Moving to Va - which neighborhood/pyramid for great schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In most cases, FCPS would be as good or better than most in U.S.

Pretty naïve statement. There are many schools in FCPS that are below higher SES schools in other places. Hate to tell you, but it is not the system, but the economics that usually determine the rating of the schools. Fairfax generally has a higher rating because of the higher average. However, if OP is moving from a small, affluent system, it is likely that the schools there are just as good or better than FCPS.

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.

It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We live in MoCo, near some really awful public schools in Silver Spring (hence the moving) We moved here just out of school and before kids. DD currently goes to private school. We are more familiar with MoCo schools, for comparison we had considered moving to Churchill or Whitman HS pyramid area.

As I'm sure many others have done, we are weighing the options between continuing to live somewhere more affordable and paying 2 private school tuitions, or buying into an area with great public schools. In this respect, we are looking for public schools that would be on par with what we'd get for private school. 2 kids * 25k/year+ tuition over 12 years = 600k

To be honest, in addition to wanting good schools, I'm tired of living where we are. Our car has been stolen, vandalism and theft are really common, fights break out at the grocery store. I know this stuff happens everywhere, it's just too frequent here.

[Anonymous]

We've been happy with WSHS, Irving and our feeder ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We live in MoCo, near some really awful public schools in Silver Spring (hence the moving) We moved here just out of school and before kids. DD currently goes to private school. We are more familiar with MoCo schools, for comparison we had considered moving to Churchill or Whitman HS pyramid area.

As I'm sure many others have done, we are weighing the options between continuing to live somewhere more affordable and paying 2 private school tuitions, or buying into an area with great public schools. In this respect, we are looking for public schools that would be on par with what we'd get for private school. 2 kids * 25k/year+ tuition over 12 years = 600k

To be honest, in addition to wanting good schools, I'm tired of living where we are. Our car has been stolen, vandalism and theft are really common, fights break out at the grocery store. I know this stuff happens everywhere, it's just too frequent here.

Wow, according to everyone here, I thought ss and takoma park were great. I guess the large population of disadvantaged have negative effects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Another moving to Va thread.. but would appreciate some input.

Both of us work in Reston Town Center. We'd like a commute under 20-25min. DD is 6, with another DD on the way. We expect to live there 10-15 years, probably until the kids finish high school. We are looking for really great public schools. Are Langley and Woodson the top high schools? If so, what elementary schools are good in those pyramids? What neighborhoods/zipcodes should we be looking at? We have been focusing mostly on FCPS. Are they significantly better than Loudoun County schools? Are there any really great schools in Loudoun county? Budget is $800k, maybe $850k.

Thanks for your help

It's a big county, and those are only two of the good ones.
Also consider (all within your 20-25 minute target):
McLean
Madison
Oakton
Marshall

The closest high school to Reston is South Lakes, and it has a mixed reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds awful I know but I don't know that you can buy in the Langley pyramid with a budget of $800k.

Not true in the slightest. Just did a quick search on Redfin for houses in Langley pyramid < $800,000 and 45 results came up.

[Anonymous]

We live in Western Loudoun, Purcellville specifically (20132), and moved here because they have all A rated schools from kindergarten through high school. I work in Reston, and my commute is about 30 minutes if I take the Greenway. It used to take me longer when I lived in Great Falls because of all the traffic on Georgetown Pike. The Greenway is expensive but you'll save significantly on real estate vs Ashburn or nearby locations in Fairfax County. While I was thrilled with the schools I was surprised by the increase in my quality of life. This is a very family oriented community, a lot of professionals, and people seem to be much more social than back in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds awful I know but I don't know that you can buy in the Langley pyramid with a budget of $800k.

Not true in the slightest. Just did a quick search on Redfin for houses in Langley pyramid < $800,000 and 45 results came up.

There's definitely housing in that price range zoned for Langley. It's mostly in Great Falls near the Loudoun border or some of the pockets of Reston and Herndon zoned for Langley. If I were looking there with young kids, I'd be focusing on the elementary schools. In another decade, it's quite possible that area could be going to Herndon, rather than Langley, as FCPS to build another high school in western Fairfax and there may be more students who live closer to Langley near Tysons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Western Loudoun, Purcellville specifically (20132), and moved here because they have all A rated schools from kindergarten through high school. I work in Reston, and my commute is about 30 minutes if I take the Greenway. It used to take me longer when I lived in Great Falls because of all the traffic on Georgetown Pike. The Greenway is expensive but you'll save significantly on real estate vs Ashburn or nearby locations in Fairfax County. While I was thrilled with the schools I was surprised by the increase in my quality of life. This is a very family oriented community, a lot of professionals, and people seem to be much more social than back in Fairfax County.

I'd think moving from Silver Spring to Purcellville would be quite a culture shock. It is pretty, but more exurban than suburban. It's also very red, with a big homeschooling community.

[Anonymous]

Vienna is a good choice with great schools. There won't be any vandalism and fights at the grocery store. That sounds awful, OP.

[Anonymous]

There are some nice neighborhoods just south of Reston that feed into Oakton HS with very good elementary and middle schools. The Franklin Farm area is nice. There are also some neighborhoods zoned for Langley that area very close to Reston to the north/slightly east.

[Anonymous]

You really can't go wrong in that budget. I'd look at Town of Vienna (zoned Madison), 22182 zoned for Marshall, and also Langley, but really any of these are great, within commuting range, and you can focus your search more based on neighborhood feel/house style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really can't go wrong in that budget. I'd look at Town of Vienna (zoned Madison), 22182 zoned for Marshall, and also Langley, but really any of these are great, within commuting range, and you can focus your search more based on neighborhood feel/house style.

There are equally nice neighborhoods in 22182 in OP's price range zoned for Madison and McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another moving to Va thread.. but would appreciate some input.

Both of us work in Reston Town Center. We'd like a commute under 20-25min.

Live in Reston.

+1 Stay out in Reston, why would you want to deal with a commute for slightly higher test scores when the schools out there are great, too?

[Anonymous]

I'd look at Oakton and Vienna- they both abut Reston. You could also look at Great Falls ( homes are typically more expensive) which feeds into McLean schools. You can probably get to your workplace from any of these areas in less than 15 minutes. You might want to let us know if you are looking for a pool, walkable, etc. community because there are some areas that offer these amenities.