Initial boundary options for Crown/Damascus study

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I initially was open to my kids going to Crown.

I thought that since it would pull more from the QO area, it would be pretty much like QO, which I'm okay with.

My main issue was that if they removed bus service for our neighborhood for Wootton HS, my kids could've taken the Ride On bus to Wootton in about a ten or fifteen minute ride. The only option for Crown from our neighborhood is to walk 40 minutes.

But looking at the area that is designated for Crown, which I think is the Fields Road Elementary School area, I don't think Crown HS is set up for success.

That townhome community in front of Fields Road Elementary is very affordable and I was seriously considering it when shopping for my first home. The townhome community across Diamondback, behind the newer townhomes and by Green Park, were more expensive enough that it was out of my price range. I think it was like $250k for the homes by the school and $350k for the homes by Green Park. In the end I determined that those homes were cheaper for a reason (they were smaller, had funny quirks to how they were designed and built, etc). So decided to look elsewhere.

And it's not just that specific townhome community that I'm targeting and why I'm turned off about Crown. It's that entire area has the more lower priced housing. The apartments behind Festival shopping center, the areas in between Fields and Festival, etc.

I didn't understand the previous comment about how QO would become a better school in this process. But understand now. So not only does Wootton get "stronger" with Wayside moving in. But QO does as well with the addition by subtraction of removing Fields Road ES and the possibility of areas from Wootton added to it as well.

btw looking at the homes sold in the past year in the Stone Mill neighborhood, without digging into the details, the townhomes sold for about $600k and the single family homes sold for about a million.

The only kind of hope that Crown HS has is if that Crown development has enough of a premium for that urban style living and being new, that higher income families choose to live there over other places they could have afforded.

Are we certain that these options aren't actually anti DEI and trying to segregate more?

So I don't think Crown HS is set up for success and I am not okay with the idea of my kids going there anymore. For reference, I wouldn't have minded my kids going to Northwest or Clarksburg and often wonder if we should've considered those areas more. But the main issues for our family for those two areas are location and commute.

It’s ironic that Crown is built to achieve their DEI agenda but it ends up achieving exactly the opposite. Capacity wise, MCPS has sufficient space. They could’ve just move part of Rachel Carson to Dufief (this was planned years ago but called off) to alleviate QO overcrowding and move part of RM/gaithersburg to Magruder/Sherwood. But they were so fixated on the opportunity to have large scale busing so here we are: an expensive new high school is being built with everyone paying more property taxes and income tax rate definitely increasing in the coming years, while a moldy old high school Wootton with asbestos gets indefinitely postpone on their decade overdue renovation project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I initially was open to my kids going to Crown.

I thought that since it would pull more from the QO area, it would be pretty much like QO, which I'm okay with.

My main issue was that if they removed bus service for our neighborhood for Wootton HS, my kids could've taken the Ride On bus to Wootton in about a ten or fifteen minute ride. The only option for Crown from our neighborhood is to walk 40 minutes.

But looking at the area that is designated for Crown, which I think is the Fields Road Elementary School area, I don't think Crown HS is set up for success.

That townhome community in front of Fields Road Elementary is very affordable and I was seriously considering it when shopping for my first home. The townhome community across Diamondback, behind the newer townhomes and by Green Park, were more expensive enough that it was out of my price range. I think it was like $250k for the homes by the school and $350k for the homes by Green Park. In the end I determined that those homes were cheaper for a reason (they were smaller, had funny quirks to how they were designed and built, etc). So decided to look elsewhere.

And it's not just that specific townhome community that I'm targeting and why I'm turned off about Crown. It's that entire area has the more lower priced housing. The apartments behind Festival shopping center, the areas in between Fields and Festival, etc.

I didn't understand the previous comment about how QO would become a better school in this process. But understand now. So not only does Wootton get "stronger" with Wayside moving in. But QO does as well with the addition by subtraction of removing Fields Road ES and the possibility of areas from Wootton added to it as well.

btw looking at the homes sold in the past year in the Stone Mill neighborhood, without digging into the details, the townhomes sold for about $600k and the single family homes sold for about a million.

The only kind of hope that Crown HS has is if that Crown development has enough of a premium for that urban style living and being new, that higher income families choose to live there over other places they could have afforded.

Are we certain that these options aren't actually anti DEI and trying to segregate more?

