Top ES with neighborhood feel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

I would also add that some of the reputation for academic weakness is generated from the fact that AES has actual SES/Racial/Language diversity in its ranks. Can't say that so much for Wyngate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s outside of your area but Cold Spring in Potomac. The school is always highly ranked but it’s a very small school and the neighborhoods that feed in are friendly (Fox Hills West and Copenhaver).

Copenhaver is fantastic. The park in that community is amazing. I always wanted to buy a house that backed to the park when the kids were younger.

Copenhaver families do not send their children to public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

Where did these new "state" capacity numbers come from? They added a modular building connected by a wooden covered walkway with several classrooms about 7 years ago, never intended to be permanent, and now that space is officially part of the building? WTF?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

Where did these new "state" capacity numbers come from? They added a modular building connected by a wooden covered walkway with several classrooms about 7 years ago, never intended to be permanent, and now that space is officially part of the building? WTF?

The state capacity numbers aren't new. They're in every CIP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

Where did these new "state" capacity numbers come from? They added a modular building connected by a wooden covered walkway with several classrooms about 7 years ago, never intended to be permanent, and now that space is officially part of the building? WTF?

The state capacity numbers aren't new. They're in every CIP.

So perhaps the more precise question is why was Ashburton capacity 789 in 2024, and now is 823 in 2025? There is no addional space in the building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s outside of your area but Cold Spring in Potomac. The school is always highly ranked but it’s a very small school and the neighborhoods that feed in are friendly (Fox Hills West and Copenhaver).

Copenhaver is fantastic. The park in that community is amazing. I always wanted to buy a house that backed to the park when the kids were younger.

Copenhaver families do not send their children to public school.

I’m sure some do, but if you bothered to read the OP’s post she asked about Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

Where did these new "state" capacity numbers come from? They added a modular building connected by a wooden covered walkway with several classrooms about 7 years ago, never intended to be permanent, and now that space is officially part of the building? WTF?

The state capacity numbers aren't new. They're in every CIP.

So perhaps the more precise question is why was Ashburton capacity 789 in 2024, and now is 823 in 2025? There is no addional space in the building.

Ashburton's actual capacity is technically closer to 677. They added temporary modular buildings in 2018 which brought the "capacity" up to 789. Some more portable trailers brought that "capacity" up to 822 in 2023. The problem is that MCPS is now counting the temporary spaces as permanent, and therefore the CIP is saying that Ashburton is not overcrowded. A load of BS!

[Anonymous]

Current Ashburton parent here. I was initially worried about Ashburton’s relatively (compared to Wyngate) “Great Schools” ranking when we first moved to our house but I’ve so far had positive experiences. It’s a great community with great PTA events like the annual movie night, Fall Festival, and Spring Fling. The Halloween parade on Friday was well attended with the WJ marching band playing. Academically, our GreatSchools ranking is the same as Wyngate (a 9/10). But putting those rankings aside (a lot of debate re how meaningful they are), I find that the 3rd grade curriculum to be a lot more engaging and my kid is challenged and scores very well both in school and on all the standardized tests they do. My son’s teacher has introduced use of a daily planner requiring my son to be responsible for jotting down his homework assignments each week (though the 3rd grade teachers also are super on it and send weekly emails with this info for us parents). On the overcrowding issue, are there a lot of kids? Yes. But as a PP said, the classroom sizes are fine (my son has 22 kids in his 3rd grade class and his classes have never gone over 24). You feel the overcrowding issue in places like lunch period (there are so many and my son has a late lunch period at 1:45 pm but they have a designated morning snack time). Anyway, I am very happy with the school. There was an option in the beginning of the year to do an automatic COSA to Wyngate or Luxmanor. I don’t know anyone personally who took it and my son said no way would he want to change schools.

[Anonymous]

Ashburton is HUGE - so much so that they offered a COSA to anyone who wanted one this year. We started at Ashburton and it was fine, but the school was huge - think 6-7 different kinder classes (my first started in kindergarten and they had 26 kids in it before they were allotted another class, then it dipped down to about 20). We moved and ended up at a different MCPS school and the difference is night and day in terms of community feel. We loved the teachers he had, but the school was overly large, overwhelming for my oldest kid, and we experienced bullying there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Wildwood in Bethesda (Ashburton ES)

Honest question, I’ve always heard that ashburton was the weakest and most over crowded of all the Bethesda Elementarys. Is that outdated

Academically I think it's on par with Wyngate (I've had a child at each) but Ashburton is definitely among the most overcrowded elementary schools in the area.

Ashburton is overcrowded, but the class sizes throughout MCPS are uniform unless Focus/Title I school. So it doesn't make a lot of difference.

You all should be aware that according to the Superintendent's recommended CIP, Ashburton is not overcrowded. I absolutely think it's overcrowded.

Where did these new "state" capacity numbers come from? They added a modular building connected by a wooden covered walkway with several classrooms about 7 years ago, never intended to be permanent, and now that space is officially part of the building? WTF?

The state capacity numbers aren't new. They're in every CIP.

So perhaps the more precise question is why was Ashburton capacity 789 in 2024, and now is 823 in 2025? There is no addional space in the building.

Ashburton's actual capacity is technically closer to 677. They added temporary modular buildings in 2018 which brought the "capacity" up to 789. Some more portable trailers brought that "capacity" up to 822 in 2023. The problem is that MCPS is now counting the temporary spaces as permanent, and therefore the CIP is saying that Ashburton is not overcrowded. A load of BS!

Apparently, it is the state that counts the temporary spaces as permanent. That makes NO sense. Shouldn't MCPS push back on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ashburton is HUGE - so much so that they offered a COSA to anyone who wanted one this year. We started at Ashburton and it was fine, but the school was huge - think 6-7 different kinder classes (my first started in kindergarten and they had 26 kids in it before they were allotted another class, then it dipped down to about 20). We moved and ended up at a different MCPS school and the difference is night and day in terms of community feel. We loved the teachers he had, but the school was overly large, overwhelming for my oldest kid, and we experienced bullying there.

Maybe the COSA offer worked for K? According to the web site, there are 5 K classes, 6 1-4 classes, and 5 5th classes. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ashburtones/classroom/

[Anonymous]

There’s probably not a huge difference between Ashburton and Wyngate academically (Wyngate parent here with a kid that’s actually currently in a CES program). I have heard there are some Ashburton kids that are at Wyngate this year due to overcrowding there. What I do know is that the Wyngate community is fantastic. The ES and MS are within the actual neighborhood which contributes to walkers and families being outside more for those that can get to school this way, or kids in groups. The neighborhood itself is really warm, IMO, and there are so many block parties and just general camaraderie that happens. Even though we are not at the school anymore, we have stayed connected with families, which just creates a really nice vibe for our kid overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s probably not a huge difference between Ashburton and Wyngate academically (Wyngate parent here with a kid that’s actually currently in a CES program). I have heard there are some Ashburton kids that are at Wyngate this year due to overcrowding there. What I do know is that the Wyngate community is fantastic. The ES and MS are within the actual neighborhood which contributes to walkers and families being outside more for those that can get to school this way, or kids in groups. The neighborhood itself is really warm, IMO, and there are so many block parties and just general camaraderie that happens. Even though we are not at the school anymore, we have stayed connected with families, which just creates a really nice vibe for our kid overall.

Also Wygate parent. My 4th grader has a kid from Ashburton.