Enrollment rose in the District’s public schools for the third straight year, with a 1-percent uptick in D.C. Public Schools’ head count and a 9-percent surge in charter school students, according to preliminary counts. D.C. Public Schools gained 560 students to bring enrollment to 46,191 this fall, according to the initial count, which would be the second consecutive year that the school system has grown. Final numbers — which will be audited and released in late January — traditionally have been slightly less than the initial Oct. 5 estimates. Last year’s October count was 46,515, over 300 more than this year.

DCPS’ population grew 2 percent in 2010-2011, the first time enrollment increased since 1969.