Relocating from Oregon to VA this summer, looking for input on areas to reside & school system

[Anonymous]

I live in Reston. Though I am unsure of rental prices in the area, I imagine you might be able to get a townhouse in Reston for your budget, in this housing market, maybe even a SFH. My children are young, so no HS students yet. I will say, I work with High Schoolers though, most of whom attend South Lakes, and have been very impressed with what S. Lakes offers as seen through my students. My middle DS attends an Elementary school in Reston that over the years has had a lower rep due to test scores, and we have had an incredible experience thus far. Small class size at his school, lots of resources. My point there being I agree, test scores are not everything by a long shot. Reston has a lot of activities, pools, trails, if that is of interest to you. My DH works in Reston as well, and has to commute into DC a few days a week to meet with clients. He tries to make his appointments from 10-3 or so, and usually has pretty good luck with commuting. There are a few clusters of Reston that are not part of the Reston Association (my neighborhood included). I recommend if you decide on Reston, that you find a neighborhood that is part of RA. That will give you the pool access as well as access to activities at the Resident rate.

[Anonymous]

I would consider living in Loudoun County. Look in the 20165 and 20166 zip code. The schools are generally smaller in Loudoun and the housing is less expensive. The commute to Reston would be a breeze from that area. You're not going to hear much about Loudoun on this forum because it's further from DC, but it's a great area. I don't live there now, but grew up there and still have plenty of friends there.

[Anonymous]

8:44 again. I would agree that Loudoun schools are smaller, and some are very good. I used to teach and live in Loudoun. Depending on how often your DH has to go into DC though, that could add a significant amount of commute time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello

I will be relocating this summer to VA to join my spouse who has been working in DC this last year.
Our 14 y/o daughter will be entering HS in the Fall, we have no idea which one.

To be frank, I'm overwhelmed & confused about how the schools work in VA.
I feel like a very small fish entering a HUGE pond!

I need to know if there is pre-established criteria, test scores, etc, that my daughter must have to attend a school. I also don't understand some of the abbreviations
I've seen on posts.

I've read through posts on the forum & have seen that any post requesting assistance to locate "the best" school can lead to not so nice results.
I know that each person has their own individual reasons for what is "best".

I'll be honest, I don't comprehend the hype about test results & scores that HS's tout.
I don't believe test scores & results "really" reflect the types of kids attending the schools or their families.

In the past we used school "report cards" to assist us in choosing a school for our daughter & were less then thrilled with the results & transferred her within 2 months.


Where we currently reside we only have 1 middle school & 1 HS. The HS has less then 1300 kids attending for 4 grades.

I would ultimately like to find a HS that is similar to the one in our community.
I've been looking at attendance numbers for HS's and am floored at the huge numbers attending these schools. I'd love to find something similar to where we are currently living.

The other requirement is that the area & school be within 1 hour commute to Reston & Boling AFB.
Residing in Maryland isn't an option, our son will be attending his first year of college in VA.


We won't be purchasing a home, only renting. This decision allows our daughter to have an uninterrupted 4 years of HS.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

It seems to me that Falls Church City fits exactly what you are looking for. We moved here last year with a 14 year old (our oldest of three) because of the size of George Mason High School. Only about 180 kids per grade in the entire district. It has made for quick friends and an easy transition. Really great school- check it out. Also, the orange line leaves Falls Church City and heads directly toward Bolling while the silver line will leave FCC and head directly toward Reston. It will be tough to find a SFH in your range, but you could maybe consider a townhouse (which many families do) or upping your budget a bit like most of us had to do when house hunting.

[Anonymous]

I'm partial to Oakton High School since I went there, but it still has good reviews and great test scores. Many people live in the Oakton/Vienna area and commute by bike or car to Reston. There are bike routes along the major roads like Fairfax County Parkway and Lawyers and then there is the W&OD Trail that runs through Vienna, Reston, Herndon, and Leesburg. The commute to Reston isn't very bad at all from any of those towns. Franklin Farm is a very nice community slated to Oakton High and probably has rents in your price range. South Lakes gets good reviews as well and there are plenty of neighborhoods in Reston that feed into it. Fox Mill Estates is a neighborhood that used to be in the Oakton boundaries but is now in South Lakes. It is a very nice and reasonably priced neighborhood as well.

[Anonymous]

I think I know exactly where he will be working....building will be occupied this summer. If so, Reston is probably where you want to live. I commute from Vienna, and it is about 18 minutes, but prices will be north of your 2500/month number. You may be able to do that in Reston, and will be able to do that in Herndon.

