How is southern HS in Lothian ?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone! Me and my husband have found a house only 30 mins from dc with amazing land and acreage and the zoned schools are Deale elementary, southern middle & high. We have 3 kids so schools are a big factor. We wanted to know if anyone has any more information or experience on these schools? And if they are decent? Great schools doesn’t tell much for us. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

OP HERE, it’s in harwood, sorry but south AA county

[Anonymous]

Hello! We're in AA county--moved here from Montgomery Co in 2019. Southern High School is considered ok, not the best but pretty average. I think the elementary and middle schools are fine. You may want to see if you can tour and get a feel for it yourself?

We're in the South River High School cluster (next high school over) which is considered better. We have the STEM magnet program which makes it more desirable. Within AA county, a lot of people used to (and still do) look down on "south county" and basically any high school that is not Severna Park but that has been changing in recent years. We really like life out here. The pace is slower and it feels more rooted in community. Best of luck to you!

[Anonymous]

Agree with the previous poster that South River High School is generally the more preferred school, but it’s also more expensive to buy a house there than it is to buy one in the Southern cluster. A house with land and acreage zoned to South River (especially if it’s in Davidsonville) will easily cost $1M+.

Southern is still a fine school. It has an extremely tight-knit community—probably the most in the county, and it’s the type of place where everyone looks out for each other, but the area is highly rural and some of the kids have depression from the lack of access to things to do.

I definitely think it’s worth considering—especially for the right house, but scope out the area in depth first and really think about it because it will be a huge change in lifestyle.