Pk3 strategy from MVT

[Mg1234]

Could use any advice in preparation for PK3 in Fall 2026. Facts on our current situation.

- We are zoned for Walker Jones.
- We both work at home, so commute really isn’t a factor.
- We likely won’t be here long term (but honestly who knows) so alignment for Kindergarten onward isn’t super important.
- If DCPS doesn’t workout, we will keep sending her to her current daycare.

Any feedback on Walker Jones? Our lease is up in October, is it worth trying to move to a better zone before the lottery signup? What’s a decent strategy for ranking?

[Anonymous]

You can put any address in the lottery. So if you find a school you would like and there are apartments in your budget range there, just use the address and if you get in, then you have a month or so to enroll and prove residency. You can move then.

[Anonymous]

I would look at the data for out of bounds admission at Thompson. Other options I would consider are JO Wilson, Langley, Seaton, Garrison, Stevens, and maybe Capitol Hill Montessori depending on precisely where you live. Go to the walker Jones open house too. Then rank according to true preference. My advice would be different if you were planning to stay, but pk3 is pretty good most places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would look at the data for out of bounds admission at Thompson. Other options I would consider are JO Wilson, Langley, Seaton, Garrison, Stevens, and maybe Capitol Hill Montessori depending on precisely where you live. Go to the walker Jones open house too. Then rank according to true preference. My advice would be different if you were planning to stay, but pk3 is pretty good most places.

Good advice. Also consider Mundo Verde on P St. You'll be fine at any of those schools. You might consider Friendship Armstrong and the KIPP school to fill out your list.

Basically just make a list of all schools you can commute to. Then cut it down based on whether you're willing to do a language and/or Montessori. Then rank in order of preference. It really is as simple as that.

[Anonymous]

I say this knowing nothing specifically about Walker Jones.

But PK is done well across the district, and given that you’ll be leaving by early elementary, it’s hard to image anything being a better choice for you than your inbound. Walking commute is invaluable. Every time there’s a PK assembly or coffee hour you’ll be able to drop in easily. You’ll meet tons of neighbors with similar aged kids, weekend park meetups and casual get togethers with other kids are a breeze. As you get to know other families, you might be able to pickup/drop off each other’s kids from time to time easily when something comes up.

We chose our IB because of the short commute despite shaky academics in later years even though we are in our home for the long haul and it’s way exceeded our logistical expectations for all the above reasons. With no long term to consider, it would be a no brainer.

Learn about Walker Jones, and unless you have specific concerns or hear some really bad reviews specific to PK, just do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look at the data for out of bounds admission at Thompson. Other options I would consider are JO Wilson, Langley, Seaton, Garrison, Stevens, and maybe Capitol Hill Montessori depending on precisely where you live. Go to the walker Jones open house too. Then rank according to true preference. My advice would be different if you were planning to stay, but pk3 is pretty good most places.

Good advice. Also consider Mundo Verde on P St. You'll be fine at any of those schools. You might consider Friendship Armstrong and the KIPP school to fill out your list.

Basically just make a list of all schools you can commute to. Then cut it down based on whether you're willing to do a language and/or Montessori. Then rank in order of preference. It really is as simple as that.

I would not do Mundo Verde unless the family already speaks Spanish or plans to continue with bilingual education. It's not a particularly good school and there's a lot of crime near it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look at the data for out of bounds admission at Thompson. Other options I would consider are JO Wilson, Langley, Seaton, Garrison, Stevens, and maybe Capitol Hill Montessori depending on precisely where you live. Go to the walker Jones open house too. Then rank according to true preference. My advice would be different if you were planning to stay, but pk3 is pretty good most places.

Good advice. Also consider Mundo Verde on P St. You'll be fine at any of those schools. You might consider Friendship Armstrong and the KIPP school to fill out your list.

Basically just make a list of all schools you can commute to. Then cut it down based on whether you're willing to do a language and/or Montessori. Then rank in order of preference. It really is as simple as that.