[Anonymous]

The first question you need to ask yourself and your spouse - what commute are you (as a couple) willing to deal with? The commute isn't just about your husband sitting it traffic. It is also about time away the family. We started further out and moved closer in, but our children were not school age yet. That said, some poeple don't think the commute is that big of a deal. I wanted my husband to get home in time for dinner with the kids.

My sister lived in Reston and loved it. Our dentist is out there. It is a great community. But your budget pretty much excludes a SFH.

I'm a big fan of Fairfax County, and lived in Springfield. Springfield, Fairfax Station, and Burke are great, you will more likely be able to find a SFH in your budget, and it has a lot of great schools. The good thing is if you stay on the west side of Springfield, his commute won't be too bad (30 min) AND you aren't too far from a metro to catch the sites in DC, or for him to commute to DC on occasion.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

80% of the abbreviations here refer to elementary school gifted programs.

If Reston's the only place you worry about, Leesburg actually becomes an option -- the smaller high schools in Loudoun County might be something that appeals to you. You can get a SFH for your price range, there's plenty to do, and DC becomes an easy day trip (heck, you could take the commuter buses in.) If you want a small-town sort of experience, there's places for you here, if you want to live in a giant house in a sparkling new subdivision, there's places for you as well.

Now if your hubby is going to Bolling, or anywhere in DC, more than 1-2x a month, anywhere in Loudoun becomes somewhat to completely insane from a commute perspective. You might find an older/smaller SFH in the Town of Vienna, or a TH in Vienna/Falls Church, for your price.

Reston itself works well, too. There's Metro opening sometime next year (not sure how long you'll be in the area.)

[Anonymous]

Here we go again with Burke is 30 minutes from everything. The FFX county Pkwy is too unpredictable, live closer to Reston.

[Anonymous]

Craigslist has plenty of rentals for single family homes in Fairfax and Loudon County for $2500 and under if you need other rental sources.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who suggested living in Loudoun in 20165 or 20166.

Springfield, Fairfax Station and Burke would not be fast commutes to Reston.

I would not live in Leesburg because the fastest way to get to Reston in on the Greenway and that toll is ridiculous. A trip down Rte. 7 would also be horrible. I would avoid Ashburn for the same reasons.

[Anonymous]

The schools that most match what you seek are in the City of Falls Church. Fairfax County schools are huge and best serve the best or worst. Average kids have to fend f themselves and get no extra attention, assistance, or support. If you decide to go with Falls Church City DO NOT MAKE the mistake of Finding a home with a Falls Church address that is actually in Fairfax County. Falls Church City has Metro stops at both it's East and West ends. The Metro is rapid transit system both above and uNderground in DC Metro area. The Falls Church City high school is George Mason Jr/Sr high.

Falls Church, JEB Stuart, and George C Marshall High schools are Fairfax County Schools with Falls Church mailing address.

[Anonymous]

Ashland is great. I've been to the Shakespeare Festival. You won't get the same artsy vibe, but Reston may be a very good option, also parts of the Madison High School Pyramid. Although it is average for FCPS high school size wise, it pools from a much smaller geographic area so it feels smaller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The schools that most match what you seek are in the City of Falls Church. Fairfax County schools are huge and best serve the best or worst. Average kids have to fend f themselves and get no extra attention, assistance, or support. If you decide to go with Falls Church City DO NOT MAKE the mistake of Finding a home with a Falls Church address that is actually in Fairfax County. Falls Church City has Metro stops at both it's East and West ends. The Metro is rapid transit system both above and uNderground in DC Metro area. The Falls Church City high school is George Mason Jr/Sr high.

Falls Church, JEB Stuart, and George C Marshall High schools are Fairfax County Schools with Falls Church mailing address.

How is it a mistake to buy a home with a Falls Church address that is actually in Fairfax County? Some of the Fairfax County school pyramids that border Falls Church City, such as the Haycock/Longfellow/McLean pyramid, are every bit as good (and some would say better) as the Falls Church City schools.

[Anonymous]

PP must be a Haycock parent (rolling my eyes). IT would be a mistake if the person was aiming for Falls Church City schools and, coming from out of state, didn't realize there was a difference. If the person wants a small school district, they may be upset to realize "Falls Church High School" is not the high school of the City of Falls Church and they are actually in a huge school district instead of the small one they wanted. It would be an easy mistake to make because the cities/counties don't work the same way in some other states. For example, where I grew up, you live in a city AND a county, not one or the other like VA.