Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years

[Anonymous]

Can anyone help me figure out which Bethesda elementary schools are still small (say, less than 100 students per grade), and which are likely to stay small for the next few years given planned residential development nearby?

So far, it appears that list includes Seven Locks, Bradley Hills, and Bannockburn. Am I missing any?

[Anonymous]

Somerset
Westbrook
Carderock Springs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somerset
Westbrook
Carderock Springs

Somerset is in Chevy Chase, not Bethesda (feeds to BCC though)

[Anonymous]

bannockburn elementary, great freeder cluster too.

[Anonymous]

It's kind of hard to predict with any certainty. My kid's ES was super-overcrowded at one point, and then the boundaries were re-drawn and now it's under capacity and the other ESs nearby are now more overcrowded.

MCPS is always tweaking things.

[Anonymous]

Bannockburn
Carderock
Somerset

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's kind of hard to predict with any certainty. My kid's ES was super-overcrowded at one point, and then the boundaries were re-drawn and now it's under capacity and the other ESs nearby are now more overcrowded.

MCPS is always tweaking things.

Ha so true. We are on the flip side of this.

[Anonymous]

I would argue <100 kids is only meaningful vis-a-vis the number of teachers/sections per grade. Our school which has been listed above and is otherwise deemed underutilized always hovers between 3 overstuffed classes and 4 reasonable classes, but usually 3 sections and it sucks. There's an unpredictable sweet spot around here with DC area being such a transient place for the parents/job cost of living.

[Anonymous]

Potomac, not Bethesda, but Cold Springs ES

[Anonymous]

Bannockburn and Carderock Springs definitely - they are in an area with much higher property prices and low rental stock.

Bradley Hills (where my kids went) is a newer and bigger building that could accomodate more students, plus it is in an area with varied housing stock and more rental opportunities.

[Anonymous]

What about Burning Tree? Not OP but we are looking at a house that feeds into BTES and also trying to find a school that won’t likely be overcrowded in the coming years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Burning Tree? Not OP but we are looking at a house that feeds into BTES and also trying to find a school that won’t likely be overcrowded in the coming years.

Burning Tree isn't a large school, but it is overcapacity because its building is small and old, and projected to remain that way.

[Anonymous]

Definitely Seven Locks. It's historically been small and people are leaving for privates in large numbers right now. Admin is a mess.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for these responses. How about Wood Acres-- grade and class sizes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn and Carderock Springs definitely - they are in an area with much higher property prices and low rental stock.

Bradley Hills (where my kids went) is a newer and bigger building that could accomodate more students, plus it is in an area with varied housing stock and more rental opportunities.

It could but enrollment has been staying pretty steady after the covid outflux to private schools. I think it'll stay small.