DCPS vs Frederick County, MD schools?

[Anonymous]

Have family in Frederick and deciding between staying in the district or moving up to Frederick. (For lifestyle reasons, we aren’t considering moco.)

I’ve read a lot comparing DC schools to moco/nova, anyone have insight vs Frederick county public?

We have a k-grader and we’re committed to public school all the way.

[Anonymous]

Someone in the MoCo forum said Frederick County is what MoCo used to be like when it was less diverse and had less poverty. There’s probably no good comparison between most DCPS schools and a more affluent district.

[Anonymous]

If you can be perfectly happy living in Frederick than you probably won’t be happy living in DC. You should just go to Frederick.

[Anonymous]

There are great schools in Frederick! We would move there if it wasn’t for commutes.

[Anonymous]

Frederick is nothing like DC.

[Anonymous]

In Frederick there's no lottery and few out of boundary slots. You just go to the school you're zoned for. Huge difference there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Frederick there's no lottery and few out of boundary slots. You just go to the school you're zoned for. Huge difference there.

Another vote for Frederick! Kids are almost through - we were extremely disappointed in MCPS - and wildly impressed with FredCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can be perfectly happy living in Frederick than you probably won’t be happy living in DC. You should just go to Frederick.

What does this mean 😂

[Anonymous]

It’s a very different lifestyle, especially for kids ages 12-17. At that age in DC, kids are free to travel wherever by foot and on transit, and they do. In Frederick, at that age, they have to be driven everywhere.

OP, you just need to decide which lifestyle you prefer.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully you have already checked the MD forum. No direct experience but know a few families that made the move mainly because housing was cheaper. Kids were late elem and middle school when they moved. They just say it's a lot easier to navigate and little diversity. I didn't dig any further.

But I can't imagine Frederick providing a lifestyle that MoCo doesn't. MoCo is huge with various pockets-urban, suburban, rural, etc. I'm pretty sure Loudoun is better than FCPS if you are considering a move this drastic. Even Howard County could work.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully you have already checked the MD forum. No direct experience but know a few families that made the move mainly because housing was cheaper. Kids were late elem and middle school when they moved. They just say it's a lot easier to navigate and little diversity. I didn't dig any further.

But I can't imagine Frederick providing a lifestyle that MoCo doesn't. MoCo is huge with various pockets-urban, suburban, rural, etc. I'm pretty sure Loudoun is better than FCPS if you are considering a move this drastic. Even Howard County could work.....

I do some business in Frederick—so spend quite a bit of time there—it’s pretty country, bordering on redneck. Its a cheaper cost of living but i wonder about the quality of education.

[Anonymous]

If you want chill lifestyle and great schools, hard to do better than Howard County. (Says someone who grew up there but can't convince their partner to leave DC.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully you have already checked the MD forum. No direct experience but know a few families that made the move mainly because housing was cheaper. Kids were late elem and middle school when they moved. They just say it's a lot easier to navigate and little diversity. I didn't dig any further.

But I can't imagine Frederick providing a lifestyle that MoCo doesn't. MoCo is huge with various pockets-urban, suburban, rural, etc. I'm pretty sure Loudoun is better than FCPS if you are considering a move this drastic. Even Howard County could work.....

I do some business in Frederick—so spend quite a bit of time there—it’s pretty country, bordering on redneck. Its a cheaper cost of living but i wonder about the quality of education.

You definitely have not been doing business nor spending time in Frederick, at least not for the last ten years or so.
-MoCo resident.