Impoverished?? Isn't the DC school system one of the most lavishly funded in the country? I seem to recall that they have a per-pupil spending rate north of 11K per year.
The DCPS is certainly not underfunded, BUT that figure is misleading. The DC Board of Education has all the responsibilities of a local school board, plus it has all the responsibilities of a state department of education. The FedGov gives state governments many expensive mandates that don't generally factor into per-pupil expenditures.