MS/HS in Takoma Park, SS MD

[Anonymous]

Hi,

New to this board. We are in DC and considering moving across the line to MD (likely Takoma Park or Silver Spring). Is there a place that explains the MS/HS feeders, magnets, charter options? We are leaving DC because we have no MS path and looking for a solid public option outside the city. Appreciate any help and dvi e you can share.

[Anonymous]

Spend some time on the MCPS section of this board and focus on the DCC (or Downcounty consortium) if you are interested in Takoma Park or Silver Spring. And there are no charter schools in MCPS but you do have magnet options in MS and HS but they are relatively competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spend some time on the MCPS section of this board and focus on the DCC (or Downcounty consortium) if you are interested in Takoma Park or Silver Spring. And there are no charter schools in MCPS but you do have magnet options in MS and HS but they are relatively competitive.

Thank you. Stupid question but, are SS and TKP MCPS? Sorry, just so unfamiliar with MD and when I browsed the MCPS section it seemed to focus on Bethesda area schools. Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Yes. Thats why you’re being directed to the down county consortium specifically.

I’m sorry to say that you’re a little late to get placed into a magnet middle school. Your best bet would be to buy in Takoma and go to Takoma Middle and then Blair. It’s a different complicated system from DC and you have much to catch up on. All the schools are reasonably good but are ginormous and that may or may not serve your kid. Are they self-directed?

Unfortunately I’m also sorry to tell you that it’s hard to buy in Takoma. It’s not only pricey but also many houses sell before listing to other Takoma folks.

I’m not trying to be a downer. We are not in Takoma either. We couldn’t afford it. And we didn’t get a place in the magnet middle that we wanted. We are doing private and then hoping that Northwood is finished by the time our kid would enroll there as our in-bounds school.

[Anonymous]

What ages are your kids currently?

[Anonymous]

[code]

Anonymous wrote:What ages are your kids currently?

I have one child who is going into 5th next year. Thanks to all the pps for info. I find the MD system very confusing vs DC and VA but we really do not want to live in VA.

[Anonymous]

It's actually not that bad.

All of Takoma Park feeds to Montgomery Blair HS as the home school. Most of Takoma Park feeds to Takoma Park Middle School, although a relatively small slice feeds to Silver Spring International Middle (SSIMS). You can check the school assignment on the real estate website.

Blair is part of the Down County Consortium (DCC), which is 5 high schools. If you have a rising 9th grader, you fill out a form ranking your HS choice. If you rank your "home" HS as #1, you automatically get it.

Getting into Silver Spring, if you just focus on the close-in parts, you are looking at a handful of MS and HS options.

A small slice of SS feeds to TPMS and then Blair.

All of Eastern MS feeds to Blair as well.

A lot of the Downtown SS area feeds to SSIMS and then Northwood HS. As a PP noted, Northwood is under construction but will be brand new and expanded by the time your current 5th grader gets to HS.

Moving out a little bit toward Forest Glen Metro, most of that feeds to Sligo Middle School and Albert Einstein HS.

The high school magnet stuff is another beast, but you have years to figure it out. So the immediate question is "What do you want your in-bounds MS and HS options to be?" This is important because you can't count on magnets or DCC choice breaking in your favor, and coming from DC you want to know you have a clear and stable path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:What ages are your kids currently?

I have one child who is going into 5th next year. Thanks to all the pps for info. I find the MD system very confusing vs DC and VA but we really do not want to live in VA.

Most people move from DC to MD ( MCPS specifically). It's not that complicated. The DCC might be overwhelming at first, with so many programs and opportunities, but it's one of the things that makes MCPS great.
-former DC resident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Thats why you’re being directed to the down county consortium specifically.

I’m sorry to say that you’re a little late to get placed into a magnet middle school. Your best bet would be to buy in Takoma and go to Takoma Middle and then Blair. It’s a different complicated system from DC and you have much to catch up on. All the schools are reasonably good but are ginormous and that may or may not serve your kid. Are they self-directed?

Unfortunately I’m also sorry to tell you that it’s hard to buy in Takoma. It’s not only pricey but also many houses sell before listing to other Takoma folks.

I’m not trying to be a downer. We are not in Takoma either. We couldn’t afford it. And we didn’t get a place in the magnet middle that we wanted. We are doing private and then hoping that Northwood is finished by the time our kid would enroll there as our in-bounds school.

City of Takoma Park taxes are high. You can get into Takoma Park MS and Blair without being in the city proper. Work with a realtor to identify the catchment area. That way, you only pay MoCo taxes, and not the additional city taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Thats why you’re being directed to the down county consortium specifically.

I’m sorry to say that you’re a little late to get placed into a magnet middle school. Your best bet would be to buy in Takoma and go to Takoma Middle and then Blair. It’s a different complicated system from DC and you have much to catch up on. All the schools are reasonably good but are ginormous and that may or may not serve your kid. Are they self-directed?

Unfortunately I’m also sorry to tell you that it’s hard to buy in Takoma. It’s not only pricey but also many houses sell before listing to other Takoma folks.

I’m not trying to be a downer. We are not in Takoma either. We couldn’t afford it. And we didn’t get a place in the magnet middle that we wanted. We are doing private and then hoping that Northwood is finished by the time our kid would enroll there as our in-bounds school.

Be careful with your advice here. OP autos not under any circumstances but in Takoma if she is trying to find a viable middle and high school path outside of DCPS. Takoma is in DC. She should consider moving to Takoma Park which is in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:What ages are your kids currently?

I have one child who is going into 5th next year. Thanks to all the pps for info. I find the MD system very confusing vs DC and VA but we really do not want to live in VA.

Most people move from DC to MD ( MCPS specifically). It's not that complicated. The DCC might be overwhelming at first, with so many programs and opportunities, but it's one of the things that makes MCPS great.
-former DC resident.

I moved from DC to MCPS and it’s not complicated at all.

[Anonymous]

TPES - used to have the only ES magnet. Still h as math enrichment.
PBES - local CES but that's all lottery these days
TPMS - STEM magent w/ 25 seat local set aside
DCC - you can pick your homeschool or use choice. Many programs from Wheaton Engineering, Einstein VAC, various IB programs, Blair SMCS and CAP etc.

[Anonymous]

You can use this official site to look up current school assignments for any address. Don't go by what realtors say.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/SchoolAssignmentTool2/Index.xhtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Thats why you’re being directed to the down county consortium specifically.

I’m sorry to say that you’re a little late to get placed into a magnet middle school. Your best bet would be to buy in Takoma and go to Takoma Middle and then Blair. It’s a different complicated system from DC and you have much to catch up on. All the schools are reasonably good but are ginormous and that may or may not serve your kid. Are they self-directed?

Unfortunately I’m also sorry to tell you that it’s hard to buy in Takoma. It’s not only pricey but also many houses sell before listing to other Takoma folks.

I’m not trying to be a downer. We are not in Takoma either. We couldn’t afford it. And we didn’t get a place in the magnet middle that we wanted. We are doing private and then hoping that Northwood is finished by the time our kid would enroll there as our in-bounds school.

City of Takoma Park taxes are high. You can get into Takoma Park MS and Blair without being in the city proper. Work with a realtor to identify the catchment area. That way, you only pay MoCo taxes, and not the additional city taxes.

I think this is just the part of SS zoned for East Silver Spring ES. We bought a couple of years ago and our kids are still young, but I’m happy with the area.

[Anonymous]

Another option is the Rosemary Hills part of Silver Spring that's zoned for BCC.