Q for Reston moms

[Anonymous]

We're relocating to the DC area, specifically Reston. What are the best elementary and middle school districts? I know there's only one hs. TIA for the help

[Anonymous]

Also, we're looking to buy and our budget is 500-600k if that makes a difference for which district.

[Anonymous]

I have a rising Kindergartener, so this consumes my thoughts these days.

Reston is really divided in half - North and South Reston. The kids in North Reston are for the most part zoned to Herndon HS, which is considered "better" than South Lakes HS. I think it all has to do with wealth of the families in the district, and I don't really believe either school is really better.

The most sought after elementary schools from what I can tell are the ones in North Reston - Armstrong and Aldrin. Yes, the astonauts I don't hear a lot about the other schools, other than people saying how "bad" Dogwood is. Again, I think that has to do with the demographics of the neighborhood - there is a section 8 housing development down the street with lots of ESOL students and of course kids on free and reduced meals. It is a Title I school and has a lot of difficulty with NCLB, although they are on the upswing. If they hit all their targets this year, they will no longer need to offer transfers, which to certain people is just awful as they were sure they would be able to transfer their kid to a "better" school nearby. I honestly say give the school a chance, it may surprise you, but I'm all liberal and pro-public school, so what do I know?

There are 2 specialized programs at the public schools - Spanish Language Immersion at Lake Anne ES and an Arts and Science Magnet program at Hunters Woods ES. We have applied to both as out of district residents. The Immersion program is a little more exclusive - it is only available to two classes per grade, half of which are students from in the schools boundaries, and of course they also want half native spanish speakers and half native english speakers. The magnet program is offered to ALL students in the school, so if you're in boundary, you get the specialized curriculum.

The one other school I want to mention is Terraset, as they have a special program that is only offered in a small number of schools in the county where the kids get foreign language as part of their normal curriculum but are NOT full immersion programs. Terraset offers Spanish through the FLES program.

There are a couple schools in Herndon that are immersion programs that you can apply to from 1st grade on - Herndon, Fox Mill and Floris. The other 2 I mentioned start at the K level.

2 Reston schools still have the half-day K, but that MIGHT be ending soon. Those 2 are Armstrong and Sunrise Valley. The county board and school board are working on budgets and plans to finally get all the schools in the county to full-day K, as there are currently 37 schools out of 137 that still have half-day (of course, that is also in the "richer" districts, as that is how they did the roll-out). It could happen next year or it could be a couple more years before all FCPS schools have full-day K. I personally will throw a party if they get it done next year, because trying to figure out the logistics and expense of half-day K to deal with my work schedule is making me feel like my head just might explode.

GOOD LUCK! I personally love this area - so many amenities so close.

[Anonymous]

I would disagree that Herndon HS is better than South Lakes.

Also, you might want to look at Forest Edge ES, which is an AAP Center. And it has full-day K. You would find many homes in your range. Our kids go there (we moved last year) and have been so welcomed to the community by neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would disagree that Herndon HS is better than South Lakes.

Also, you might want to look at Forest Edge ES, which is an AAP Center. And it has full-day K. You would find many homes in your range. Our kids go there (we moved last year) and have been so welcomed to the community by neighbors.

I was the poster that wrote a book above. I did not say either HS was better - that is just what I hear out and about. It always comes back to school demographics, really.

Glad to hear you like Forest Edge - I always wonder about that one as it doesn't get mentioned much on all the local boards. My daughter has at least one classmate at her center who will be there next year. I haven't seen any single families in our price range pop up over there (we want a SFH and NOT another TH, but we'd like to spend below $500K).

[Anonymous]

NP here - Many people perceive Herndon to be better than South Lakes and I agree with the PP that it's probably largely attributed to wealth. I also believe that Herndon has higher test scores than South Lakes, but we all know that's not the end-all be-all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also believe that Herndon has higher test scores than South Lakes, but we all know that's not the end-all be-all.

which, again, largely comes back to demographics. Things likely will change, though, since the big redistricting fight that happened a couple years back. South Lakes is pulling from a few more higher-income neighborhoods and that should change the situation a bit. My neighbor actually chose South Lakes over Herndon when her son was in HS BEFORE the redistricting happened (she was a renter at the time so she could move around a bit). There are pros and cons to ANY school.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the great info.

I have a follow-up q about Lake Anne ES. I think it's great that it has an immersion program. Is it a good overall school too? Is the immersion program hard to get into?

[Anonymous]

I live in Vienna, but applied to the immersion program last year for my son who entered K this past fall. We were placed on the waitlist (initial number was in the upper teens) and we got a call over the summer (July, maybe?) asking us if we wanted a spot. I have not idea how many people were on the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all of the great info.

I have a follow-up q about Lake Anne ES. I think it's great that it has an immersion program. Is it a good overall school too? Is the immersion program hard to get into?

Lake Anne is in a neighborhood with a high level of ESOL kids, so take that into consideration when you determine how "good" the school is. They did NOT make AYP last year, but I always take that with a grain of salt. AYP is a ridiculous system, IMHO. The high level of ESOL kids usually brings test scores down and makes AYP hard to hit.

They are also in the middle of a renovation project, so from the outside, it looks like crap. My husband wanted to drive away when we attended the meeting re: the immersion program there. It should be much nicer once the project is over.

It gets high marks on greatschools from the parents, even if the test scores keep the overall rating low.

The principal is leaving this year, so things are in flux right now.

[Anonymous]

Forest Edge is one of the best elem. schools in Reston. There are a lot of really high dollar homes in the district, but there is one older neighborhood by Lake Fairfax where you can get a SFH for a great deal. we bought a 1970s home on a 1.2 acre treed lot in the Uplands for $520k and the neighborhood is fantastic. Lots of kids and new families moving in. There is a pool, playground, tennis courts, baseball diamond and basketball courts - all within walking distance. everyone brings chairs and coolers on sundays and hangs our while the kids play. A lot of the incoming families are all into home remodeling projects and some of the renovations I have seen are really great. Lots of new neighbors who work downtown too, since there are 3 metro bus stops in the neighborhood. we actually left the Aldrin school district to come to this school and neighborhood.