Alexandria city vs. FCPS Alexandria
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Anonymous
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We are TTC and renting right now in Cameron Station, and I'm just wondering if anyone has feedback on either school system as we start to think seriously about buying a home. I am not sure that I would send my child to either one for HS or MS (I tend to think we would not) but you never know and I want to be prepared in case we do go that route- and I am definitely open to doing so for ES. I have actually been both a public and independent school teacher, and I think there are many advantages to public education, I'm just worried about the rest of the kids in the class and bad influences etc - that's why I am sort of leaning private. We have already been through the "starter home" and wherever we settle down is where we are going to stay for good unless something pretty crazy happens. So here are my questions:
1. Is there any benefit to being in FCPS if you are in the Alexandria section, or does it not really matter b/c you still won't be going to McLean or Langley HS? 2. Thoughts on TC Williams vs. Hayfield vs. Edison - is there one that is better? It looks offhand like Edison is better than Hayfield (academies, IB). I heard the "jail or Yale" statement about TC Williams once and while it looks like they do have some good offerings (finance academy, lots of APs) I am very concerned about the interaction between the "Yale kids" and the "jail kids." 3. If we buy in Cameron Station the elem. school will definitely be Samuel Tucker - but if we were in the Hayfield section or the Edison section, there are more choices depending on where we buy - is there a particular elementary school that is most sought after? 4. What about middle schools? Anything to know about? 5. Does anyone know if there is a high percentage of families in Cameron Station with HS age kids? I wonder where most of them go to school? Private or TC Williams? |
Anonymous
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You left out the West Potomac district, which has a large number of kids who come from backgrounds where education is highly valued.
Given a choice, I'd pick West Potomac over TC Williams, Hayfield or Edison. However, if you aren't willing to send your kids to a school with a sizable percentage of lower-income kids, you either need to look some place other than Alexandria or go private. |
Anonymous
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While I applaud you, OP, for thinking about these things, my initial reaction (as a mother of a 5 yo, 3 yo and 10 month old) is that it is WAY too early for you to be having these discussions.
As background, we recently moved from Old Town (Lyles Crouch district) to the Alexandria section of Ffx Co. (WW, Sandburg, WestPo). The main driver for doing this wasn't really the quality of the City of Alexandria MS or HS b/c my kids are YEARS away from that. But simply more practical quality of life issues (we wanted a yard, strong community, etc.). Don't take this the wrong way, but I strongly feel that you should focus more on finding a nice (affordable) community, in a house where you can see yourself getting old. Yes, make sure the schools in that area are fine (but really - all the schools in Ffx Co. are good and who knows what the City of Alex. schools will be like years from now). First, because you have no idea what the quality of the schools will be in ANY place in - best case scenario for you - 5 years and for MS/HS you are looking closer to 15+ years away. Second, you have no idea what *your* particular child will need. Third, there is likely to be quite a bit of re-districting going on between now and the time your kids will be entering into school As an example, 10 years ago Lyles Crouch was considered a horrible school. Today, it is one of the best in the City of Alexandria. I'm a big planner myself, and part of the reason we bought our TH in Old Town was b/c of the school district (Lyles Crouch). Fast forward to when my oldest would actually be going to school and we have moved b/c our needs have changed (never thought we'd have 3 kids!). Good luck to you. |
Anonymous
| I have DC at TC now and we are very pleased. The most important thing in determining whether to send your child to any large high school, particularly public, is whether he or she is a good self-advocate, is independent and accomplished, and knows what he or she wants. If he or she is easily led by others, or needs significant academic guidance, you might want to pick a smaller school where the adults are can monitor behavior more closely. |
Anonymous
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The new development in Cameron Station consists primarily of townhouses, which generally don't have a lot of teenagers. It doesn't help that most kids attending Tucker live in the West End of Alexandria near Landmark, which isn't a nice area.
http://www.acps.k12.va.us/enroll/zone_map.pdf |
Anonymous
I wouldn't count on knowing definitively what school your unborn kid will go to...you have no idea how the overcrowding issues are going to play out over the next 5+ years... |
Anonymous
| You might also want to take into account other aspects of both areas, like county services. I live in Fairfax County and my ex lives in Cameron Station. We have access to both Fairfax County and Alexandria City rec centers and classes, and I feel like Fairfax has more options (and cheaper options), in part because it's bigger. Might be worth considering, if you're having trouble with the decision. (My ex really likes Cameron Station, but our daughter goes to school based on my address, and he plans to move out for more space at some point anyway.) |
Anonymous
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Tucker is year round so you don't need to send your child there. BTW it's definitely not a neighborhood school, most children are bused in.
