DC Board of Education: State Board Meetings, Calendar, Testimony, Members, DCPS and School Help
This DC Board of Education guide helps Washington, DC families, students, educators, seniors and residents find the right education office fast: DC State Board of Education meetings, public testimony, working sessions, agendas, minutes, board members, wards, office address, phone number, meeting videos, DCPS school calendar, My School DC lottery, OSSE, DC Public Charter School Board, Ombudsman, Student Advocate, special education support and official links.
DC education search results are confusing because “Board of Education” does not work like a normal county school-board office. The DC State Board handles state-level education policy, meetings, testimony and public voice. Many parent tasks belong to DCPS, My School DC, OSSE, DC PCSB, the Ombudsman, the Student Advocate or the student’s school.
DC Board of Education Quick Answer
The official DC Board of Education office most users mean is the District of Columbia State Board of Education, also called SBOE. Use SBOE for public meetings, testimony, board members, state education priorities, standards, graduation requirements, adopted materials and systemwide education policy discussion.
The SBOE office is listed at the Marion S. Barry, Jr. Building, 441 4th St. NW, Suite 530S, Washington, DC 20001. The main phone number is 202-741-0888, fax is 202-741-0879, TTY is 711, and the general email is sboe@dc.gov.
DC State Board of Education Quick Facts
These facts help users avoid the biggest Washington, DC education mistake: sending a school-level problem to the wrong office.
What This DC Board of Education Guide Covers
Official DC Board of Education and School Resource Links
Use these official links before submitting testimony, applying to schools, checking a calendar, requesting records or sending private student information. DC has separate offices for separate tasks.
🏛️ DC State Board of Education
Use for SBOE meetings, testimony, members, priorities, policies, resolutions and public education voice.
Open SBOE🧾 Meeting Information
Use for public meetings, working sessions, committee meetings, testimony signup and meeting materials.
Open Meetings👥 Board Biographies
Use for current SBOE members, wards, terms, president, vice president and biographies.
Open Members📅 DC Public Schools
Use for DCPS school calendar, enrollment, student records, schools and DCPS services.
Open DCPS🏫 My School DC
Use for the common application, lottery, school finder, waitlists and school-choice help.
Open My School DC🏛️ OSSE
Use for state education agency rules, data, graduation requirements, residency and special education resources.
Open OSSEWhat the DC State Board of Education Does — and What It Does Not Do
The DC State Board of Education is a state-level education body. It advises the State Superintendent of Education, approves certain state education policies, approves academic standards, approves graduation requirements, receives public testimony and represents residents through at-large and ward-based members.
It is not the first office for a late bus, school transfer, transcript, principal complaint, student discipline issue, enrollment form, teacher contact, IEP meeting or daily school operation. Those issues usually start with the school, DCPS, a public charter school, OSSE, the Ombudsman, the Student Advocate or the Special Education Hub.
| User intent | Best first office | Why this matters |
|---|---|---|
| Public education policy, standards, testimony | DC State Board of Education | SBOE is the correct route for state-level public voice and policy discussion. |
| DCPS enrollment, calendar, school records | DC Public Schools | DCPS handles many school-system tasks for DCPS schools. |
| Lottery, school finder, waitlists | My School DC | My School DC is the common application and lottery route. |
| Charter school oversight | DC PCSB | The Public Charter School Board authorizes and oversees public charter schools. |
| Unresolved school dispute | Office of the Ombudsman | The Ombudsman helps families resolve school-based conflicts. |
DC State Board of Education Address, Phone Number, Email and Office Hours
The DC State Board of Education office is listed at the Marion S. Barry, Jr. Building, 441 4th St. NW, Suite 530S, Washington, DC 20001. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
DC State Board of Education
State-level education board for Washington, DC.
441 4th St. NW, Suite 530S
Washington, DC 20001.
202-741-0888
Use for SBOE office routing and meeting/testimony questions.
sboe@dc.gov
Use for testimony and official board communication.
Fax: 202-741-0879
TTY: 711.
Public meetings may use Old Council Chambers at 441 4th St. NW. Always verify the meeting notice.
