Question about Woodward High School and Kensington/Garrett Park real estate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. I do not want to pay 200K more for a home zoned for Walter Johnson and then get rezoned in a few years when we could have bought a home for $200K less across Connecticut Ave zoned for Einstein. A home is the largest purchase we will ever make. I want to know definitively which schools we are getting for the price, and if we are stretching for a home zones for good schools, I can’t afford to then pay for private if resining doesn’t go well. And yes, test scores and schools do matter to a lot of people. That is why the current price differential in this area exists. If it didn’t matter, the homes in Kensington zones for different schools would not be so differently priced. The main reason we are moving to the burbs is schools and because we need another bedroom. Private schools around here go for $40K a year so with 2 children only $100K will not cover that difference - unless you are only talking a year of high school. I’m trying to understand the situation better but 4 years seems a long time to wait to make decisions that significantly impact real estate value and families.

You can not get a guarantee. Your kids are very young. Every time they build a new school changes are made. You would have to avoid all growing school districts and I am not sure that exists in this area. Also realize that when they redistrict the make up of the school changes..the reputation changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. I do not want to pay 200K more for a home zoned for Walter Johnson and then get rezoned in a few years when we could have bought a home for $200K less across Connecticut Ave zoned for Einstein. A home is the largest purchase we will ever make. I want to know definitively which schools we are getting for the price, and if we are stretching for a home zones for good schools, I can’t afford to then pay for private if resining doesn’t go well. And yes, test scores and schools do matter to a lot of people. That is why the current price differential in this area exists. If it didn’t matter, the homes in Kensington zones for different schools would not be so differently priced. The main reason we are moving to the burbs is schools and because we need another bedroom. Private schools around here go for $40K a year so with 2 children only $100K will not cover that difference - unless you are only talking a year of high school. I’m trying to understand the situation better but 4 years seems a long time to wait to make decisions that significantly impact real estate value and families.

The price differential is not solely about the test scores or the "best" schools. It's also about the peer groups parents want their kids spending time with, and the assumptions many parents make in that regard.

OP, you either rent in Kensington/GP and wait to buy until this issue is resolved, or you buy in a "safer" district like Whitman or Churchill. Those are the MoCo options right now for people with your priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. I do not want to pay 200K more for a home zoned for Walter Johnson and then get rezoned in a few years when we could have bought a home for $200K less across Connecticut Ave zoned for Einstein. A home is the largest purchase we will ever make. I want to know definitively which schools we are getting for the price, and if we are stretching for a home zones for good schools, I can’t afford to then pay for private if resining doesn’t go well. And yes, test scores and schools do matter to a lot of people. That is why the current price differential in this area exists. If it didn’t matter, the homes in Kensington zones for different schools would not be so differently priced. The main reason we are moving to the burbs is schools and because we need another bedroom. Private schools around here go for $40K a year so with 2 children only $100K will not cover that difference - unless you are only talking a year of high school. I’m trying to understand the situation better but 4 years seems a long time to wait to make decisions that significantly impact real estate value and families.

You’re right that $200k is a lot of money and I understanding wanting certainty here. As a longtime resident of this area who has known UMC kids at all the high schools you mention, though, I just want to suggest to you that just because people pay $200k more for something doesn’t mean it’s worth $200k more. There is also a historically black neighborhood right near there called Ken Gar that is zoned to Parkwood too, but the houses go for much less — because buyers don’t pay as much to live in a historically black neighborhood. Buyers aren’t always right. I would be wary of living somewhere where people paid $200k more than the house across the street just for a richer school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. I do not want to pay 200K more for a home zoned for Walter Johnson and then get rezoned in a few years when we could have bought a home for $200K less across Connecticut Ave zoned for Einstein. A home is the largest purchase we will ever make. I want to know definitively which schools we are getting for the price, and if we are stretching for a home zones for good schools, I can’t afford to then pay for private if resining doesn’t go well. And yes, test scores and schools do matter to a lot of people. That is why the current price differential in this area exists. If it didn’t matter, the homes in Kensington zones for different schools would not be so differently priced. The main reason we are moving to the burbs is schools and because we need another bedroom. Private schools around here go for $40K a year so with 2 children only $100K will not cover that difference - unless you are only talking a year of high school. I’m trying to understand the situation better but 4 years seems a long time to wait to make decisions that significantly impact real estate value and families.

You can not get a guarantee. Your kids are very young. Every time they build a new school changes are made. You would have to avoid all growing school districts and I am not sure that exists in this area. Also realize that when they redistrict the make up of the school changes..the reputation changes.

