Is there hope to move elementary schools via lottery?

[Anonymous]

Hi gang! Brand new to these forums and the area, so please go easy...

We are considering buying a house in Arlington, eyeing Lyon Park or Lyon Village. (Logic: family neighborhoods, but still walkable to "stuff.") We'd love to be able to send our kids, all under 6, to public schools all the way through.

For elementary school, we've heard good things about Arlington Science Focus, but my read of the school boundaries is that most of Lyon Park is not in the right zone. I had two questions about this:

1) If you live in Lyon Park (say, in the Long Branch zone), is there any hope of getting into the Science Focus school, via lottery or otherwise? (Related: is Science Focus really that much better?)
2) Same question for middle schools. How locked in are you to your neighborhood zone?

Thanks so much!
-MM

[Anonymous]

It changes year to year. This year students zoned to ASFS but who are within the walk zone to Innovation are allowed to request a transfer. There is no allowance for transfer into ASFS. The only way to guarantee admittance to ASFS is to move in boundary.

Middle schools are similar. You have a decent chance if your neighborhood school is overcrowded and you want to transfer to one that is not.

[Anonymous]

ASFS is not all that. We landed at Innovation this year and are very happy.

[Anonymous]

From what I can tell, the transfer rules are highly variable and directly related to capacity. Realize that if you are able to transfer, transportation generally not be provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASFS is not all that. We landed at Innovation this year and are very happy.

+1 the principal at ASFS is rude and nasty.

[Anonymous]

ASFS is nothing special, it just has a legacy name. It’s not doing anything the other elementary schools aren’t.

[Anonymous]

There is no chance you’ll lottery into science focus. They do some targeted transfers but it’s from overenrolled schools to specific underenrolled schools. There is sometimes more flexibility at the middle school level, they just opened transfers again, but I wouldn’t bet on it for your kids. Options schools are always open for lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASFS is nothing special, it just has a legacy name. It’s not doing anything the other elementary schools aren’t.

+1 Long Branch is generally well liked. No reason to try to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

If it’s the science you care about, Innovation is developing a new robotics program that the kids really enjoy.

[Anonymous]

ASFS parent here (rezoned this year). Agree that it seems fine but nothing special. Best part about it for me is it's walking distance, which has nothing to do with the school itself.

[Anonymous]

ASFS isn't a lottery school. It is just a neighborhood school with a science lab. The school isn't any better or worse than any other school. The elementary schools you can lottery into are ATS, Montessori, Key or Claremont for immersion and Campbell. These schools aren't any better or worse than neighborhood schools either, they just have a focus that you are choosing for your child.

The only lottery for middle school is HB Woodlawn. Transfers at the middle school level are much more common though, based on capacity at each school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASFS is not all that. We landed at Innovation this year and are very happy.

Can you tell me more about why you're happy at Innovation? Is the admin more supportive than ASFS?

[Anonymous]

Innovation:
1) Ms. Peters (principal) is a great communicator. She knows my kids names without any effort on our part. my kids like her. She seems very well-respected by staff. She seems to jump in and help wherever she is needed.
2) We love our kids teachers. There are a number of staff who made the transition from ASFS to Innovation. Also, some great staff came from elsewhere.
3) My kids are getting pull outs for more advanced material. Teachers at ASFS mentioned the kids would get some more advanced material, but its more apparent to my older child this year than ever before. Gifted teacher seems very well respected.
4) The school made an effort in the winter with after-school tutoring to help some kids who were behind to catch up.
5) School is diverse like ASFS was which makes sense given its kids who moved from ASFS.
6) Everyone loves the librarian.
7) School is undersubscribed which seems great for play space and other opportunities.

Also, the little things:
1) PTA and school are working to make a robotics program at school. My kids enjoy the programming / robotics experience.
2) We can walk to school.
3) After-school enrichment activities seem more interesting than they were at ASFS. This may just be a function of the space available for those activities in the building, what the PTA chooses, or Barody just providing more options this year.

I think when you love your kids' teachers and they're happy and learning, it's hard to complain.

[Anonymous]

I would focus more on middle and high school boundaries. All of the elementary schools for LV or LP are fine. Elementary boundaries seem more likely to shift than middle or high school. Good luck, you have all good choices!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS is not all that. We landed at Innovation this year and are very happy.

Can you tell me more about why you're happy at Innovation? Is the admin more supportive than ASFS?

I’ve heard this too about Innovation vs ASFS. I didn’t know about the robotics program!