Moving out of school boundary without switching schools

[Anonymous]

Has anyone moved out of school boundaries without switching schools? We are considering moving very close to where we currently live - but the street is assigned to Whitman - whereas we currently live in wJ. It is not a matter of trying to stay within a 'better' school - it's just that kids don't want to switch and start at a new school where they don't know anyone. I know a COSA is a possibility but we would need it for 5 years to get both kids through HS. Wondering if anyone has taken another approach - for example, renting a room in someone's house to have an address within bounds for the desired school? Any other out of the box ideas welcome.

[Anonymous]

You get 1 year, generally the year of the move, no questions asked. 5 years, you will need a COSA. In your situation, you may think you are requesting the "not better" school, but you are requesting the more crowded school, so it is not a no-brainer.

If you have a student in a specialty WJ program that Whitman doesn't have, that might be an appropriate COSA reason. There are others like nearby medical treatment, social anxiety.

[Anonymous]

What about a COSA just to get both kids through their *current* schools, since it sounds like you have one already in HS and one in MS. So try for COSAs for each of them, with the oldest finishing up at WJ.

This does mean the younger one would attend Whitman, but I think there's enough scrambling around, magnet programs, kids coming in from private, etc. in 9th grade that it would be fine.

[Anonymous]

It is unlikely that they will approve your middle schooler to go to WJ. The older kid will be allowed to finish at WJ no problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is unlikely that they will approve your middle schooler to go to WJ. The older kid will be allowed to finish at WJ no problem.

This most likely, though MCPS is so goddamned bureaucratic and run by morons that the outcome is anyone's guess.

[Anonymous]

With WJ's overcrowding, COSA might be tough if your older kid isn't a rising jr or sr. Not gonna happen with your younger kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone moved out of school boundaries without switching schools? We are considering moving very close to where we currently live - but the street is assigned to Whitman - whereas we currently live in wJ. It is not a matter of trying to stay within a 'better' school - it's just that kids don't want to switch and start at a new school where they don't know anyone. I know a COSA is a possibility but we would need it for 5 years to get both kids through HS. Wondering if anyone has taken another approach - for example, renting a room in someone's house to have an address within bounds for the desired school? Any other out of the box ideas welcome.

thems are the breaks