River Terrace Education Campus

River Terrace Education Campus emphasizes personalized learning for neurodivergent and exceptional students, using multi-sensory approaches in small, close-knit classes so students feel seen, heard, and valued. Instruction is supported by sensory-friendly spaces and adaptive technology to promote academic, social, and emotional growth. The school also prioritizes strong family partnership through open communication and collaborative support.

DCPS describes River Terrace Education Campus (RTEC) as a special-education campus designed for students who need high levels of support, including students with intellectual disabilities and complex medical needs. (dcps.dc.gov) Admissions are not described as a standard boundary/lottery intake; instead, DCPS notes that seats in self-contained special education classrooms are administratively assigned by the central office, so families should work through their child’s IEP team/DCPS special education contacts to determine whether RTEC is an appropriate placement and how to start the referral/placement process. (dcpsspecialed.wixsite.com) Eligibility for these settings is tied to special education identification and IEP-determined service levels (e.g., self-contained classrooms for students with 20+ hours of specialized instruction per week outside general education and other supports identified by the IEP team). (dcpsspecialed.wixsite.com) The sources reviewed do not provide RTEC-specific application deadlines, waitlist procedures, or lottery priority categories; generally, DC families can use the My School DC lottery for public-school applications, and students with disabilities may be redirected within the LEA to a campus that can implement their IEP. (myschooldc.org) For reference, the My School DC lottery deadlines for SY2026–27 are February 2, 2026 (grades 9–12) and March 2, 2026 (PK3–8). (qa.myschooldc.org)