Fairfax Villa Elementary or Providence Elementary

[Anonymous]

We are looking at houses in both areas and I was wondering if anybody has any knowlede of these schools. Fairfax Villa has a good Great Schools rating but Providence rating is so so.

[Anonymous]

I live in a neighborhood that feeds into Villa (have the 'hood goes here). I can't tell you much other than the kids and parents love it and, you're right, the school has good ratings.

Providence has a new, young principal. It is his second year there, coming up. He is getting RAVE reviews from a lot of people.

[Anonymous]

I think the Providence Principal won an award this past year - principal of the year or something like that. Beyond that, I know nothing about the school.

[Anonymous]

15:52

How do you like your neighborhood? Is it University Square by any chance.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't go based on a principal -- good principals can get promoted, etc. Look at free/reduced lunch stats, ESOL stats, and (if you care about that) racial demographics.

It'd be nice if greatschools.net provided historic ratings, so you know if a '3' one year is an exception.

Providence: '5' on GS, 28% FRL, 41% White, 27% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 7% not given, 6% Black. Title I, targeted assistance, made AYP each of the past three years.

Fairfax Villa: '9' on GS, 25% FRL, 46% White, 26% Asian, 14% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% not given. Not Title I, made AYP

Neither school seems like a disaster screaming "Avoid this completely!" but Fairfax Villa does seem better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't go based on a principal -- good principals can get promoted, etc. Look at free/reduced lunch stats, ESOL stats, and (if you care about that) racial demographics.

It'd be nice if greatschools.net provided historic ratings, so you know if a '3' one year is an exception.

Providence: '5' on GS, 28% FRL, 41% White, 27% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 7% not given, 6% Black. Title I, targeted assistance, made AYP each of the past three years.

Fairfax Villa: '9' on GS, 25% FRL, 46% White, 26% Asian, 14% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% not given. Not Title I, made AYP

Neither school seems like a disaster screaming "Avoid this completely!" but Fairfax Villa does seem better.

What about those statistics you posted makes Fairfax Villa a better school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't go based on a principal -- good principals can get promoted, etc. Look at free/reduced lunch stats, ESOL stats, and (if you care about that) racial demographics.

It'd be nice if greatschools.net provided historic ratings, so you know if a '3' one year is an exception.

Providence: '5' on GS, 28% FRL, 41% White, 27% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 7% not given, 6% Black. Title I, targeted assistance, made AYP each of the past three years.

Fairfax Villa: '9' on GS, 25% FRL, 46% White, 26% Asian, 14% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% not given. Not Title I, made AYP

Neither school seems like a disaster screaming "Avoid this completely!" but Fairfax Villa does seem better.

What about those statistics you posted makes Fairfax Villa a better school?

More white kids and not Title I

[Anonymous]

Please do not use the racial make up...that is, how shall we say, racist.

Title 1 and GS are better criteria

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not use the racial make up...that is, how shall we say, racist.

Title 1 and GS are better criteria

Given that they are equal in FRL percentages, one has to ask, how did FV get a "9" and Providence a "5"? Was it a one-year anomaly or was it a consistent pattern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:52

How do you like your neighborhood? Is it University Square by any chance.

Love my neighborhood (my half feeds into Willow Spring and the other half into Villa). It is not a "named" subdivision. It is considered, I think, "Brentwood Farms". Entrances on Village (across from Wegmans) and Rt. 29 (Pheasant Ridge Rd./Piney Branch).

A small part also feeds into Eagle View ES (a newer but already over capacity school) by the Govt. Ctr.