Remain at same school when changing boundary

[Anonymous]

We are likely to move this summer, and because of the weird FCPS boundaries, my 3rd grader will need to change school.
Can I just not inform my old school of the address change and keep my kid enrolled at the same school?

[Anonymous]

If you want to stay at the same school, why don’t you find a new place within the boundary?

Otherwise, you might as well move to West Virginia, but just don’t tell anyone in Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

For 4th grade? For 5th grade? For 6th grade? What would be the point?

If you don't buy a house in-bounds for your current elementary school, then your DD will change schools and go to the new school. Like a normal kid.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is legal, no. I think you are required to let a school know of an address change even if it is within the same school district. I will also add that I moved at this exact age, same district different elementary and it would have greatly disadvantaged me to have not switched elementaries for 4th because in my case the middle school was different for each elementary. In 4th grade I made friends who then went to the same middle school as me. Those friends turned out to be lifelong though not saying that is the goal. But if I had had to go to middle school without a group of friends it would have been pretty overwhelming. Might not be the situation but wanted to share.

[Anonymous]

Someone will report you.

[Anonymous]

Ask the school if you can stay. Others have pointed out that this could put you in a new middle school--but maybe it is staying the same?

If your child moves schools, I'm sure it will be fine. But, you can ask. If they say "no," then move your child. You'll be a nervous wreck that someone will report you and I'm sure your child will adjust.

I don't understand why some PP's had to give such snarky answers, though. I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons why you are moving.

[Anonymous]

Your kid is 8/9 years old, they will make new friends.

I am moving a child who is going to start 5th grade in a new school and she is going to manage just fine.

What you are talking about doing is called FRAUD.

[Anonymous]

No. Your kid will be fine. If you're moving close enough that you'd consider this, then you're moving close enough that you can regularly get together with the same people for playdates and your kid can stay in the same extracurricular activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For 4th grade? For 5th grade? For 6th grade? What would be the point?

If you don't buy a house in-bounds for your current elementary school, then your DD will change schools and go to the new school. Like a normal kid.

OP here - we're renting, not buying. Also the main reason is that with the weird boundaries (my kid is AAP), we plan moving to a house very close but with the AAP boundary my kid would have to be on 1-hour bus ride, so I'd rather walk my kid to the old AAP school which is only a 10min walk.
If you see the AAP boundaries you will see how this can happen
https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY2022-23ElementarySchools.pdf

[Anonymous]

No, of course not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For 4th grade? For 5th grade? For 6th grade? What would be the point?

If you don't buy a house in-bounds for your current elementary school, then your DD will change schools and go to the new school. Like a normal kid.

OP here - we're renting, not buying. Also the main reason is that with the weird boundaries (my kid is AAP), we plan moving to a house very close but with the AAP boundary my kid would have to be on 1-hour bus ride, so I'd rather walk my kid to the old AAP school which is only a 10min walk.
If you see the AAP boundaries you will see how this can happen
https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY2022-23ElementarySchools.pdf

You and your child could spend the rest of her ES years lying about where you live or you could rent a different house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is 8/9 years old, they will make new friends.

I am moving a child who is going to start 5th grade in a new school and she is going to manage just fine.

What you are talking about doing is called FRAUD.

Plenty of people do this to avoid bad schools. How is that fraud? By claiming that it's fraud, you're implying that they are gaining an unfair advantage through deception to be somewhere they shouldn't be.

So the situation is that we have such bad schools in FCPS to the extent that some people are driven to lie about their residence so they can attend good schools? All so that they have an advantage over poorer kids who don't attend that school. Who is being defrauded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is 8/9 years old, they will make new friends.

I am moving a child who is going to start 5th grade in a new school and she is going to manage just fine.

What you are talking about doing is called FRAUD.

It is not FRAUD if the school gives permission. I would not want to put my kid on a bus if I could walk to the school. Who would want to do that?
The school may very well say it is okay. That is allowed if there is room.

[Anonymous]

OP here - maybe I could ask the school to keep my kid to my old school? Would they make an exception? This is a win-win, no 1-hour bus ride for my kid, and FCPS wouldn't need to allocate a bus to come all the way to our house (honestly I don't understand what is the logic behind those boundaries, why send a kid 5 miles away when you have another AAP school within walking distance?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is 8/9 years old, they will make new friends.

I am moving a child who is going to start 5th grade in a new school and she is going to manage just fine.

What you are talking about doing is called FRAUD.

Plenty of people do this to avoid bad schools. How is that fraud? By claiming that it's fraud, you're implying that they are gaining an unfair advantage through deception to be somewhere they shouldn't be.

So the situation is that we have such bad schools in FCPS to the extent that some people are driven to lie about their residence so they can attend good schools? All so that they have an advantage over poorer kids who don't attend that school. Who is being defrauded?

Yes, fraud is fraud, regardless of the motivation, whether convenience or to avoid a bad school.