In the District of Columbia, the racial composition of students in private schools differs significantly from that in public schools, according to a comprehensive database released by ProPublica.
The detailed analysis has revealed a higher prevalence of white students in private institutions than their public counterparts.
For example, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, a Roman Catholic institution for grades 9-12 in Northwest, has 59% white students among its 509 enrollees. Similarly, Blessed Sacrament School in Northwest reports that 68% of its students are white. The percentages are considerably higher than the District’s public schools, where white students make up only 39% of the enrollment. The British International School of Washington and the Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital in Northwest have even higher proportions, with white students accounting for 73% and 79% of their populations, respectively.
Other private schools show similar trends. St. John’s College High School, also in Northwest, has 41% white students among 1,279 enrolled, while Sidwell Friends School has a white student population of 29% out of 1,120. The Field School and Edmund Burke School report 63% and 42% white populations, respectively, indicating a widespread pattern across various private educational settings.
The ProPublica database includes data on 65 private schools in D.C. that responded to at least one of the past three Private School Universe Surveys. It details the religious orientation and types of schools, showing diverse affiliations from Roman Catholic to nonsectarian and from regular elementary or secondary schools to those specializing in Montessori and special education.
Despite the variety in educational focus and mission across these schools, the high percentages of white students highlight significant accessibility and inclusivity issues within the private education sector. Notably, some schools like Archbishop Carroll High School and St. Augustine Catholic School, which have larger Black student populations—12% white at Archbishop Carroll and 20% at St. Augustine—illustrate that racial composition can vary notably among private institutions.
The database also provides additional context, such as the number of teachers and the founding years of the schools. For instance, Sidwell Friends School, established in 1883, employs 139 teachers, indicating a well-supported educational environment.
By making this data accessible, ProPublica hopes to contribute to ongoing discussions around educational equity and reform. Researchers said the information enables policymakers, educators, and the community to address the disparities in access to educational opportunities to ensure that private education is equitable across all racial demographics in Washington, D.C.
Several of the private schools with percentages of white students that are similar to, or even lower than, the percentage of white students in DCPS – for example, Burke, St. John’s, and Sidwell – are still listed among the examples of private schools with “high” white enrollment. Shouldn’t these private schools have instead been cited as examples that _don’t_ follow the overall pattern?