Overwhelmed by school selection process for 18 mo old son... HELP!!

[Anonymous]

My son is 18 months old and my husband and I will be moving before he begins Kindergarten, all dependant upon where we want to send him to school. And dependant upon what we can afford - we are not wealthy but had great educations as kids and want the same for our son.

He is currently in a great day care in Bethesda, we live in SS, I work in Chevy Chase and my husband works in DC. We could live in the BCC area if we do condo, and I would rent to make sure he is in a great school district. My husband doesn't really like bethesda and would prefer Olney but as a working mom, I really worry about trying to get from work to school functions, and spending half my life in traffic.

But after reading some posts, I am having a panic attack. I am reading about the enormous testing that takes place in MoCo schools, unsure if public school is best for my son (always concerned about a boy's spirit getting crushed/loss of interest in learning and hating public school in those first few years because some teachers don't appreciate the energy of boys), should we aim for an area like the Palisades (we have friends that live there, love it although we wouldn't be able to afford a SFH) and then try for a charter school, or just move back to northern NJ where things seem less complicated!!

I would love to get advice on different areas in MoCo that people love, school districts, whether others have moved for these same reasons... I have seen much of this on other threads so I'm not trying to recreate what already exists, but I just don't know where to begin.

I really appreciate everyones time and responses to my post.
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I should add that one kid did private ES for a while. Private schools test your kid for the ERBs, so you won't escape testing anywhere. My private school kid had a week where they basically did nothing but ERBs -- no homework or actual teaching going on that might prevent brain cells from being directed to the ERB. But there's testing in MoCo, too, of course.

[Anonymous]

Take a few deep breaths, OP--if your child is 18 months old, you have a some time, both to research schools and to find out what your son will be like.

FWIW, we moved out of DC to Montgomery County and have been very happy with our child's school and our neighborhood. It helped to visit neighborhoods, visit elementary schools, think about commutes, house prices, etc. Any more info you can give on those points will probably help people here give you advice, too.

[Anonymous]

I used to live in Olney. The commute from Olney to DC would indeed be a bitch. Schools are decent enough, however. The elementary schools are better. Once you hit middle school, it's hit or miss, and Sherwood HS is mediocre as far as academics are concerned - but if your child is resourceful, s/he will excel in any environment.

But it is definitely a nice community that's going strong. Williamsburg is lovely. It's a pretty section with older homes on larger pieces of property. Brookeville - newer parts - can be pricey and filled with McMansions. Older sections - like Tanterra - have more of that 70s modern look. (some cool open floor plans, for example)

So, despite the commute, it's actually a nice place to live.

[Anonymous]

OP here... thanks for the points. I was definitely feeling panicky yesterday but luckily I do have time, so that is a good thing. My husband and I both enjoy Olney and the fact that there is more land, space and a family atmosphere, but the commute does frighten me. I can see myself running back and forth, trying to participate in school events while not losing my mind, since my husband's schedule is not as flexible. I would definitely like to live closer in, like Bethesda, but I cannot see us being able to afford 500k for a home. We used to live in four corners in silver spring, which was a great neighborhood but many kids went to catholic school. And the high school there is not an option, although their magnet program is supposed to be good. who knows! I've heard other people say that parts of silver spring are not bad, but it does seem very hit or miss. Parts of kensington seem like an option, or even doing a townhouse/condo in bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here... thanks for the points. I was definitely feeling panicky yesterday but luckily I do have time, so that is a good thing. My husband and I both enjoy Olney and the fact that there is more land, space and a family atmosphere, but the commute does frighten me. I can see myself running back and forth, trying to participate in school events while not losing my mind, since my husband's schedule is not as flexible. I would definitely like to live closer in, like Bethesda, but I cannot see us being able to afford 500k for a home. We used to live in four corners in silver spring, which was a great neighborhood but many kids went to catholic school. And the high school there is not an option, although their magnet program is supposed to be good. who knows! I've heard other people say that parts of silver spring are not bad, but it does seem very hit or miss. Parts of kensington seem like an option, or even doing a townhouse/condo in bethesda.

Are you talking about Blair or Northwood? On paper at least, Blair and Sherwood Forest seem on pretty equal footing - so if you would be OK in Olney, you would be OK with Blair. If you consider Blair an option, you should be able to find something under $500k.

[Anonymous]

Blair is ginormous -- you can't compare Sherwood to Blair. Olney and Brookeville are far superior to Silver Spring IMHO. I was born and raised in SS and lived there with kids for nearly 5 years before moving to Brookeville once we realized we couldn't swing private school and once we got fed up with the crime. Olney and Brookeville (FWIW, locals in Brookeville tend to refer to both communities jointly -- ie: "I live in the Olney/Brookeville area") are essentially Family Town, USA. All of my neighbors commute to DC --- it's not that bad. Folks out here are community-oriented and neighborly; they treasure the small-town feel. There's economic diversity and there sure is a great deal of wealth out here, but folks aren't showy. I'm totally Type A, but I have to downplay that and keep it in check b/c most folks out here are more laid back --- which is refreshing and great. Nonetheless, all the teenagers in my immediate neighborhood (3) graduated from Sherwood and went onto to great colleges with academic scholarships. One neighbor actually pulled one of her kids out of an MCPS magnet program to send the kid to the local middle school (Rosa Parks) after meeting with the principal and feeling comfortable that her kid would still be challenged there. Another super bright neighborhood middle schooler was able to take advanced courses at Sherwood while in 8th grade for a couple periods a day.

The bottom line is that you can find nice homes with big yards in great neighborhoods with super schools for a reasonable price out here --- and I'm not sure you can say that about many other parts of the county.

[Anonymous]

Live in SS, work in Bethesda and DH works in D.C.: To me, the time in the car is not worth the long drive. There are good school options in affordable neighborhoods close-in. (I know the commute's not worth it b/c until recently, I commuted to Va. for work).

That time in the car is better spent picking my kids up off the camp bus and getting dinner ready in the evenings, playing with them, reading to them, etc.

You might want to look at Takoma Park: You won't get as much land as Olney, but you've got good elementary and middle schools there and it's very family friendly.

Just my 2 cents, but I wouldn't worry too much about high school just yet. That's a long way off and so much could change between now and then.

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park feeds into Blair. I thought we wouldn't like Blair either, for the reasons you mention re size. Plus, DC came from a smallish middle school. But DC is in one of the two test-in programs (math/science and communication arts) and it's actually been great. The programs are like small communities of their own.

[Anonymous]

How long is the commute (during rush hour) from Olney to downtown DC?