Recommendations for schools in south arlington?

[Anonymous]

I got the FAR stats from schooldigger.com, so I didn't make those up. I don't know their source.
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0027000083/school.aspx

Anyway. Still on the fence between a smaller house in the North Arlington neighborhood I love or a bigger house in Barcroft. Will figure it out eventually, I guess!

[Anonymous]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll be happy with either choice once your family settles in.

The Arlington Public Schools website updates demographic data every fall, so that is likely the best source.

[Anonymous]

My South Arlington experience started going downhill after we moved in, when our neighbors asked us for money and proceeded to do so repeated over the next month until we threatened to call the cops. (It was zoned to Oakridge, BTW.)

Not sure where the PPs live that have had such wonderful experiences in South Arlington. It probably won't be found in the duplexes around Glebe Road south of 395.

Wakefield is 'Yale or jail," a smaller version of TC Williams it seems.

There are things worse than a 25-30 minute commute such as what you'd get in Vienna or McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My South Arlington experience started going downhill after we moved in, when our neighbors asked us for money and proceeded to do so repeated over the next month until we threatened to call the cops. (It was zoned to Oakridge, BTW.)

Not sure where the PPs live that have had such wonderful experiences in South Arlington. It probably won't be found in the duplexes around Glebe Road south of 395.

Wakefield is 'Yale or jail," a smaller version of TC Williams it seems.

There are things worse than a 25-30 minute commute such as what you'd get in Vienna or McLean.

I've seen you post this on another thread. I don't recommend the duplexes around Glebe south of 395 either. BUT that is such a small part of South Arlington and CANNOT be compared to even the rest of Oakridge (Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands are wonderful!), let alone Barcroft, Glen Carlyn, Arlington Forest, etc. And since OP wants a SFH, the area you speak of is totally irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My South Arlington experience started going downhill after we moved in, when our neighbors asked us for money and proceeded to do so repeated over the next month until we threatened to call the cops. (It was zoned to Oakridge, BTW.)

Not sure where the PPs live that have had such wonderful experiences in South Arlington. It probably won't be found in the duplexes around Glebe Road south of 395.

Wakefield is 'Yale or jail," a smaller version of TC Williams it seems.

There are things worse than a 25-30 minute commute such as what you'd get in Vienna or McLean.

I've seen you post this on another thread. I don't recommend the duplexes around Glebe south of 395 either. BUT that is such a small part of South Arlington and CANNOT be compared to even the rest of Oakridge (Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands are wonderful!), let alone Barcroft, Glen Carlyn, Arlington Forest, etc. And since OP wants a SFH, the area you speak of is totally irrelevant.

I freely admit, then and now, that I was burned from the whole area (baby, bathwater, etc.) I'd also be leery of the upper stretches of Shirlington Road and Walter Reed Drive but leave that to others (and there's been a lot changing, even in the few years since I bailed) to fully judge. But 22202 should be just fine, especially the further you get from Glebe Road.

I would say the folks in my old hood are at least somewhat relevant to OP's concerns, as the kids that live there will be going to Oakridge/Gunston/Wakefield. There, depending on the quality of the administration, they will be affecting your child's education (all I'm saying here is some administrations focus on one group to the exclusion of the other. An excellent administration can work with everyone. Not so a mediocre one.)

Also, what percentage of the kids that live in the nicer parts of far south Arlington even go to Oakridge/Gunston/Wakefield? Or is it all Episcopal, SS/SA, O'Connell/Ireton, etc. (and their associated feeders)?

I mean, if private school is a de facto requirement then you gotta factor that into your budget, etc. Could well be cheaper to buy in North Arlington and then remodel.

[Anonymous]

Many if not most families in Aurora Highlands/Arl Ridge today choose to send their kids to Oakridge. Just look at the changing demographics of the school over the past decade. It is one of the more popular elementary schools in South Arlington. While historically a number of families pursued transfers to W-L or Yorktown for high school, or opted for private/independent schools or the HB lottery, I do believe that most families today stick with the neighborhood schools. The demographics of that area have shifted tremendously since Arna Valley was demolished, and many new families have moved into Aurora Highlands/Arl Ridge. And despite perception there have always been strong Wakefield boosters, especially in those neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could well be cheaper to buy in North Arlington and then remodel.

is it really?

[Anonymous]

OP here- We've looked at literally every house in my price range in North Arlington, unfortunately. Not every house is suited for adding on. You have to take into account the size of the lot, and how the house is situated. (legally, you can't add on unless your lot is X SF.) So bumpouts are not always possible. Ramblers are not really suitable for additions because it is enormously expensive to put a second floor on a one-story house. I looked at houses with an eye toward using basements and attics as living space, but the houses in North in my price range generally didn't have those options. A good third of the houses we looked at in North should be listed as tear-downs - with holes in walls, structural cracks, sloping floors, ripped up asbestos tiles, etc. Another third were located on very busy streets. You can't change your street. One house was a great possibility, despite being small, older and on a main road, but then we saw the extremely low-hanging power lines draped over the entire backyard and deck, connected to the house and its neighbors. It was horribly unsightly, and since a friend's house recently burned because of an exposed Pepco live wire after a storm, I nixed that house.

So I pretty much gave up on North Arlington. Let's face it, everyone wants to live there and a lot of them have more money than me. I knew my chances were slim there anyway. I can find something very nice and close-in in South Arlington, so I've decided that's what I'm going to do. If I'm spending this much money on something, it would be nice to actually like my house and not feel like we've outgrown it before we've even moved in.

