Capitol Hill vent

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm a Hill resident. I understand your vent, but I also question what you thought you were getting into when you decided to live on the Hill with young kids. There are great elementary schools on the Hill. Options for more schools open up in middle school with charter options, private options, and some make the public options work. Our family opted for a NW private starting in middle school and we deal with a not great but not terrible commute. Kids are old enough at that point to navigate public transportation, and many schools offer shuttles from Eastern Market. You make it work.

Also, in case you aren't aware, many of the privates are very competitive and are not guaranteed to give you a spot. I would keep that in mind for future planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

Field
Burke

[Anonymous]

I could have written this five years ago. We loved the Hill, but left for NW because of schools and are comfortable in public elementary (for now).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

Field
Burke

Right! That’s a grand total of 4.

[Anonymous]

Stuart-Hobson Middle parents see no reason to go somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize most Washingtonians on this thread likely live in Northwest, but I need a second to vent, as a Capitol Hill resident.

There is an appetite for more options.
- Our public early elementary choices are somewhat fine, but there’s a steep drop off as kids get older.
- I respect Capitol Hill Day School as a choice for some families who embrace a very, very progressive education model. We’re more traditional in our approach.
- St. Peter’s is also an option for some Catholic families, and I respect that they educate their children in their faith tradition. We aren’t Catholic, so this isn’t an option for us.
- Many Capitol Hill families opt to do the Potomac School because of their bus program, and there’s so many wonderful advantages to Potomac. Their high school course catalog and campus are truly inspirational. We’re reluctant to send our little ones so far away/add a long commute to their every day.
- Many families play the lottery for Basis or Latin charters, and admissions is all luck.

I doubt I’m alone in asking “HOW is there not another viable, more traditional secular private school to meet this Capitol Hill appetite?”

Why do you think so many of your neighbors have moved?
This is not new.
They looked around and realized that as much as they loved their neighborhood - the school options did not meet their needs.
What solution are you proposing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

Field
Burke

Right! That’s a grand total of 4.

Is there a reason Templeton and Parkmont don't count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize most Washingtonians on this thread likely live in Northwest, but I need a second to vent, as a Capitol Hill resident.

There is an appetite for more options.
- Our public early elementary choices are somewhat fine, but there’s a steep drop off as kids get older.
- I respect Capitol Hill Day School as a choice for some families who embrace a very, very progressive education model. We’re more traditional in our approach.
- St. Peter’s is also an option for some Catholic families, and I respect that they educate their children in their faith tradition. We aren’t Catholic, so this isn’t an option for us.
- Many Capitol Hill families opt to do the Potomac School because of their bus program, and there’s so many wonderful advantages to Potomac. Their high school course catalog and campus are truly inspirational. We’re reluctant to send our little ones so far away/add a long commute to their every day.
- Many families play the lottery for Basis or Latin charters, and admissions is all luck.

I doubt I’m alone in asking “HOW is there not another viable, more traditional secular private school to meet this Capitol Hill appetite?”

Why do you think so many of your neighbors have moved?
This is not new.
They looked around and realized that as much as they loved their neighborhood - the school options did not meet their needs.
What solution are you proposing?

Also, you have all the options. You just want a very specific traditional, non progressive, secular, private school located on Capitol Hill. Those are few and far between no matter where you live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

Field
Burke

Right! That’s a grand total of 4.

Is there a reason Templeton and Parkmont don't count?

OP wants "traditional".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW but ya it surprises me that there is no secular private high school near you - seems like it would be popular. Moving a private school in DC has become difficult because of the NIMBYs, at least where l live in NW - see GDS and River. You’d think a private school was worse than the vacant stores and vape shops on Wisconsin, the way the neighbors behave.

There aren’t many secular private schools in dc period.

Maret
GDS
…. What else am I missing?

“Private high school” to clarify.

Field
Burke

Right! That’s a grand total of 4.

Is there a reason Templeton and Parkmont don't count?

OP wants "traditional".

those also aren’t on the Hill

[Anonymous]

Home school with help of a tutor/nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I realize most Washingtonians on this thread likely live in Northwest, but I need a second to vent, as a Capitol Hill resident.

There is an appetite for more options.
- Our public early elementary choices are somewhat fine, but there’s a steep drop off as kids get older.
- I respect Capitol Hill Day School as a choice for some families who embrace a very, very progressive education model. We’re more traditional in our approach.
- St. Peter’s is also an option for some Catholic families, and I respect that they educate their children in their faith tradition. We aren’t Catholic, so this isn’t an option for us.
- Many Capitol Hill families opt to do the Potomac School because of their bus program, and there’s so many wonderful advantages to Potomac. Their high school course catalog and campus are truly inspirational. We’re reluctant to send our little ones so far away/add a long commute to their every day.
- Many families play the lottery for Basis or Latin charters, and admissions is all luck.

I doubt I’m alone in asking “HOW is there not another viable, more traditional secular private school to meet this Capitol Hill appetite?”

Why do you think so many of your neighbors have moved?
This is not new.
They looked around and realized that as much as they loved their neighborhood - the school options did not meet their needs.
What solution are you proposing?

Also, you have all the options. You just want a very specific traditional, non progressive, secular, private school located on Capitol Hill. Those are few and far between no matter where you live.

+1 there have been past threads in this same theme—I remember posters asking why there aren't more secular co-ed private schools in Montgomery County, why there aren't secular all-boys schools other than Landon in the DC area, why there aren't any Catholic co-ed schools that are big feeders to Holton-Arms. At the end of the day, if you aren't at all flexible about your wishes for a school, you need to pick where you lived based on the available schools. An expensive neighborhood with limited nearby school options that you consider acceptable was a choice!

[Anonymous]

You need to be flexible. My son goes to Gonzaga and yet we are not even Christian. My son is very happy there. Our other kid went to Walls