I thought BCC was a good school Should this 5th grade parent look elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

Maybe it will change as my DD gets older but the thought of sending her to a school with drugs, no bathroom use, and all of it is beyond worrisome. Anyone else? Is Whiteman less crazy? Or are all the publics the same. I know this is ripe for snark but I imagine many parents read this and feel sheer worry.

[Anonymous]

Read what?

[Anonymous]

I mean, put your kid in private school. MCPS high schools are definitely going through a rough patch right now, but just to be clear, drugs are used and sold in private high schools too.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid in BCC and one in s private high school. The BCC thing is way overblown. But there are drugs in every high school, and the privates are as bad as the publics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in BCC and one in s private high school. The BCC thing is way overblown. But there are drugs in every high school, and the privates are as bad as the publics.

Just to add, I have never worried about my kids in either. I know them well enough. You definitely need to stay engaged in their lives though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in BCC and one in s private high school. The BCC thing is way overblown. But there are drugs in every high school, and the privates are as bad as the publics.

Just to add, I have never worried about my kids in either. I know them well enough. You definitely need to stay engaged in their lives though.

Same. I have kids at Blair and Wheaton.

[Anonymous]

Please do not make ANY decisions based on what you read on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I feel like academically the weakest link in MCPS is at the elementary level. If you hung in there through 5th, things actually start to get better. There are kids who will do drugs at every school and there are kids who will not do drugs at any school. Which kid do you have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in BCC and one in s private high school. The BCC thing is way overblown. But there are drugs in every high school, and the privates are as bad as the publics.

As a mom with kids in both, that is not true. Private school bathrooms are safe. Maybe a vape or pill exchange here or there but halls don’t reek of weed, kids aren’t bullied in bathrooms, no guns on campus, no assaults under stairwells, and kids are in classes instead of skipping.

[Anonymous]

NP here - I am a single mom and have a 5th grader boy. We are about to move and have a choice which schools to pick in MoCo. Is one "safer" from drugs than the other? I am considering Whitman, BCC and Walter Johnson clusters. Thank you for any feedback.

[Anonymous]

We are in a situation where we have kids in different school clusters: my Walter Johnson senior has NOT seen drug use in bathrooms, or any other iffy situation. This isn't to say that WJ doesn't have drug use, of course it does, but it may be a little more low-key. His friends at BCC have. I have a middle schooler in bounds for BCC and I'm not excited that she'll attend BCC next year. Not to mention that WJ (and Whitman) and academically stronger than BCC, so unless you're already in bounds for BCC and don't want to move, I suggest you try WJ or Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not make ANY decisions based on what you read on DCUM.

Except that drug use at BCC made local TV news, PP. The meeting at BCC was even televised, apparently.
To be clear, I don't think students feel unsafe. It's more of an annoyance when you want to pee or have your period and the bathroom is full of weed, you know?
And parents are rightly concerned about peer pressure under those conditions: the BCC student newspaper Tattler describes "large groups of girls in bathrooms vaping nicotine and weed" and student dealers acknowledging they do not know the origins of their pills, that could be laced with lethal doses of fentanyl. My neighbor's kid goes to BCC and his entire group of friends are trying those pills.

If your kid can withstand that environment, then you don't need to be concerned. Know your kid!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid in BCC and one in s private high school. The BCC thing is way overblown. But there are drugs in every high school, and the privates are as bad as the publics.

As a mom with kids in both, that is not true. Private school bathrooms are safe. Maybe a vape or pill exchange here or there but halls don’t reek of weed, kids aren’t bullied in bathrooms, no guns on campus, no assaults under stairwells, and kids are in classes instead of skipping.

You are apparently naive because drugs absolutely are in private school, kids absolutely skip class, and many other things happen. Just because it’s not your kid or their best friend, or it’s not as publicized as public, do not for one minute believe the halls of private school are some paragon place of virtue. It’s just less kids and crafted community which makes it easier to keep things under wraps.

[Anonymous]

It’s at every school including privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like academically the weakest link in MCPS is at the elementary level. If you hung in there through 5th, things actually start to get better. There are kids who will do drugs at every school and there are kids who will not do drugs at any school. Which kid do you have?

No, weakest link is definitely MS.

-mom of two HSers who went through MCPS.

But yea, drugs are *everywhere*. Talk to your kids.