[Anonymous]

What's your budget? I've seen a lot of houses for sale near Bleumont park that weren't over the top and seemed fine from the outside -- fantastic neighborhood.
FWIW I live in South Arlington (Columbia Forest) but our DC is not yet in school. You can't beat Arlington for its universal, full-day kindergarten and the multiple options for great schools in the future. I'm sure with good parents a kid can succeed in any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many if not most families in Aurora Highlands/Arl Ridge today choose to send their kids to Oakridge. Just look at the changing demographics of the school over the past decade. It is one of the more popular elementary schools in South Arlington. While historically a number of families pursued transfers to W-L or Yorktown for high school, or opted for private/independent schools or the HB lottery, I do believe that most families today stick with the neighborhood schools. The demographics of that area have shifted tremendously since Arna Valley was demolished, and many new families have moved into Aurora Highlands/Arl Ridge. And despite perception there have always been strong Wakefield boosters, especially in those neighborhoods.

Since Arna Valley was demolished? Sounds intense.

Perhaps the Wakefield zone deserves to be returned to its 1967 pre-War borders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- We've looked at literally every house in my price range in North Arlington, unfortunately. Not every house is suited for adding on. You have to take into account the size of the lot, and how the house is situated. (legally, you can't add on unless your lot is X SF.) So bumpouts are not always possible. Ramblers are not really suitable for additions because it is enormously expensive to put a second floor on a one-story house. I looked at houses with an eye toward using basements and attics as living space, but the houses in North in my price range generally didn't have those options. A good third of the houses we looked at in North should be listed as tear-downs - with holes in walls, structural cracks, sloping floors, ripped up asbestos tiles, etc. Another third were located on very busy streets. You can't change your street. One house was a great possibility, despite being small, older and on a main road, but then we saw the extremely low-hanging power lines draped over the entire backyard and deck, connected to the house and its neighbors. It was horribly unsightly, and since a friend's house recently burned because of an exposed Pepco live wire after a storm, I nixed that house.

So I pretty much gave up on North Arlington. Let's face it, everyone wants to live there and a lot of them have more money than me. I knew my chances were slim there anyway. I can find something very nice and close-in in South Arlington, so I've decided that's what I'm going to do. If I'm spending this much money on something, it would be nice to actually like my house and not feel like we've outgrown it before we've even moved in.

Not everyone wants to live in North Arlington by a long shot. A lot of people think it's over-priced and ultimately end up looking at South Arlington and other places further out. In many cases, the idea turns out to be better than the reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Perhaps the Wakefield zone deserves to be returned to its 1967 pre-War borders.

I highly doubt today's school board would ever do that. Neighborhoods have been very defensive of school boundaries, most largely untouched since the mid 80s and early 90s. Although given enrollment projections it would make sense to revert back to the mid 60s high school boundaries for all three high schools, and reopen Stratford Junior High. The current enrollment numbers at the North Arlington high schools will soon approach that of the 1960s, when the high schools were close to 3,000 students each.

Instead, I predict APS will continue to add on to Williamsburg and Swanson middle schools and propose an addition at W-L. HB Woodlawn will remain at the Stratford building, although I hope APS won't increase capacity there again, which is one proposed option. HB works best as a small school.

But when Wakefield high school is rebuilt--the new facility opens in 2013--I predict the enrollment will rise at that school and help alleviate N Arlington overcrowding to a small degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Perhaps the Wakefield zone deserves to be returned to its 1967 pre-War borders.

I highly doubt today's school board would ever do that. Neighborhoods have been very defensive of school boundaries, most largely untouched since the mid 80s and early 90s. Although given enrollment projections it would make sense to revert back to the mid 60s high school boundaries for all three high schools, and reopen Stratford Junior High. The current enrollment numbers at the North Arlington high schools will soon approach that of the 1960s, when the high schools were close to 3,000 students each.

Instead, I predict APS will continue to add on to Williamsburg and Swanson middle schools and propose an addition at W-L. HB Woodlawn will remain at the Stratford building, although I hope APS won't increase capacity there again, which is one proposed option. HB works best as a small school.

But when Wakefield high school is rebuilt--the new facility opens in 2013--I predict the enrollment will rise at that school and help alleviate N Arlington overcrowding to a small degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: One house was a great possibility, despite being small, older and on a main road, but then we saw the extremely low-hanging power lines draped over the entire backyard and deck, connected to the house and its neighbors.

Many of the older neighborhoods in DC, MD and VA have backyard power lines, which keeps the clutter out of the street. I don't know which is safer: power lines along the street or in the backyards/alleys, but I understand your concern.

There are many great neighborhoods and schools throughout Arlington, and getting caught up in the North Arlington frenzy doesn't always make sense. Find a house and neighborhood you like, and you will be happy. Arlington has very active civic associations that care immensely about the quality of the schools and neighborhoods, and the young families that are moving into South Arlington are well-educated and have high expectations for the local schools.

Shopping in South Arlington is also improving. The new Giant at the Penrose Square development will open soon, and new restaurants have opened up near the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. Lost Dog Cafe, the popular Westover restaurant opened on the pike last year.

[Anonymous]

We had to give up on the idea of any kind of house in N. Arlington and are now looking at condos.

I think those who are so optimistic about S. Arlington are not living there and fail to see how slowly change happens. I moved out of S. Arlington maybe 12 years ago and the same area is still run down and crappy - and its a larger area. The population is not going to stop being significantly low income poor recent immigrants families any time soon and while you may avoid them in elementary school, your kids will be with them in middle and high school.