Life after the Lab School of Washington (LSW)

[momof2inmd]

Hello, all. My child currently attends the Lab School of Washington (LSW) for 4th grade. My child absolutely loves the Lab community and school - it's the first place my child has felt real belonging and has made real academic progress. We can't say enough good things about the school. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to keep my child at Lab after next year (5th grade) as tuition is simply not an option for our family beyond that time.

I would really like to know if any of you - and your children, of course - have had a good or great public or private middle school and high school experience after you left Lab. And, at which schools did you have these good or great experiences?

Lab is nearly an hour's drive for us, which has been really difficult on our whole family, but worth it. So I'm willing to hear about any and all experiences within the larger DMV suburbs and exurbs.

Thank you very much from a worried mother who is just trying to do right by her kiddo.

[Anonymous]

See if getting public funding is an option. Especially if you left public and now see progress for the first time. You'll need a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

I would stay at lab or go public and go back to the grind of tutoring multiple days per week. You are kidding yourself if you think the public school will provide remediation. You child will need tutoring probably until 9th grade.
I had a child at Sienna who went to a popular private and it has been a grind. The barely provide accommodations and the homework is massive.

[Anonymous]

If you don't say generally where you are, it's very hard to make recommendations. What schools are closer to you? Commute is important.

Are Siena or McLean options for you? I believe Siena is cheaper, not sure about McLean.

Have you talked to Lab about possibly getting some FA? As a Lab family, we definitely vote for staying, but money and commute sound like big problems for you. I moved to be closer since it was important to us to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See if getting public funding is an option. Especially if you left public and now see progress for the first time. You'll need a lawyer.

No one is getting public funding for lab anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See if getting public funding is an option. Especially if you left public and now see progress for the first time. You'll need a lawyer.

No one is getting public funding for lab anymore.

I know 3 kids there now, paid by mcps. It's not easy, but it's not impossible.

[Anonymous]

I know girls who were at Lab who are now at School of the Holy Child (in Maryland)
I know students who had less of a gap who went to Sienna as well as Commonwealth Academy
There are a few schools between DC and Annapolis that I had heard of but never explored - Summit School, Chelsea School
I know students who have had success with Catholic Schools as well - but it is hit or miss with that and you need to really understand their commitment to differentiated learning

[Anonymous]

Went to McLean after Lab and had a tremendously positive experience.

[Anonymous]

MCPS will allow your private pay kid to ride the MCPS bus to Lab (or other school like Chelsea) with an MCPS funded kid whose family agrees. Just putting that out there in case it helps someone.

Have you tried talking to Lab about financial aid?

It seems like a couple of the Catholic high schools (St. John's College and Good Counsel) have programs that may be helpful, but you have a few years before HS.

Our advocate told us maybe 4 years ago that MCPS doesn't do any reading remediation starting in middle school, just accommodations. And it seems like the new budget certainly isn't adding funding for special es in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See if getting public funding is an option. Especially if you left public and now see progress for the first time. You'll need a lawyer.

No one is getting public funding for lab anymore.

I know of 1 kid who was approved starting 2 years ago from MCPS.