI students may receive enrollment preference if they live with the current student in Washington, DC and are related by blood or adoption, or are a step-sibling. Equitable Access Preference: Yu Ying is open to all and sets aside seats for at-risk students (homeless, in DC foster care, or eligible for government benefits such as SNAP or TANF) to improve their chances of matching with Yu Ying when they select the school as a top choice in the My School DC lottery. The page notes a helpful My School DC lottery video and provides an “Apply Now” link for the process.
Scholarships
Scholarships
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Scholarships
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Waitlist
Waitlist
Lottery results are released on March 28, 2025. If matched, enrollment must occur by May 1, 2025. After that date, the school will begin making offers to the waitlist as space allows.