DC State Board Members, Wards, Terms and Student Voice
The DC State Board of Education has nine directly elected members: one at-large member and one member for each of the District’s eight wards. Terms are four years and staggered. The Board also includes student voice through student representatives and the Student Advisory Committee.
| Member | Seat / role | Term shown by SBOE |
|---|---|---|
| Jacque Patterson | President, At-Large | 2025-2029 |
| Eric Goulet | Vice President, Ward 3 | 2023-2027 |
| Ben Williams | Ward 1 | 2023-2027 |
| Allister Chang | Ward 2 | 2025-2029 |
| T. Michelle Colson | Ward 4 | 2025-2029 |
| Robert Henderson | Ward 5 | 2023-2027 |
| Brandon Best | Ward 6 | 2023-2027 |
| Eboni-Rose Thompson | Ward 7 | 2025-2029 |
| LaJoy Johnson-Law | Ward 8 | 2025-2029 |
DC Board of Education Meetings: Public Meetings, Working Sessions and Committee Meetings
SBOE separates public meetings, working sessions and committee meetings. Public meetings are the main place for live public testimony. Working sessions are open to the public but not open for public speaking. Committee meetings are generally open, but the public does not speak or participate unless the official instructions say otherwise.
| Meeting type | Timing / location | Public participation |
|---|---|---|
| Public meetings | Third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.; usually 441 4th St. NW, Old Council Chambers. | Students, parents, educators and community members may testify after registering by the deadline. |
| Working sessions | First Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m.; livestreamed through DCSBOE YouTube. | Open to observe, but individuals and organizations do not speak or participate. |
| Committee meetings | Check the SBOE Events Calendar for dates, times and virtual login details. | Open to the public, but generally not for public speaking unless official instructions say otherwise. |
How to Testify at a DC State Board Public Meeting
Students, parents, educators and community members may provide testimony at SBOE public meetings. The State Board asks people who want to speak live to register no later than 48 hours before the meeting. Written testimony can be submitted to sboe@dc.gov.
Open the official meeting page
Confirm the meeting date, time, location, livestream route and testimony instructions before preparing remarks.
Register before the 48-hour deadline
Use the official signup form, phone or email route. Late signup may prevent live testimony.
Prepare a three-minute live statement
Start with your name, ward, role and the education issue. Explain the problem, who it affects, and what action you want the Board to consider.
Send written testimony
Written testimony can be more detailed and may include PDFs, documents or longer explanations. Use clear file names and avoid private student information.
Where to Find SBOE Agendas, Meeting Materials, Minutes, Adopted Materials and Videos
The SBOE Meeting Information page explains that the Board publicly shares materials considered at its meetings, including agendas, testimony, presentations and resolutions. Meeting materials from January 2023 onward are routed through the Board’s meeting-document link, while officially adopted materials are available through the State Board website.
Use before the meeting to understand the planned topics and discussion order.
Use to read public comments, written submissions and community perspectives.
Use to understand expert panels, staff reports, policy proposals and background data.
Use when you need final approved materials that received a majority vote at a public meeting.
Use DCSBOE YouTube or District Knowledge Network for meeting context and archived viewing.
Use the official meeting-materials route and adopted materials page when quoting board actions.
DCPS Calendar, Enrollment, Student Records and School-Level Help
DC Public Schools is not the same as the DC State Board. If you searched “DC Board of Education calendar” because you need school holidays, breaks, first day, last day, teacher workdays or student calendar dates, you probably need DCPS calendars or your individual charter school calendar.
| Need | Start here | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| DCPS school calendar | DCPS Calendars | Use for DCPS student days, breaks, holidays and school-year planning. |
| DCPS enrollment | Enroll DCPS | Use for DCPS enrollment, re-enrollment and school-specific enrollment questions. |
| Former student transcript | DCPS Student Records | Use the student-record process instead of sending records to SBOE testimony. |
| Daily school issue | Student’s school office | Attendance, pickup, teacher contact and immediate student issues usually start at school level. |
My School DC Lottery, School Finder, Application and Enrollment Help
My School DC is the common application and common lottery for many District public school options. Use it to learn, apply, enroll, compare schools, understand lottery results, use School Finder and get waitlist help.
Use School Finder first
Compare DC public and public charter school options by grade, location, program and school profile.
Read age cutoff and grade rules
PK3, PK4, kindergarten, middle school and high school applications have different rules and timing.
Submit the common application
Rank schools carefully. A lottery application is not the same as contacting SBOE.
Use results, waitlists and enrollment steps
After results, follow My School DC and school-specific instructions to secure the seat.
DC Public Charter Schools, DC PCSB and What SBOE Does Not Handle
Public charter schools in DC are independent from DC Public Schools. The DC Public Charter School Board is the authorizer and oversight body for public charter schools. My School DC is commonly used for the application and lottery path for participating charter school options.
Use DC PCSB for charter authorization, reviews, renewals, charter board meetings and oversight questions.
Use My School DC to apply to participating public charter schools and check lottery results.
Use the charter school directly for attendance, teacher contact, campus records and immediate student needs.
