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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
Where else to get honest info on FCPS?
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Anonymous
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Loudoun County schools are going to be in a heap of trouble in coming years. I did a paper back in 2002 re: the amount of schools that were going to need to be built just to house all the children, and that was just with approved construction at THAT point. I don't even want to think about how overcrowded that place is going to be if the voters, who are notoriously anti-tax, refuse to pass school bonds for construction.
Just food for thought... |
Anonymous
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OP, we are very happy with our LoCo ES but we are in an area that has been built out for some time now. Most of the original owners in our area have college-age+ children. Oh, and they have attended colleges such as UVa, W & M, NYU and Tufts. We are not suffering from the larger class sizes that plague the rising 4th graders at other LoCo ES. Some of ES in the newer areas like Brambleton are indeed overcrowded (Legacy ES is one example).
Our DC is in FUTURA and while this GT program is very different from the so-called "gold standard" of FFX Co AAP centers, DC has been challenged beyond our expectations. DC also participates in CTY and Fairfax Collegiate summer camps as well as a number of school- or PTA-sponsored afterschool enrichment programs. Loudoun also offers a very wide range of sports programs. Hockey (street and ice) is huge here as well as lacrosse. Our area is home to many diverse and highly educated families who demand that their children be given every chance to succeed. AOS (Academy of Science) at Dominion HS had 600 applications for 60 places. No, I know that it's not TJ (MANY Loudoun students, especially from River Bend MS, attend TJ) but the teacher quality is impressive. I hope you find the right home and community for you and your family. |
Anonymous
| I loved the suggestion of a park near you. I remember hearing all the moms of school-age kids talk about the local schools when I used to visit it the park with my young children. Of course, that assumes you can narrow down the area to a couple of neighborhoods, otherwise you'd be visiting a lot of parks! |
Anonymous
I don't know if Fairfax is "the gold standard," but most of Loudoun is about as sterile a suburb as exists. Total Olive Garden territory! |
Anonymous
| Totally agree. Stick to Fairfax County. My good friend just over the border bemoans her decision to leave. LoCos FUTURA is a snack compared to Fairfax's AAP meal. |
Anonymous
I like being within walking distance of movies, (non-chain) dining, church, school, and other amenities, all for 1/3 the price of Alexandria/DC and complete with lower crime and non-terrible public schools! But keep on keeping it real in your 800 square foot condo without a washer and dryer, and where your car's been broken into twice in the past year. (Hey, if we're all going to stereotype, we may as well include the DC/Arlington/Alexandria stereotypes, too!) |
Anonymous
Where in Loudoun are you? Not being nasty, just genuinely curious. I would love to live in the downtown Leesburg - if it made ANY sense for our commutes. Honestly, my commute is what keeps us in Fairfax. If only my husband made alone what we currently make combined.... |
Anonymous
A block outside the Old and Historic District. My wife and I both work west of Route 28. 3000 square feet, all brick, on a quarter-acre. 8-15 minute walk to anything in downtown Leesburg. |
Anonymous
OP here. If only I didn't work on Capitol Hill . . . |
Anonymous
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I know it's hard for many bitterly sarcastic DCUMers to believe but lobbyists, Capitol Hill staffers, Dept. of State FSOs and others do live out in Loudoun (mostly Eastern Loudoun). Most of those I've met seem to arrive at work early and leave early. They seem very satisfied with the quality of life there.
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Anonymous
| It depends what your commuting limits are. I have an hour door to door limit. Working on Capitol Hill, that would pretty much rule out Loudoun for me. If you're willing to have a longer commute for a bigger house, that is up to you. I know some people who moved out to Front Royal and commute at 4 am because they really wanted farmland. It is all about what you are willing to do to have YOUR dream. |
Anonymous
The downsides are (1) I pretty much rule out jobs in VA closer than Tysons, anything in DC, and anything in MD closer than maybe Germantown, and (2) I don't get to hop over to museum and Kennedy Center type things as readily as the folks here do. I work in IT, so it's not a deal-killer the way it would be if I were a lobbyist, lawyer, or other occupation that rarely ventures into even Tysons. The upside is I get to do 80-90% of the things folks here state as their ideal and for probably 1/3 the price. Being closer to family (that likes us and our DD) never hurt either. |
Anonymous
| Have you started looking at houses? The way the market is now it is in your favor. At the beginning of May there were quite a few properties available in your price range that were in the Falls Church City school district, Woodson HS pyramid and even some in the McLean. They maybe smaller houses and need a little work but if schools and neighborhoods are important to you just take your time searching. Inventory is really low now that we have reach July 4th. Have you considered Marshall HS pyramid there are a some great neighborhoods with houses in your price range that feed into it. It is smaller than most high schools which is nice. It is diverse and from what I understand very close knit. AND Your kid shouldn't get sliced. And this is coming from someone who just moved into the McLean pyramid and now is second guessing our choice. Only time will tell. |
Anonymous
PP who asked the question of you. My husband works in Ashburn, and I have thought about Loudoun many times. If I didn't have to go to South County area in Fairfax several times a week, we'd move to Leesburg in a second. I agree with the downsides you posted above. We live in Reston and hardly ever go downtown, either. |
Anonymous
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Houses in Greenbriar (Chantilly/Fairfax line) are very affordable and great elementary school (Greenbriar West) and middle school (Rocky Run).
When we were looking for houses, I just struck up conversations with every parent I met in the pediatrician's office, on the playground, etc., about their kid's school. Worked because we were looking at houses near where we were living. |