So I don't think Crown HS is set up for success and I am not okay with the idea of my kids going there anymore. For reference, I wouldn't have minded my kids going to Northwest or Clarksburg and often wonder if we should've considered those areas more. But the main issues for our family for those two areas are location and commute.

It’s ironic that Crown is built to achieve their DEI agenda but it ends up achieving exactly the opposite. Capacity wise, MCPS has sufficient space. They could’ve just move part of Rachel Carson to Dufief (this was planned years ago but called off) to alleviate QO overcrowding and move part of RM/gaithersburg to Magruder/Sherwood. But they were so fixated on the opportunity to have large scale busing so here we are: an expensive new high school is being built with everyone paying more property taxes and income tax rate definitely increasing in the coming years, while a moldy old high school Wootton with asbestos gets indefinitely postpone on their decade overdue renovation project.

No, Crown HS is being built to achieve their free land agenda. That's it.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/06/09/the-ticking-clock-for-crown-high-school/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I initially was open to my kids going to Crown.

I thought that since it would pull more from the QO area, it would be pretty much like QO, which I'm okay with.

My main issue was that if they removed bus service for our neighborhood for Wootton HS, my kids could've taken the Ride On bus to Wootton in about a ten or fifteen minute ride. The only option for Crown from our neighborhood is to walk 40 minutes.

But looking at the area that is designated for Crown, which I think is the Fields Road Elementary School area, I don't think Crown HS is set up for success.

That townhome community in front of Fields Road Elementary is very affordable and I was seriously considering it when shopping for my first home. The townhome community across Diamondback, behind the newer townhomes and by Green Park, were more expensive enough that it was out of my price range. I think it was like $250k for the homes by the school and $350k for the homes by Green Park. In the end I determined that those homes were cheaper for a reason (they were smaller, had funny quirks to how they were designed and built, etc). So decided to look elsewhere.

And it's not just that specific townhome community that I'm targeting and why I'm turned off about Crown. It's that entire area has the more lower priced housing. The apartments behind Festival shopping center, the areas in between Fields and Festival, etc.

I didn't understand the previous comment about how QO would become a better school in this process. But understand now. So not only does Wootton get "stronger" with Wayside moving in. But QO does as well with the addition by subtraction of removing Fields Road ES and the possibility of areas from Wootton added to it as well.

btw looking at the homes sold in the past year in the Stone Mill neighborhood, without digging into the details, the townhomes sold for about $600k and the single family homes sold for about a million.

The only kind of hope that Crown HS has is if that Crown development has enough of a premium for that urban style living and being new, that higher income families choose to live there over other places they could have afforded.

Are we certain that these options aren't actually anti DEI and trying to segregate more?

So I don't think Crown HS is set up for success and I am not okay with the idea of my kids going there anymore. For reference, I wouldn't have minded my kids going to Northwest or Clarksburg and often wonder if we should've considered those areas more. But the main issues for our family for those two areas are location and commute.

It’s ironic that Crown is built to achieve their DEI agenda but it ends up achieving exactly the opposite. Capacity wise, MCPS has sufficient space. They could’ve just move part of Rachel Carson to Dufief (this was planned years ago but called off) to alleviate QO overcrowding and move part of RM/gaithersburg to Magruder/Sherwood. But they were so fixated on the opportunity to have large scale busing so here we are: an expensive new high school is being built with everyone paying more property taxes and income tax rate definitely increasing in the coming years, while a moldy old high school Wootton with asbestos gets indefinitely postpone on their decade overdue renovation project.

No, Crown HS is being built to achieve their free land agenda. That's it.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/06/09/the-ticking-clock-for-crown-high-school/

Someone else on Facebook pointed out that MCPS passed on many free land in the past.

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2011/04/17866-acres-of-school-land-declared.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6Mhv66oSiTeMGrTMVUy2WZYgvgpMd3Coz-5IZAIuUGu4zrz41w0hulGK7R6g_aem_N_qdsv49OJI11D1jkLjDbw&m=1

[Anonymous]

Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

I just feel MCPS never treated the current 6th and 7th graders well. Elementary Middle magnet with lottery, pandemic at home, now high school county wide magnet being taken away, and forced to leave home school to attend a brand new high school with unknown available curriculum…. Never have been treated right through the whole school year at MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

Why don’t they just build a Thomas Jefferson at Crown then? The problem is our single county wide magnet had only 100 kids per grade while Fairfax county had 400-500 kids per grade in one high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

Hmm. Maybe. But Fairfax also has a lot of jobs, where many companies choosing to move their headquarters of there instead of Montgomery County.

