BASIS
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Anonymous
| We got into BASIS and are considering whether to send our 5th grader. We live in NW DC and unless we find a carpool option he would need to take the metro. He’s responsible and independent and my husband is fine w that but . . . I worry. Any BASIS parents out there w kids doing a similar commute? It seems like there are a lot of Hill families but not sure how many others would be coming from our neck of the woods. |
Anonymous
|
Something like 60% of BASIS kids take public transit. You’re probably better off going from NW to BASIS than some of the other metro lines.
That said, I don’t put my own kid on metro, because I think metro is dangerous. |
Anonymous
| Just practice the train over the summer so your kid is comfortable. Then try to find a transit buddy when you join the Basis listserv later. It's scary for the parent at first, but it's a rite of passage for Basis kids. |
Anonymous
| What’s your NW middle school option? |
Anonymous
|
I work near Basis and wondered about the commute for DC years ago when she got into BASIS through the lottery. In hindsight, the location is actually pretty sweet for public transit as every WMATA line is in short walking distance.
We didn't accept the BASIS slot ultimately, but if public transit is your biggest issue, TAKE THE SPOT. Commuting students are very much the norm on Metro, which is functioning at a high level again. It's worth in the long run. |
Anonymous
| Just go to your IB MS. |
Anonymous
|
My 5th grader doesn't take public transportation by himself (yet) mostly because we haven't found any classmates getting off/on at the same metro stop in our NW neighborhood. He'd probably be fine once on the train and could coordinate with classmates at the point, but being at our station alone is not something I'm ok with right now.
That said, there are TONS of kids who ride the yellow/green line to/from school. I see them walking toward the school every morning and a lot of them seem to be alone (at least once they emerge from the station; of course I have no idea if they had been riding with an adult or other kids before getting off). I believe a few also take the red line a few blocks away. There are also a lot of kids who take the D6 bus, in case that's an option for you. Where in NW are you? |
Anonymous
| My kid goes from tenleytown and there are always others |
Anonymous
| Hi! My son will by commuting from Shaw next year, I've also been curious about the metro. He's a very responsible kid, and it's a short, direct metro ride. He walks to his DCPS elementary school occasionally. But I'm a little worried about the metro (though my husband is also not!) Tell me more about the "transit buddies." |
Anonymous
| My kid lives near Friendship and takes the metro. Sometimes we drive him because we're heading down there ourselves. But it's not that big a deal. 5th was during covid so we were more cautious, but its fine. There is a map of families so you can also reach out and have kids carpool or ride together. |
Anonymous
What map of families? I’ve never seen one. Maybe this no longer exists? |
Anonymous
lol |
Anonymous
The charter school profiles used to include really cool commuting maps. I haven't seen them updated in a few years tho. |
Anonymous
| The majority of BASIS kids commute without parental intervention. When you enroll the school will ask if you want to opt-in to sharing your contact info (including address) with other families. If you opt in you will get a list of other students and where they live. There will also be a 5th grade Whatsapp chat. You can also use that for coordination. |
Anonymous
| Someone has actually already started a 5th grade whatsapp group for admitted families - if you know any current BASIS families, they should be able to find and pass on the link. The school may also be able to provide it to you as well. May help you find others coming from your neck of the woods. |