Tell me about Darnestown ES, Lakelands MS, and Northwest HS

[Anonymous]

Since everyone else seems too concerned about redistricting, I'll offer some info relating to your original question...

Darnestown ES is an excellent elementary school with few discipline problems and a VERY low teacher turnover rate. Many of the teachers are "lifers" and have been there for 10+ years. Even the younger teachers have been there a while. The teachers really care about the students and are part of the community.

The school is small as far as elementary schools go and has a very "community" feel to it--meaning that the principal knows pretty much every family that goes there. The PTA is pretty active and there are always lots of parents in the school during the day. Parent volunteers are definitely well-received.

The class sizes are bigger, just because that's what happens with budget cuts. But it's no different than any other elem school that isn't impacted by poverty. The students are fairly well-behaved in general.

Now, the downsides.. every school has them. The building is in need of a remodel, but it seems to keep being pushed back. That being said, it isn't a gross place, just old, and very small. The 4th and 5th grades are all in portables, but by the time your LO gets there, they should have had the expansion.

Due to the school's small population, a lot of the specialists are part-time and teach at two schools. If your child has special needs, their specialist might not be in the school all day every day. Also because of the size--and lack of poverty impact--DES and schools like it are the first to be cut in terms of para support. Again, if your child needs extra support (not necessarily special education, but extra help in reading or math) there are fewer paras to go around, and they may be assigned to truly high needs kids.

Also, it's worth noting that this school is very, very affluent, and students who do not fit this profile may feel excluded. I'm not saying it's snobby, but it's something you should know. I can imagine that some parents who cannot volunteer in the classroom regularly or be active in the PTA might feel less of a part of the school. But again, I don't see it as a reason NOT to send your kids there. The parents that do participate do a wonderful job of putting on events and fundraisers that the kids really enjoy. They also do a lot of "drives" (books, coats, school supplies, canned food) for lower-SES schools in Gaithersburg, which is thoughtful.

As far as redistricting goes... I wouldn't worry about it at all, especially if you're talking about K next fall. Even if the school assignment area is changed, if you LO is already in K, you can apply to stay there. Not a big deal, and not worth worrying about, if you've already decided to move up there just for the schools.

As far as the MS and HS situation... both are excellent. In MCPS, we tend to be caught up in which school is "best" without realizing that 2nd or 3rd (or 10th) best is still amazingly high quality.

[Anonymous]

PP - I didn't realize you could apply to stay in your school if there is redistricting. Is this guaranteed or on a lottery? If they are redistricting because of population growth - I can't imagine that everyone would be able to stay. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

It's not guaranteed--I was talking about a Change of School Assignment, so it's definitely something you have to plead your case for. It's usually for parents who have a reason (work, child care) for their kids to go to a school other than their home school, but you can try it for redistricting, too. One of the "reasons" is that your child already attends the school you want to change their assignment to--like if you moved out of the assignment area, or were in a special program at that school.

It's not a lottery and it's not guaranteed, but it's a definite possibility. For Darnestown, though, I really don't see why they would redistrict and take students out--the school population is small enough as it is. The only thing I could see would be moving students IN, once they get a renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, are you zoned for Twinbrook ES?

OP here. Yes, we're currently zoned for Twinbrook ES.

To 00:46, thanks for all the great info! It is exactly what I was looking for. Can you elaborate on the paragraph about affluence and feeling left out? Do the kids from affluent families tend to segregate from the less affluent ones or is it that the affluent parents are able to be more involved with the school? We are by no means affluent, according to this area's standards, and we both work full-time, but I work from home most of the time, so I may be able to take some time here and there to participate.

[Anonymous]

I didn't mean to scare you with the affluent statement--I haven't seen any evidence of kids/parents actually being excluded. It's just that I could see feeling left out if you weren't able to be as active (we are definitely not "affluent" by the area's standards!) I don't know if it applies to the students either. I never saw any bullying or "rich kids" sticking together. Just know that you'll see a Porche or two in the parking lot sometimes--it was a bit of a shock for me at first. But as far as it being a negative, I think it's fine. Especially if you work from home and WANT to come in and volutneer. The PTA has lots of "jobs" for parents who can't come in during the day, so there are definitely opportunities for everyone to participate on special activity nights and fundraisers. You're not going to be squeezed out by a parent clique or anything like that-sorry if it came out that way!

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks for elaborating. Fancy cars, I can handle, as long as the school feels like a community for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic class. I used to work with students at an affluent HS in this area, and was very shocked initially to see lots of BMWs in the STUDENT parking lot, so I'd imagine it's something similar. But from what you said earlier, Darnestown ES sounds like a wonderful place in general.