Arlington and Alexandria school districts

[Anonymous]

Hi! I'll be moving to the DC area with our kindergartner next summer for work. DH and I will both work near the Metro Center stop. We're looking at FFX, MoCo, and Arlington/Alexandria as possibilities for buying a house. We have a budget of about 1.3 million for a 4-5 bedroom + yard. We are both pretty set on sending DD to public school. She's neurotypical (at least so far) and appears like an advanced but not gifted kid (though who really knows at this age).

What school districts in Arlington/Alexandria should we be looking at to make our real estate search more focused? We're from California, so sorting through this information at the outset from far away is tough. We plan to be here through high school.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Not all elementary schools are the same. All are fine; but if you're not an English language learner at a high FRL school, your experience will not be the same as it would be at one of the wealthier schools which will offer a faster pace and more in-depth learning. Nevertheless, the basis for PP's observation that WL is considered a better school than Wakefield for high school is a matter of opinion, just like everything else when people compare the schools in Arlington. It depends on what you want and what your kid needs.

WL student body is most accurately reflective of the overall Arlington student demographics and it has the IB program, which is not required to be taken by students zoned there. Others can transfer into the IB program but as a transfer are required to do the full IB program. Wakefield definitely caters more to the minority students who traditionally aren't expected or pushed to go to college; but is a significantly less stressful environment than WL and offers AP classes and the Capstone program. Yorktown is very wealthy and the least diverse of the high schools. Arlington also offers two small option programs: HB Woodlawn which is highly regarded on a national level and Arlington Tech which is a new but very rigorous project based learning program with no AP but heavy in Dual Enrollment classes and students graduating with professional certifications and potentially a lot of college credits and also are required to complete a professional internship their senior year.

I'm not as familiar with Alexandria schools; but know many families whose kids have done quite well through the system on to top tier universities. It is huge. The 9th grade is in a separate building.

Fairfax Co schools are considered among the best as well. Fairfax Co is huge and so there's the same range of "quality" with regard to high poverty v. low poverty schools that you see in Arlington. Some believe the Fairfax gifted program is stronger than Arlington's.

Generally speaking, it doesn't really matter and if you're on here boasting a 1.3 million budget, then what is it you're really looking for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Honestly, with one kid and parents working in metro Center, I think the townhouse communities in North Arlington are perfect. I used to live there (in the community near Whole Foods in Clarendon) and the communities are friendly, there are a lot of kid-friendly activities, schools are good, commute is easy for both parents, etc. I have friends who still live there and their kids are thriving at ASFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Not all elementary schools are the same. All are fine; but if you're not an English language learner at a high FRL school, your experience will not be the same as it would be at one of the wealthier schools which will offer a faster pace and more in-depth learning. Nevertheless, the basis for PP's observation that WL is considered a better school than Wakefield for high school is a matter of opinion, just like everything else when people compare the schools in Arlington. It depends on what you want and what your kid needs.

WL student body is most accurately reflective of the overall Arlington student demographics and it has the IB program, which is not required to be taken by students zoned there. Others can transfer into the IB program but as a transfer are required to do the full IB program. Wakefield definitely caters more to the minority students who traditionally aren't expected or pushed to go to college; but is a significantly less stressful environment than WL and offers AP classes and the Capstone program. Yorktown is very wealthy and the least diverse of the high schools. Arlington also offers two small option programs: HB Woodlawn which is highly regarded on a national level and Arlington Tech which is a new but very rigorous project based learning program with no AP but heavy in Dual Enrollment classes and students graduating with professional certifications and potentially a lot of college credits and also are required to complete a professional internship their senior year.

I'm not as familiar with Alexandria schools; but know many families whose kids have done quite well through the system on to top tier universities. It is huge. The 9th grade is in a separate building.

Fairfax Co schools are considered among the best as well. Fairfax Co is huge and so there's the same range of "quality" with regard to high poverty v. low poverty schools that you see in Arlington. Some believe the Fairfax gifted program is stronger than Arlington's.

Generally speaking, it doesn't really matter and if you're on here boasting a 1.3 million budget, then what is it you're really looking for?

OP: Exactly this! Thank you. Reading through the fairfax and MoCo forums, it sometimes seems like being zoned for a certain school can be a kiss of death. 1.3 million can get you a shoe box in the bay area, so I didn't realize I was boasting! Nice to know I can pick based on neighborhood/feel when we visit rather than just "we must be in XYZ school district". We love walking everywhere, so if we can find a place that is walkable to stuff and has a yard, it'll be heaven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Honestly, with one kid and parents working in metro Center, I think the townhouse communities in North Arlington are perfect. I used to live there (in the community near Whole Foods in Clarendon) and the communities are friendly, there are a lot of kid-friendly activities, schools are good, commute is easy for both parents, etc. I have friends who still live there and their kids are thriving at ASFS.

OP: We're going to try for a second this year, inshallah. I'll see if I can get my DH on board with a townhouse. Coming from the bay he is excited to have all four walls

[Anonymous]

How far are you willing to commute? I’d move to Vienna. It’s a nice community and a walkable town. Schools are great. Right now I’d avoid APS and ACPS. FCPS will give you more options. You can buy a nice house with a yard there for 1.3 M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Not all elementary schools are the same. All are fine; but if you're not an English language learner at a high FRL school, your experience will not be the same as it would be at one of the wealthier schools which will offer a faster pace and more in-depth learning. Nevertheless, the basis for PP's observation that WL is considered a better school than Wakefield for high school is a matter of opinion, just like everything else when people compare the schools in Arlington. It depends on what you want and what your kid needs.