True. You would also have to avoid all shrinking school districts, if there are any. Rezoning is going to happen from time to time. It's an inherent risk. If you're really concerned about not staying at the schools you think you paid a premium for, maybe you're more risk-averse and shouldn't pay that premium. Plenty of nice and more affordable homes in Oakland Terrace.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Kensington Parkwood and love this area. I used to be worried about the same thing OP but then I read all the notes from the various PTA meetings and I'm not longer worried. The PTA and cluster representatives have been super organized in dealing with this change and their position is clear that WJ current students would go to either WJ or Woodward. Woodward will pull from the some area and have brand new facilities so probably would be even better than WJ. Real estate values will not go down because the school will be new and great. The area is very convenient and everyone I've met is very friendly. Great place for kids

[Anonymous]

also would note that WJ is looking at putting a magnet program in Woodward which would mean that it would be a choice whether to switch from WJ to Woodward. KP is not one of the closest schools to Woodward and we're not in the middle school closest to Woodward (we go to N. Bethesda not Tilden) so that's another reason I don't think we'll be rezoned to Woodward. But even if we were, I think it will be a great school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't buy for the public schools in Montgomery County unless you buy right on top of the school. You could look at the area right next to Churchill or Whitman.

Even then, it may not work.

We are zoned for a school 1.5 miles away, though we live only several blocks from a different ES and MS.

[Anonymous]

Woodward is going to be a beautiful, brand new school, likely with an amazing performing arts magnet. It’s going to be really nice - not sure what people are so worried about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woodward is going to be a beautiful, brand new school, likely with an amazing performing arts magnet. It’s going to be really nice - not sure what people are so worried about?

Last I checked, there was no determination on if it will be a magnet.

[Anonymous]

We avoided the same area for the same reason, OP. Even if they are not reassigned, it is guaranteed 4 years of non-stop stress, politics, attending inane BOE meetings, involvement in community, PTA, all that jazz. I liked the areas, but no way was I going to sign up for all this. I simply took most elementary schools in Walter Johnson off my Redfin notification list.

[Anonymous]

Buy a house as close as you can get to WJ high school if you are worried about boundary change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:also would note that WJ is looking at putting a magnet program in Woodward which would mean that it would be a choice whether to switch from WJ to Woodward. KP is not one of the closest schools to Woodward and we're not in the middle school closest to Woodward (we go to N. Bethesda not Tilden) so that's another reason I don't think we'll be rezoned to Woodward. But even if we were, I think it will be a great school.

What do you mean that "WJ is looking at putting a magnet program in Woodward". WJ is doing nothing. It is MCPS making these decisions. My crystal ball says that Woodward will become part of the DCC and house either a DCC-wide or county-wide audition only, performing arts magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We avoided the same area for the same reason, OP. Even if they are not reassigned, it is guaranteed 4 years of non-stop stress, politics, attending inane BOE meetings, involvement in community, PTA, all that jazz. I liked the areas, but no way was I going to sign up for all this. I simply took most elementary schools in Walter Johnson off my Redfin notification list.

Um, "all that jazz" is not guaranteed. Plenty of reasonable people could buy a house they like, and live there and be happy attending the schools they're zoned for, whatever they may be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:also would note that WJ is looking at putting a magnet program in Woodward which would mean that it would be a choice whether to switch from WJ to Woodward. KP is not one of the closest schools to Woodward and we're not in the middle school closest to Woodward (we go to N. Bethesda not Tilden) so that's another reason I don't think we'll be rezoned to Woodward. But even if we were, I think it will be a great school.

What do you mean that "WJ is looking at putting a magnet program in Woodward". WJ is doing nothing. It is MCPS making these decisions. My crystal ball says that Woodward will become part of the DCC and house either a DCC-wide or county-wide audition only, performing arts magnet.

Isn't Northwood already a performing arts school?

In my view, they need to create a computer science magnet. I know that Blair is the science school and they have computer science but computer science is where the jobs are going and having a school with a lot of offerings in different languages and skillsets would be very helpful in getting a leg up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woodward is going to be a beautiful, brand new school, likely with an amazing performing arts magnet. It’s going to be really nice - not sure what people are so worried about?

+1. If I were buying now, I'd get a house in the Viers Mill ES zone. Currently zoned to Wheaton HS, but highly likely to be rezoned to Woodward. It's the closet DCC school to Woodward, and would provide some much-valued diversity in demographics.