Brent Elementary School: anything and everything, please!

[Anonymous]

We are in downtown DC (between Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle), and need to move to find a decent elementary school. I love the diversity of my child's current pre-school, and we love Capitol Hill, which also has proximity to all Metro lines that we need as well as the kind of community we seek. So--Brent Elementary School popped up. I'd love to hear from any parents with children at the school. Are you and you child/ren happy there? Is it academically challenging? Has it experienced the principal shuffle that Janney, Murch, etc. have had recently?

I'm also worried about crime on Capitol Hill. I know things are improving, but...I'm a DC native with a long memory. And where could we afford to live? Subjects for another thread, I know. First, the school. Then, our house or apartment near the school. Then, buyer's regret and then happiness.
Thank you for any help along the way, Brent parents, teachers or neighbors/friends of Brent!

[Anonymous]

My son has been at Brent for 3 years (preS, preK, and K). He loves it. We love it. I've been happy with both the principals we've had- one for the first year and Wilhoyte for the past two years. The three clasroom teachers have been wonderful. For PreS and PreK- those teachers could teach anywhere- they are as good as any private school teacher I remember having. The kindergarten teacher is just as good but I don't know if her presonality would go down well everywhere- she is pretty tough with the kids and parents. The kids feel very safe with her; its a really calm classroom. The school demographics transitioned a lot about 5 years ago- more in boundary families, for preS and PreK now its 95% in boundary. I think the test scores will improve greatly next year and the years after that. The lower grades are very diverse and there are a lot of highly educated parents. Aftercare has had a lot of transitions, but next year I hear they will contract out to a private company which will improve things. The area around the school is extremely safe. I think its safer than Dupont. We love Brent.

[Anonymous]

We are zoned for Brent and plan to send our DC there. Our neighbors love it and speak very highly of it, so we're excited that we are in boundary. It is generally thought of as the best elementary school on or near the Hill.

I feel very safe in our neighborhood, we absolutely love it, but I do not know the zone lines well enough to know whether some of the sketchier areas of the Hill are still in boundary for Brent. I would recommend against venturing too far into Hill East if you are wary (Potomac Ave. and beyond), but I think most of Brent in-bound families are near Capitol South and Eastern Market anyway and crime around there is fine. Our friends who live in Dupont Circle have experienced more crime near their house than we have near ours.

As for where you could afford to live, what's your budget? Do you want to buy or rent?

[Anonymous]

I've heard good things about Brent but it's an expensive place to live. If you stay where you are, you might consider Ross and Francis Stevens which is changing a lot and for the better.

[Anonymous]

Original poster here: Thank you so much for these informed, prompt replies. (Gotta love DCUM!)
We are bursting out of our two-bedroom apartment so we must move.

As to the schools where we live: Francis-Stevens, which I think WILL improve over the next few years: it is housed now with a middle school, and those big kids (11-year olds) are scary and have filthy mouths. The principal promises to keep them isolated from the elementary schoolers, and to control behavior, but it's tough. I see them at drop-off and pick-up and recently there was some kind of gang beating up a young girl (a police officer at the school just stood there). Not for my little girl. I want an elementary school that is ONLY an elementary school.

I hear good things about Ross Elementary school but it's not our zone. We did apply out of boundary, but didn't get in. Friends kept their children there through 3rd grade and then pulled out. Maybe it'll improve for the older grades soon.

We hope to buy on Capitol Hill, but can't afford anything over $500,000 and even that is a stretch. We'd be open to renting. All suggestions welcome.

[Anonymous]

OP, it sounds like you might have a problem with older minority kids. You'll see them at Ross, Francis AND Brent. Try the suburbs or a private school.

[Anonymous]

If you're looking for a 3BDR for $500k, you won't be able find it in boundary for Brent. I do not think you could even find a 2BDR for that price. I'm sure you could rent something though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for a 3BDR for $500k, you won't be able find it in boundary for Brent. I do not think you could even find a 2BDR for that price. I'm sure you could rent something though.

My thoughts exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for a 3BDR for $500k, you won't be able find it in boundary for Brent. I do not think you could even find a 2BDR for that price. I'm sure you could rent something though.

My thoughts exactly.

My small two-bedroom house is on the other side of Eastern Market from the Brent boundary (which I think stops at 7th Street) and the market value is over $500K, to judge by some of the recent sales in the immediate neighborhood.

BUT, there are a number of good schools on the Hill, not just Brent. Maury is particularly known for its parental involvement, and Peabody (the Preschool/PreK/Kindergarten campus of the Cluster) has traditional and Emilio Reggio programming, and Tyler has its Spanish immersion program. Miner has recently been talked-up on the MOTH list-serve, although I have to admit I don't know much about it. At any rate, you may want to look at schools beyond Brent, some of which are located in less-expensive sections of the neighborhood.

You should also be aware that Capitol Hill has really had a baby boom in recent years and several of the preschool/prek programs have extensive waiting lists for inbound students. For example, my daughter and 37 of our neighbors are on the in-bounds waiting list for the Peabody preschool class. Of course, they will have to serve us at kindergarten, but I'm not quite sure where they are going to put all the kids!

[Anonymous]

Poster who isn't into 11 year old kids; you will change your mind as your own child gets to 3rd, 4th grade and you realize that middle school looms. A school that goes through 8th grade solves that problem for you. I'd give my right arm if my kid could continue in her current elementary school, but alas, she'll have to move on after 5th.

[Anonymous]

I wish Brent went through 8th.

[Anonymous]

Brent isn't diverse, and me/child dislike it a lot. This is his first year and will not attend next year. Diversity and foreign language are very important to me. Why have so many teachers left before the end of the school year?

[Anonymous]

I love living on Capitol Hill. It is a great neighborhood with great parks, restaurants, etc. The schools are improving. If your child is 3rd grade or older I would send him/her to Watkins, a solid program with a long history. For second grade and under Brent, Maury, Tyler are all up and coming schools with energized parents dedicated to improving the schools. For ps-3 or pre-k Miner and Ludlow-Taylor seem to be undergoing similar improvements.

We have had a lot of petty crime this year -- kids bikes, scooter, GPS systems stolen, but nothing major (like there was 14 years ago when I first moved here). I let my older child walk to the park by himself to meet friends.

[Anonymous]

17:58 and 9:07: I don't think the poster was making a general statement about 11-year olds or about all older minority kids. The comments that parent voiced are actually reflective of what I've long heard from friends who work in buildings next to the school. Some of the students' behavior and language is rough enough that the adults will actually time their work breaks so that they won't be outside when the kids are. This student behavior reflects school leadership to an extent...but I have seen recent signs that DCPS is paying more attention to issues at Francis-Stevens.

[Anonymous]

DCPS is going to work very hard to make FS a school that neighborhood families want to go to. But, I bet there is going to be a lot of tension as AA parents who have relied on it as a good, safe school for the OOB kids, get angry at being pushed around by the white (and non-white) folks who are attracted by the new PS program.

But, that does not help OP anyway, b/c she needs to move to a bigger place, and 3 bedrooms in Foggy Bottom/Dupont are just as expensive as 3 bedrooms on the hill.

Moving in-bounds for Ross might be a financially more reasonable decision.