WL student body is most accurately reflective of the overall Arlington student demographics and it has the IB program, which is not required to be taken by students zoned there. Others can transfer into the IB program but as a transfer are required to do the full IB program. Wakefield definitely caters more to the minority students who traditionally aren't expected or pushed to go to college; but is a significantly less stressful environment than WL and offers AP classes and the Capstone program. Yorktown is very wealthy and the least diverse of the high schools. Arlington also offers two small option programs: HB Woodlawn which is highly regarded on a national level and Arlington Tech which is a new but very rigorous project based learning program with no AP but heavy in Dual Enrollment classes and students graduating with professional certifications and potentially a lot of college credits and also are required to complete a professional internship their senior year.

I'm not as familiar with Alexandria schools; but know many families whose kids have done quite well through the system on to top tier universities. It is huge. The 9th grade is in a separate building.

Fairfax Co schools are considered among the best as well. Fairfax Co is huge and so there's the same range of "quality" with regard to high poverty v. low poverty schools that you see in Arlington. Some believe the Fairfax gifted program is stronger than Arlington's.

Generally speaking, it doesn't really matter and if you're on here boasting a 1.3 million budget, then what is it you're really looking for?

OP: Exactly this! Thank you. Reading through the fairfax and MoCo forums, it sometimes seems like being zoned for a certain school can be a kiss of death. 1.3 million can get you a shoe box in the bay area, so I didn't realize I was boasting! Nice to know I can pick based on neighborhood/feel when we visit rather than just "we must be in XYZ school district". We love walking everywhere, so if we can find a place that is walkable to stuff and has a yard, it'll be heaven.

OP, I’m not sure what the PP meant by boasting. 1.3 isn’t a ton here (most new builds that are in those areas with 5br, 4-5k sq ft are 2 mil +). So that price range will get you either a smaller home, town home or older home, but you will definitely be able to find something nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington school are all pretty good (ignore a lot of the comments on this board about how some schools they vary in quality). For your budget, you could probably afford a townhouse in the central part of the county (by Courthouse/Clarendon/Ballston/Rosslyn), or a house in south arlington. Some of the schools in south arlington are more diverse, and have lower test scores, so they rank lower on education rating sites like great schools. The more north you go in arlington, the better the schools are ranked, but they are not diverse at all. Its a trade off. If you buy a townhome in ballston/clarendon/courthouse (schools are asfs, glebe, innovation, or long branch), the schools are pretty good and still pretty diverse. You might also be able to find something for your budget in the zones for Fleet, Ashlawn, or Cardinal (formerly McKinley). All the elementary schools are the same curriculum wise, the only difference is just the student body is poorer in some parts of the county. All the middle schools in Arlington are about the same, W-L is considered a better school than Wakefield for highschool. W-L has an ib program which is pretty rigorous. Parts of Rosslyn also go to Yorktown (which is considered very good).

I wouldn't look at Alexandria if you are planning on staying through highschool -- the schools are considered not as good (no idea if there is truth to that) when you get to the older grades.

For your budget, its worth moving further out to Fairfax. In general the schools are much better the further out you go. You can also get a lot more for your budget.

Honestly, with one kid and parents working in metro Center, I think the townhouse communities in North Arlington are perfect. I used to live there (in the community near Whole Foods in Clarendon) and the communities are friendly, there are a lot of kid-friendly activities, schools are good, commute is easy for both parents, etc. I have friends who still live there and their kids are thriving at ASFS.

OP: We're going to try for a second this year, inshallah. I'll see if I can get my DH on board with a townhouse. Coming from the bay he is excited to have all four walls

The benefit to that community is that it’s super walkable to tons of stores and conveniences
And a really short straight shot metro commute for both of you.

[Anonymous]

OP with that budget Alexandria is out. You can’t get a 4-5 bedroom house with a yard for that price plus the school system is terrible (yes, I live here).

If I wanted public schools I would move to Arlington or Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

I don't have experience with FCPS, and I have massive issues with APS, but based on what I have heard I would prefer APS for elementary at least.

For elementary, none of your typical public schools is all that great. I think we are moving away from this but public school curriculum is based on "teaching kids how to learn instead of what to learn" and is kind of a mess. But FCPS classes are bigger and the whole AAP program just seems like a lot of angst and pressure. Then again, as PP pointed out, different people have different preferences, and everybody has different experiences.

It's hard to get into, but a lot of people like Arlington Traditional. Arlington Science focus always sounded cool to me but it has been a while since I heard anything about it. One of my kids won the lottery and goes to HB Woodlawn for middle school and is enjoying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have experience with FCPS, and I have massive issues with APS, but based on what I have heard I would prefer APS for elementary at least.

For elementary, none of your typical public schools is all that great. I think we are moving away from this but public school curriculum is based on "teaching kids how to learn instead of what to learn" and is kind of a mess. But FCPS classes are bigger and the whole AAP program just seems like a lot of angst and pressure. Then again, as PP pointed out, different people have different preferences, and everybody has different experiences.

It's hard to get into, but a lot of people like Arlington Traditional. Arlington Science focus always sounded cool to me but it has been a while since I heard anything about it. One of my kids won the lottery and goes to HB Woodlawn for middle school and is enjoying it.

By the way I'm in Arlington ridge (22202). It would be a treck to the metro on foot from here, but there are other SFH closer to the metro for less than 1.3 M.

[Anonymous]

Maybe also consider Falls Church City? Near metro, nice walkable area, and I think houses in your budget. We looked there 4 years ago but ended up elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Not alexandria

Look in 22207
22213
22205
Falls church city
22101
22102

[Anonymous]

This is nice. Good time to buy stuff is sitting longer.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Arlington/2705-N-Venable-St-22213/home/11225461