Good morning. This is the NOTUS Metro newsletter for Aug. 24, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
Time for kids to complain and parents to celebrate. That’s right: D.C. schools are back in session.
Tens of thousands of students are heading back to their classrooms today in D.C.’s traditional public and public charter schools. And for city officials, there’s one goal in mind: to keep as many of those kids there as consistently as possible.
Trending
High rates of truancy and absenteeism have dogged D.C.’s schools for years. Last year, roughly 40% of kids were chronically absent, missing 18 or more days of school — whether excused or not. And 35% of students had 10 or more unexcused absences, qualifying them as chronically truant.
Grade level, race and income play a large role in absenteeism and truancy in D.C. According to data from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, almost 87% of students at Ballou High School in Southeast were chronically absent last year, and 84% were chronically truant. Near the other end of the scale (and city), absenteeism at Janney Elementary School in Northwest stood at 5.1%, and truancy barely exceeded 1%.
But there are signs that things are improving — slowly. A report released this summer by the city’s deputy mayor for education says improvements in getting kids to school are outpacing many other cities. A pilot program implemented last year in a handful of schools with the highest rates of absenteeism and truancy has shown promise: City officials say 71% of truant kids who were engaged in the first year did not become truant in the second. The program is expanding this year, and focusing on ninth- and 10th-grade students — the grade levels where absenteeism and truancy tend to spike.
And there are other efforts to fight truancy. The Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts in Ward 6 has focused on keeping kids safe as they walk to school, and will kick the year off this morning with a red-carpet welcome. It’s an effort to “make students feel seen, celebrated and excited about coming to school,” according to Tomeika Bowden, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
D.C. lawmakers will probably continue to focus on how the city can do better in fighting absenteeism and truancy. Ward 5 council member Zachary Parker, for one, has set aside funding for a pilot program in the 2027-28 school year that would pay students $50 a week if they show up. A similar effort in New Orleans showed some promising results.
DEEP DIVE
Order up! It’s Summer Restaurant Week, and more than 200 D.C.-region restaurants are offering diners delicious, discounted dishes to boost business during a slow season.
Wondering where to start? NOTUS food correspondent Tom Sietsema recommends you dine earlier in the week for thinner crowds and speedier service. His choice spots include Ceibo in Adams Morgan, Onggi in Dupont Circle and Del Mar at the Wharf.
If you want the most bang for your buck, a savvy tech wonk created a site that sorts through the city’s offerings for you, Axios D.C. reports. It maps out participating restaurants and points to which have won awards, which are making their Restaurant Week debut and which are “great deals” (with more than 100 listed).
The best deal may be from Brazilian bar Cana, which offers 10 dishes for $65 — a spread that would ordinarily run you $154, City Cast D.C. reports.
FROM THE DISTRICT
Another spin? Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum both told Fox News that they want to bring the IndyCar race back to the nation’s capital, NOTUS’ Jenna Monnin reports. Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser has previously said she hoped the first-ever race would be “followed by second and third.”
“From an economic development for our capital city, hotels, restaurants, the people of Washington, D.C., the greater capital region, all love this idea,” Burgum told Fox. “Everybody I’ve met is saying ‘Please, please do this again next year.’”
American driver Kyle Kirkwood dominated Sunday’s race, setting an IndyCar record for most laps led on a street course, leading for 128 out of 147 laps.
Randy Clarke has entered the chat. Metro’s social-media-savvy general manager jumped into a discussion on X late last week, sharing his thoughts on a post showing that while fare evasion on Metrobuses dropped over the summer, some 63% of riders still don’t pay. Clarke — who has fought to decrease fare evasion on Metrorail, and this year turned his attention to buses — said “it’s not a victimless crime” and addressing it will take more than simply policing.
The Interior Department is prioritizing projects that President Donald Trump thinks will make D.C. “safe and beautiful” while parks projects languish nationwide, The Atlantic reports. Examples include a half-million dollars to replace brick pavers in Lafayette Park, and the $5 million project that included gilding equine statues along the nearby Memorial Bridge.
A second attempt to affix Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center is facing an emergency court challenge, NOTUS’ Torrie Herrington reports. Attorneys for one member of the institution’s board called the move a “breathtaking act of defiance.”
D.C. TRIVIA
Which U.S. president served as chair of D.C.’s first public school board?
- Thomas Jefferson
- Andrew Jackson
- James Madison
Email us the answer — the first reader who gets it right gets a shout-out. The answer will be at the end of the newsletter tomorrow.
SPORTS
It’s time for the Commanders to make some hard decisions. Less than a week from today, Washington will have to cut its roster down to 53 players. In the wake of Saturday’s 17-13 preseason loss to the Lions, NOTUS’ Martenzie Johnson predicts how those decisions will shape up.
What to Watch Today
MLB: Nationals vs. Rockies, 6:45 p.m. (MLB.TV)
Thank you for reading! If you liked this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at metro@notus.com.
The newsletter was produced by Jaden Amos, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson. Photo by Alex Brandon/AP.
Authors