I would not do Mundo Verde unless the family already speaks Spanish or plans to continue with bilingual education. It's not a particularly good school and there's a lot of crime near it.

Honestly the crime is an issue with Walker Jones too, but agreed Mundo Verde is way worse. I would never feel safe walking there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would look at the data for out of bounds admission at Thompson. Other options I would consider are JO Wilson, Langley, Seaton, Garrison, Stevens, and maybe Capitol Hill Montessori depending on precisely where you live. Go to the walker Jones open house too. Then rank according to true preference. My advice would be different if you were planning to stay, but pk3 is pretty good most places.

This is the exact advice I’d give. I have a soft spot for Thomson (it would’ve been our IB when we lived near the convention center but we ended up moving). It does have a slightly more preferable middle school feed if you do end up staying. Some people hate that the playground is not awesome but they seem to do a lot of city walks which I think is nice.

We went to Walker Jones a few times for some speech testing and it wasn’t a bad vibe, but it is a much bigger school. Thomson felt more cozy (for lack of a better term).

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The schools above plus Cleveland and Mundo Verde if you want some Spanish exposure (Cleveland does both immersion and regular I think). I don’t know a ton about either but have friends who commute to both from not insignificant distances and are very enthusiastic about the schools.

[Anonymous]

Are you from out of town and currently renting in one of the buildings near Mount Vernon square? Walker Jones is probably good/fine and a guaranteed IB preK3 admission. You could also get into Thompson instead in the lottery. But that area wouldnt be my personal first choice for preschool years. It is high in traffic and somewhat low on playgrounds and weekend kid activities (like ballet, soccer, tball, and options for summer camp). The problem however with moving is preK3 is not guaranteed in most of the “desirable” zones. You would need to decide to move for reasons that extend beyond just school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The schools above plus Cleveland and Mundo Verde if you want some Spanish exposure (Cleveland does both immersion and regular I think). I don’t know a ton about either but have friends who commute to both from not insignificant distances and are very enthusiastic about the schools.

+1 OP, FYI, MV is 90% from pK to K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools above plus Cleveland and Mundo Verde if you want some Spanish exposure (Cleveland does both immersion and regular I think). I don’t know a ton about either but have friends who commute to both from not insignificant distances and are very enthusiastic about the schools.

+1 OP, FYI, MV is 90% from pK to K.

*90% Spanish

[Anonymous]

I live in your hood. This is a total no brainer: Go to Thomson out of boundary. You will get in even if you’re wait listed initially and you can walk.

Great principal who has been there for 12 years. She knows the name of every kid in the school. Awesome staff. It’s an IB (international baccalaureate) school and its ECE program was written up as a global model by IB. Tons of Spanish speaking kids. (We joke that it’s back door bilingual). Easy to lottery into. Decent middle if you decide to stay in the area that long. Building does kinda suck but the other stuff makes up for it.

I checked out Seaton, Walker-Jones, CHML, Two Rivers both at open houses and asking friends who work for DCPS. Thomson was and still is clear winner.

[Anonymous]

If you're only staying for a few years, people seem to really like Friendship Armstrong. I think they use a Reggio Emilia approach to PK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in your hood. This is a total no brainer: Go to Thomson out of boundary. You will get in even if you’re wait listed initially and you can walk.

Great principal who has been there for 12 years. She knows the name of every kid in the school. Awesome staff. It’s an IB (international baccalaureate) school and its ECE program was written up as a global model by IB. Tons of Spanish speaking kids. (We joke that it’s back door bilingual). Easy to lottery into. Decent middle if you decide to stay in the area that long. Building does kinda suck but the other stuff makes up for it.

I checked out Seaton, Walker-Jones, CHML, Two Rivers both at open houses and asking friends who work for DCPS. Thomson was and still is clear winner.

Yeah, I have experience at one of the bolded schools, and friends at Thomson, and even I agree that Thomson is the best option here.