Use SBOE for systemwide public education policy testimony, not daily charter-school operations.
OSSE, Graduation Requirements, Residency, LearnDC and State Education Data
OSSE is the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, DC’s state education agency. Use OSSE for state education resources, graduation requirements, school report cards, residency rules, data, state-level special education information and official statewide education guidance.
| Need | Best route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation requirements | OSSE Graduation Requirements | Statewide graduation rules are an OSSE/state-level issue. |
| School report cards | LearnDC | Use school profiles and report cards for official data-based comparison. |
| Special education resources | DC Special Education Hub | Families can find special education guidance and one-on-one support. |
| State education policy proposal | SBOE + OSSE | SBOE advises and approves some state-level education policies. |
Ombudsman, Student Advocate and Special Education Hub: Better Help for Individual Problems
If your issue is about one student, one school, one IEP, one unresolved complaint, one enrollment barrier or one school communication problem, public testimony may not be the fastest fix. These offices are often more practical.
🧭 Office of the Ombudsman
Helps families resolve school-based conflicts with DC public and public charter schools.
Open Ombudsman🙋 Office of the Student Advocate
Helps students and families navigate DC public education issues and find the correct pathway.
Open Student Advocate♿ Special Education Hub
Provides special education information, tools and one-on-one support for families.
Open Special Education HubDC State Board Meeting Video and Livestream
SBOE working sessions are livestreamed through DCSBOE YouTube, and public meetings are livestreamed through the District Knowledge Network. Archived recordings are posted after meetings. Videos help you understand discussion, but meeting materials and adopted records are stronger for official actions.
Watch a DC State Board Public Meeting
This embed uses an SBOE public meeting video. For the newest video, open the DCSBOE YouTube channel or the official meeting information page.
DC State Board of Education Office and Meeting Map
The SBOE office is listed at 441 4th St. NW, Suite 530S, Washington, DC 20001. Public meetings are commonly listed at 441 4th St. NW, Old Council Chambers. Confirm the room, livestream and meeting notice before traveling.
Marion S. Barry, Jr. Building
Use this map for the SBOE office and common public-meeting building location.
DC Board of Education FAQs
What is the official DC Board of Education website?
The official website is sboe.dc.gov for the District of Columbia State Board of Education.
What is the DC State Board of Education phone number?
The main listed SBOE phone number is 202-741-0888.
Where is the DC State Board of Education office?
The office is listed at 441 4th St. NW, Suite 530S, Washington, DC 20001.
When are DC State Board public meetings?
SBOE lists public meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. Always verify the current meeting notice before attending or testifying.
When are SBOE working sessions?
Working sessions are listed for the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. They are open to observe, but not for public speaking.
How do I testify at a DC State Board public meeting?
Register no later than 48 hours before the public meeting through the official form, phone or email route. Written testimony can be sent to sboe@dc.gov.
Where are SBOE agendas, minutes and meeting documents?
Use the official Meeting Information page for meeting materials, agendas, testimony, presentations, resolutions and video links.
Is the DC Board of Education the same as DCPS?
No. SBOE handles state-level education policy and public voice. DCPS handles DC public school system operations such as calendars, enrollment and many student services.
Where can I find the DCPS school calendar?
Use the official DCPS calendars page for student days, holidays, breaks and school-year planning. Charter schools may have different calendars.
Where do I apply for DC public school lottery seats?
Use My School DC for the common application, lottery, school finder, results and waitlist help.
Who handles DC public charter school oversight?
The DC Public Charter School Board is the authorizer and oversight body for DC public charter schools.
Where do I go for an unresolved school complaint?
Start with the school. If you are stuck, the Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education or the Office of the Student Advocate may be more practical than public testimony.
Where can students get involved with SBOE?
SBOE runs student-representative and Student Advisory Committee opportunities. Check the official SBOE website for current application windows and eligibility.
Where can I watch DC State Board meeting videos?
Use the DCSBOE YouTube channel and the District Knowledge Network links from the official meeting page.
Best Way to Use This DC Board of Education Guide
For DC State Board meetings, testimony, board members, agendas, materials, working sessions, student advisory work and public education policy voice, start with sboe.dc.gov. For school calendars, enrollment, lottery, records, school complaints, charter oversight or student support, use the correct DC education office listed in this guide.
The fastest rule is simple: use SBOE for policy and testimony, DCPS for DCPS school operations, My School DC for lottery applications, OSSE for state education rules and data, DC PCSB for charter oversight, and the Ombudsman or Student Advocate when a family needs help navigating a school problem.