With several DC charter schools holding classes and DCPS campuses opening Monday, Aug. 24, families have until Sunday, Aug. 23, to apply for DC SUN Bucks, a federal program that puts $120 on an EBT card for each eligible student.

About 72,000 DC students are expected to qualify this year, with the District distributing more than $8 million in USDA-funded benefits, according to a June 9 announcement from the Mayor's Office.

Students ages 5 to 18 who participate in SNAP or TANF, are approved for free and reduced-price meals, are experiencing homelessness, or are in foster care are automatically enrolled. Families who don't qualify automatically can still apply if their household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines and their child attends a National School Lunch Program school.

Families can check eligibility and apply at sunbucks.dc.gov.

"We've put more than $15 million in food benefits directly into the hands of DC families, and we are proud to bring this program back for a third year," Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the June 9 announcement. "We want families to check their eligibility and ensure they know what next steps to take."

Families who received a DC SUN Bucks card last year will have new benefits loaded onto the same card. SNAP or TANF recipients will see benefits added to their active EBT card. The benefits remain valid for about four months after issuance and can be used at any authorized SNAP retailer.

Charter schools in session

While DCPS students return Monday, Aug. 24, with pre-kindergarten following Thursday, Aug. 27, many charter school students are back at their desks. Kingsman Academy PCS started Monday, July 20, IDEA PCS opened Friday, July 31, and LEARN DC PCS began Monday, Aug. 3, according to the DC Public Charter School Board. Other charters open on rolling dates through Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Charter schools now serve 47,801 students, representing 48.2% of all public school students in Washington, according to the DC PCSB's 2026 annual report.

Deadlines for educators

OSSE's Friday, July 31 LEA Look Forward bulletin flagged several deadlines for school leaders:

  • Friday, Aug. 7: Home and Hospital Instruction annual data collection for 2025-26 due
  • Friday, Aug. 21: School report card "School Programs" data sources must be updated
  • Open since July 31: FY27 ESEA Consolidated Application

OSSE will also implement a new fee schedule for educator credentialing services beginning Thursday, Oct. 1. Specific fee amounts have not been published yet.

The DCPS school year runs through Thursday, June 17, 2027. Families looking for their charter school's specific start date can find the full list at dcpcsb.org.