DC Bilingual PCS vs LaSalle-Backus ES

DC Bilingual PCS holds the top overall rating in the District of Columbia, scoring 9.5 out of 10 and ranking #1 of 240 DC schools. LaSalle-Backus ES earns an 8.8 out of 10 — still an exceptional result that places it #8 of 240, meaning both schools sit in the top 4 percent of all DC elementary schools. The 0.7-point overall rating gap between the two narrows considerably when individual components are examined, but DC Bilingual PCS maintains the edge across every measured dimension.

Academically, DC Bilingual PCS outscores LaSalle-Backus ES 9.3 to 8.4 — a 0.9-point difference that represents the widest gap between the two schools. On growth, the schools are far closer: LaSalle-Backus ES earns a 9.6 out of 10 on its growth score while DC Bilingual PCS reaches 9.9, a difference of just 0.3 points. That near-identical growth performance signals that students at both campuses are making strong academic progress year over year, regardless of where they start.

Both schools serve grades PK through 05 and are separated by just 0.5 miles in Washington, DC. Enrollment differs substantially: DC Bilingual PCS enrolls 579 students compared to LaSalle-Backus ES's 261, making DC Bilingual PCS more than twice the size. Despite that enrollment gap, both schools share an identical student-teacher ratio of 8.4 to 1 — a notably low figure that reflects strong staffing levels at each campus regardless of school size. The key structural difference is governance: LaSalle-Backus ES is a traditional neighborhood public school while DC Bilingual PCS operates as a public charter.

The program distinction is the most consequential choice factor. DC Bilingual PCS is a dual-language immersion school, meaning the curriculum is delivered in both English and a second language from the earliest grades — a structured model that requires family commitment and yields measurable long-term language proficiency. LaSalle-Backus ES follows a conventional English-instruction elementary program within DCPS. Families must apply and be placed in DC Bilingual PCS through DC's lottery system, while LaSalle-Backus ES admits students through standard neighborhood enrollment.