Hands down, FFx cty is the better choice for schools. I would be there is plenty of historical data to back that up too. The schools might get marginally better in 5 years in Alexandria but that's it - marginally. They are pretty bad now with the exception of one or two. MS and HS are really bad. Cameron Station is ok but it's basically nice housing they dumped in a ghetto -y area. |
Anonymous
| I applaud OP for thinking ahead. I also agree with PP - Fairfax County is your better choice. |
Anonymous
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Thanks for all of the advice. I work in education so I guess that's why I am more mindful of this than others might be.. but I do think that even if we never have kids, there is a clear link between real estate and high performing schools, and I'd like to make an informed decision when we buy.
It looks like Fairfax County might be the best option. I really do enjoy living in Cameron Station despite the outside area and the school issue- I feel like it has a clear sense of community, friendly people and I like the easy access to metro and close proximity to DC. The townhome/space issue doesn't really bother me when you are talking about a 2,500 square foot one. Oh well! Time to start looking more at Fairfax County! |
Anonymous
Real estate values in many parts of Alexandria (city) are very high, and this has nothing to do with the quality of the public schools. If you are ok with independent schools and like a neighborhood in Alexandria, perhaps consider staying. And as others have said some of the city's schools are improving. And maybe expand your search into Falls Church city, Arlington, etc. |
Anonymous
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You can still find a sense of community if you are not in Cameron Station. And as others have stated, not a whole lot of families with older kids live there. If you want to do more research, you should see what the schoolboard and local elected officals have projected for schools and their plans for improving them. Look at their priorities. If there are not many concrete and funded initiatives that would affect your child's experience, don't count on much changing for the next 10 years - especially in this era of shrinking budgets. School systems don't change on a dime.
Also, there are parts of Alexandria in Fairfax County west on LRT. |
Anonymous
Pretty sure that being a teacher doesn't make you more mindful of education than...say...people who kids are actually in the education system. And honestly, if you don't have kids, where you want to live may change DRAMATICALLY. The amount of space you want/need will change, the area/neighborhood (e.g., who wants to live way out in the burbs, surrounded by kids, longer commute, etc., if you don't have kids and can live closer to the city, your work, restaurants, clubs, etc. I know this sounds snarky, and truly, if you plan to have kids, you should think about these things, but it sounds like you are thinking about moving really soon (pre-kids) and I just can't imagine how I would have felt if I had moved somewhere for kids I didn't yet have (for the schools, etc.) and then couldn't get pregnant. Sorry to be a downer but too many of my friends have had infertility problems for me not to be cynical. |
Anonymous
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Wow- what a rude, rude comment all around!
I would tend to disagree with you that I am not more mindful of education than people who have kids in school - I'm "pretty sure," as you so nicely put it, that I think about education minimum 50 hours per week. I am not a classroom teacher, by the way, I'm an administrator (although I guess that part doesn't really matter), but what a snarky way to put that! FYI- the only reason I made a comparison in the first place was to explain my background and the fact that this may be on my mind more than others. For what it's worth, we are not thinking about moving "really soon." If you read my post, it said that we are STARTING to think seriously about buying a home. I'm not going to move somewhere "just for kids" when I don't have kids. However, when we are actively trying to conceive, it is completely valid to start thinking about options so that we are more prepared when it comes time to actually make a move.
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Anonymous
TC also has a large number of kids and families who highly value education. This year's class received offers from Stanford, Cornell, Penn, UVA (many, many kids), Middlebury, Duke, Haverford, Oberlin, William & Mary, Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins, Smith and Columbia, among others. And only one was an athletic recruit (Columbia). I'm sure our stats hold up against those of Edison, Hayfield, or West Potomac -- or St. Stephen's, for that matter. |