Montgomery County seems to want to get most of it's revenue from residential taxes, so keeps on building homes, which leaves to overcrowding of schools and no jobs. Fairfax sure is looking better now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

Hmm. Maybe. But Fairfax also has a lot of jobs, where many companies choosing to move their headquarters of there instead of Montgomery County.

Montgomery County seems to want to get most of it's revenue from residential taxes, so keeps on building homes, which leaves to overcrowding of schools and no jobs. Fairfax sure is looking better now.

Plus Virginia has more reputable public universities than Maryland too.

[Anonymous]

Which ones are those countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs in the plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

Also, aren't there special programs at non-magnet high schools? Like at Wootton, there seems to be a "humanities & art signature program" - if the student is in that program but then rezoned to Crown in 10th grade, are they just kicked out of the program? This seems like another reason to let 10th graders stay at their current schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

Hmm. Maybe. But Fairfax also has a lot of jobs, where many companies choosing to move their headquarters of there instead of Montgomery County.

Montgomery County seems to want to get most of it's revenue from residential taxes, so keeps on building homes, which leaves to overcrowding of schools and no jobs. Fairfax sure is looking better now.

I'm aware of the jobs situation. You were replying to me, and I live in MoCo, but work in Fairfax. I always say the only way I can afford to live in MoCo is because I don't work there. That said, Fairfax isn't really the best always either. I have family at FCPS (Fairfax). They certainly seem to place enrichment slower for regular tracks and have an insane focus on these language immersions, though MoCo is getting that way also. I find overall FCPS to be a bit weaker than MCPS. There is huge disparity here as well between schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on past boundary changes, do we know what happens with kids at magnet schools? For example, let's say a student is initially zoned to Wootton and gets accepted in the Blair magnet program, which they begin in 9th grade. What happens if they are zoned to Crown starting in 10th grade and Crown is grouped with the Poolesville magnet rather than the Blair magnet? Would that student need to switch magnet programs starting in 10th grade?

I don’t know if Blair would even exist for the current 7th grader who will be the 9th graders who have to be forced to leave their current schools. MCPS is talking about replacing the countywide magnet program with 6 regional programs. I don’t know how MCPS can support 6 programs while they struggle to retain good teachers at Blair magnet. I guess they’ll just be watered down and not worth attending.

Wow just more reasons to add to why MCPS is not worth it anymore.

Other school systems don't have the same options of these magnet and IB programs like MCPS has. And in fact some people in other school systems think that it's ridiculous how there are so many options for MCPS students to go to schools other than their school of residence.

We saw it as a positive where our kids would have the opportunity to keep getting challenged and keeping growing if it meets their needs. And was a factor in staying in MCPS. Turns out none of our kids qualified for the programs but it was nice that the option was there if we needed/wanted it.

And sorry but I find it hard to believe that these more regional AP/IB programs are as rigorous as the more traditional ones at Blair, RM, Poolesville, etc.

It doesn’t matter what you believe. We had a single county-wide stem magnet in the 1980s. The county is much bigger now than it was then and can probably support multiple rigorous programs, since there are that many more qualified students.

Also, Fairfax and other counties of similar size do have many optional programs like we do. You just have no clue and are comparing with small counties

Hmm. Maybe. But Fairfax also has a lot of jobs, where many companies choosing to move their headquarters of there instead of Montgomery County.

Montgomery County seems to want to get most of it's revenue from residential taxes, so keeps on building homes, which leaves to overcrowding of schools and no jobs. Fairfax sure is looking better now.

Plus Virginia has more reputable public universities than Maryland too.

This is actually a big plus for VA. Comparing universities isn't fair. Even though VA has a higher population, it has more than that in good colleges. MD has just UMCP/UMD-Baltimore at the top tier. UMBC, U-Baltimore, St Mary's, Towson, Bowie State, UMES, Frostburg are all significantly below. VA has VT and UVA at the top tier. W&M, VCU, JMU, GMU, and many others are generally better than the MD counterpart