Deciding between North Arlington Elementary Schools - Advice Please

[Anonymous]

Hello - We are planning to purchase a home this year and schools are a big factor in where we decide to buy. We have narrowed our search to Nottingham, Jamestown, Taylor, Tuckahoe, and the possible new school to be built (in the areas that feed into Williamsburg/Yorktown). Does anyone have any information or opinions to share on these schools to help us in our decision? Also, is there any indication now that APS will change the middle or high school boundaries after they change the elementary school boundaries? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello - We are planning to purchase a home this year and schools are a big factor in where we decide to buy. We have narrowed our search to Nottingham, Jamestown, Taylor, Tuckahoe, and the possible new school to be built (in the areas that feed into Williamsburg/Yorktown). Does anyone have any information or opinions to share on these schools to help us in our decision? Also, is there any indication now that APS will change the middle or high school boundaries after they change the elementary school boundaries? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

Nobody knows for sure, but you're basically one of hundreds trying to do the same thing. Those are some of the most desirable pyramids in the region.

[Anonymous]

Those are all great schools. All of the schools in north Arlington are great, honestly. Your bigger challenge is going to be finding a house. The competition is fierce for good houses in north Arlington. It's very short-sighted to narrow your search down to one particular school in a market like this, with so many equally great schools available and not knowing what's going to happen with boundaries in the future anyway. It would be one thing if you actually had a substantive reason to prefer one school over another, but since you are even considering a school that doesn't exist yet, it doesn't sound like that is the case.

[Anonymous]

What is your price point? Agree with pp. The ESs are six of one, half dozen of the other in terms of their general excellence.

[Anonymous]

If you are only looking at those, I'd chose Jamestown b/c I want my kids to have FLES.

[Anonymous]

And yes, to answer your question, APS has already stated that they will be looking at middle and high school boundaries, probably in about 3-5yrs once they handle all the elementary school redistricting.

All these schools are outstanding, although each has its slightly different spin or focus area. FWIW, have you looked at the proposed boundary shifts that are being submitted to the APS Superintendent? The final redistricting decision won't be made by the School Board until May, so I definitely wouldn't buy a house today based on current boundaries unless that house is actually in the planning unit of the school itself. Go to www.apsva.us "More Seats for More Students" page to learn more.

[Anonymous]

my advice is to decide between high school not elementary school.

[Anonymous]

My kids go to one of those schools and I would send them to any of the other schools you listed without batting an eye. I would also send them to any Arlington high school (yes, including Wakefield) with nary a second thought. You will see all sorts of bickering about which high school is the "best" (typically as between Yorktown and W-L) but how you can ever really measure that is beyond me.

PPs are correct. Inventory is very very tight in this neighborhood, particularly if you are looking to spend under a million.

If you are the type of parent who needs to manage and control your child's environment down to the tiniest detail because you think it will somehow make him or her smarter/richer/happier/more successful as an adult, by all means ignore my advice. Otherwise, just buy the house you like and can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello - We are planning to purchase a home this year and schools are a big factor in where we decide to buy. We have narrowed our search to Nottingham, Jamestown, Taylor, Tuckahoe, and the possible new school to be built (in the areas that feed into Williamsburg/Yorktown). Does anyone have any information or opinions to share on these schools to help us in our decision? Also, is there any indication now that APS will change the middle or high school boundaries after they change the elementary school boundaries? Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you!

Good chance that the Yorktown "island" will get moved to W-L, and that some areas currently zoned for W-L (anything south of Route 50 and/or the Lyon Park area) will get moved to Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Good luck on the house hunt. There are many great Arlington neighborhoods and you picked some really great schools.

For boundaries, go to the APS website to look at the elementary school boundary proposals. Middle and High School boundaries will change next, and within the next couple years. If you have your heart set on a particular school, move as close to it as possible. Parts of the Williamsburg/Yorktown district will move to Swanson/W-L and it would be imprudent to try to predict what neighborhoods will move. The new elementary boundaries came with some surprises. Also, there has been talk on this forum of a possible new N Arlington middle school. So don't take anything for granted and be open to change.

I'd consider the new elementary school on the Williamsburg campus. The designs for the new elementary school look really impressive. Even though the program has not been developed for that school, why not go with something new and help build that community. Every family at that school will be "new" to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids go to one of those schools and I would send them to any of the other schools you listed without batting an eye. I would also send them to any Arlington high school (yes, including Wakefield) with nary a second thought. You will see all sorts of bickering about which high school is the "best" (typically as between Yorktown and W-L) but how you can ever really measure that is beyond me.

PPs are correct. Inventory is very very tight in this neighborhood, particularly if you are looking to spend under a million.

If you are the type of parent who needs to manage and control your child's environment down to the tiniest detail because you think it will somehow make him or her smarter/richer/happier/more successful as an adult, by all means ignore my advice. Otherwise, just buy the house you like and can afford.

I posted this same sentiment on another thread recently and got totally snarked at and called a liar LOL but I still believe it and completely agree that you can't go wrong so just find a house you like and be happy. Choosing between the Arlington elementary schools (especially the ones OP mentions) is like splitting hairs and there is no real reason to do it unless you like being consumed by details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my advice is to decide between high school not elementary school.

good advice. the elementary school won't matter among those. all are fine.

[Anonymous]

Well, but what ARE the details , special focus, or other neat things in regards to the mentioned elementary schools?

[Anonymous]

make sure you chose a yorktown pyramid which is mediocre the others are not that good .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, but what ARE the details , special focus, or other neat things in regards to the mentioned elementary schools?

Go to the APS website and look at each individual school's website. I know Ashlawn has a Global Citizen Project. McKinley brings the arts into all of its subjects. Jamestown is a tech-focus, I think? They all have the same curriculum but have adopted a background theme, if you want to call it that, which weaves through all grades and all subjects.