House buying stragegy to help a child to get into middle school STEM magnet at Takoma Park Middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the TPMS boundary:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/TakomaParkMS.pdf

If OP was buying a house solely based on slightly raising their child's chances of a TPMS STEM slot, they would buy in-bounds for East Silver Spring ES, which feeds to TPMS.

Yes, it is a GS5 as opposed to PBES's GS6, but the test scores show that similar kids do well at both schools. The "advantage" of ESS for TPMS admissions is the size. About 75 kids in 5th grade as opposed to 150. Of course, Piney Branch has its own CES, which is a tremendous draw as well.

It would be silly, though, to buy inbounds for either PBES or ESS "just" for a bit of an edge in TPMS admissions. You would need to like the schools, the neighborhoods, and the high school feeder. It would need to work for your commute, and your lifestyle (small lots in both neighborhoods, with a lot of population density and multi-family dwellings).

For what it is worth, I'd recommend East Silver Spring and Takoma Park even without the TPMS advantage. Both are great neighborhoods, accessible to amenities, and full of interesting people - many of whom are doing a lot of good in the world.

It's not everyone's cup of kombucha, but it's a great place to raise a family even if your kids don't get into any magnets at all.

[Anonymous]

We have always lived in Takoma. Our kid got into the TPMS magnet. (Other kid was already in private and didn’t want to leave her school, even for the magnet, so didn’t apply.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the reason we did not move to Poolesville. Yes, it gives a better chance for any Poolesville resident high schooler to be accepted into the magnet programs or to cherry-pick the various magnet courses, we just did not want to live in such an isolated community.

No longer true for Poolesville - they are not getting seats set aside like Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone for whom this worked, but they had a child who was an EXTREME outlier and might have been admitted even without the TPMS feeder preference, and they were coming from outside MCPS and therefore their calculus was different.

For what it is worth, not all of Takoma Park gets preference at TPMS. There are parts of Takoma Park zoned for Rolling Terrace and SSIMS, and those kids do not have preference.

Conversely, there's a part of Silver Spring zoned for TPMS that does have access to the preference.

I live in that area. Why is it weird that say ESS students have that preference? Just because we don’t have Takoma on our mailing address?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone for whom this worked, but they had a child who was an EXTREME outlier and might have been admitted even without the TPMS feeder preference, and they were coming from outside MCPS and therefore their calculus was different.

For what it is worth, not all of Takoma Park gets preference at TPMS. There are parts of Takoma Park zoned for Rolling Terrace and SSIMS, and those kids do not have preference.

Conversely, there's a part of Silver Spring zoned for TPMS that does have access to the preference.

I live in that area. Why is it weird that say ESS students have that preference? Just because we don’t have Takoma on our mailing address?

I don't think anyone said it was "weird." It's totally reasonable, as the preference isn't for Takoma Park but rather for TPMS in-bounds students.

[Anonymous]

Here's your chance. Needs a lot of work, but it backs to TPMS: https://www.redfin.com/MD/Silver-Spring/132-Ritchie-Ave-20910/home/10976214

[Anonymous]

Takoma has great feel to it and Silver Spring Downtown is very close with tons of urban options.