What are the top Public Schools in N. Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Much like the poster of a previos thread, I am considering a move to VA, but my move (from DC) is entirely based on the superior public schools in North Arlington. I have two elementary school-aged children and love living in a city, walking to do errands etc. I am most interested in a kid-friendly area with plenty of kids down the block but my primary criterion is good schools - right through high schools. What are the best schools/school clusters and where should I be looking in North Arlington? My DCs are bright (like everyone else's on this board!) friendly and sweet; one would thrive anywhere and makes friends easily. One has ADHD with no learning issues and less comfortable making new friends. The latter child does best with smaller class sizes/or more than teacher per classroom. What are your all's opinions and best schools for us and where I should look?

[Anonymous]

I'd probably look for something in Yorktown vs. Washington-Lee since W-L is overcrowded and getting more so all the time. I've heard great things about McKinley and Tuckahoe, which feed into Williamsburg and Yorktown. (If you can afford something in Westover/Larchmont/Parkhurst, those have a nice little walkable area w/ shops and restaurants.) Some homes around Tuckahoe are walkable to the East Falls church metro. We're about to move into Nottingham's boundary; have gotten negative feedback about the principal but good feedback otherwise. Jamestown might be farther north than you want to be. The arlington public school website has good information on class sizes, demographics, special needs education, etc.

If you want easy metro access and walkability to stuff and don't mind a more crowded high school, you can find something on the orange line corridor walkable to Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square or Ballston metro.

[Anonymous]

Thinking about moving into the Jamestown district and have heard negative things about the principal and turnover of teachers. It looks like they will be getting a new principal in July. Anyone have any thoughts on this good/bad/other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd probably look for something in Yorktown vs. Washington-Lee since W-L is overcrowded and getting more so all the time. I've heard great things about McKinley and Tuckahoe, which feed into Williamsburg and Yorktown. (If you can afford something in Westover/Larchmont/Parkhurst, those have a nice little walkable area w/ shops and restaurants.) Some homes around Tuckahoe are walkable to the East Falls church metro. We're about to move into Nottingham's boundary; have gotten negative feedback about the principal but good feedback otherwise. Jamestown might be farther north than you want to be. The arlington public school website has good information on class sizes, demographics, special needs education, etc.

If you want easy metro access and walkability to stuff and don't mind a more crowded high school, you can find something on the orange line corridor walkable to Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square or Ballston metro.

McKinley feeds into Swanson and then W-L or Yorktown depending on the neighborhood. Most of Tuckahoe feeds into Swanson and the northern part feeds into Williamsburg, and then Yorktown. In 2008, according to a Washington Post list of high achieving elem schools, McKinley was rated the #1 elementary in Northern Va because it had the highest number of students that tested as "advanced." (79% of the school's students were advanced.) Other N Arlington schools like Taylor, ATS, Jamestown, Nottingham, Sci Focus, etc were close behind. It's become difficult to get into Science Focus these days because of overcrowding issues along the "orange line neighborhoods," but if you can afford a house within its boundaries, the neighborhood amenities and the school are worth it. Science Focus was a 2010 Intel Schools of Distinction Finalist. Overall, all the N Arlington schools are good--some do stand out above the rest--but there are plenty of high achieving kids at every school. The PP's advice is good.

[Anonymous]

Nottingham is great and feeds into Williamsburg and Yorktown. HB Woodlawn is the best HS in Arlington, but it's a magnet. You could find something within walking distance of the lee Harrison shops. They have Harris Teeter, SBUX, bagel shop/dell, elevation burger, pet store, bank, shipping place, decent Italian, Mexican, sushi, Chinese and Thai restaurants, as well as popular kids' activities like karate, ballet and JW Tumbles.

[Anonymous]

20:12 - have you been happy with Nottingham? that's good to hear. We're moving to 22207 (yorktown/country club area) in August and my daughter will be in kindergarten there in a few years. That shopping center is great, and we're walking distance from it. (there's also the fabulous Chestnut Hills park up at Harrison/27th.)

10:21 PP here - thanks for the correction on the middle schools. I only saw a couple of houses in McKinley's boundary and one in Tuckahoe (my price range is low for those schools), so I wasn't sure on their middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd probably look for something in Yorktown vs. Washington-Lee since W-L is overcrowded and getting more so all the time.

This is false. Current projections show both N. Arlington middle and high schools at WELL over capacity within the next 5 years (even with both high schools just completing/finishing up additions). I believe both middle schools and HS were in the 130% capacity range. If I were moving to Clarendon area, I'd not count on going to Swanson or Williamsburg. I think there's a very good chance that some of those neighborhoods will be redirected to Thomas Jefferson MS in the coming years.

As someone who used to work in the real estate industry, I would caution you about buying a home in an area and expecting to go to a specific school. That can change at any given time. ESPECIALLY in the current climate of overcrowded schools in N. Arlington. There is NO guarantee that the school your children will currently go to will be the same in 5 years.

[Anonymous]

A lot of Clarendon already goes to Thomas Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of Clarendon already goes to Thomas Jefferson.

Not Lyon Village...yet!

[Anonymous]

Not in Arlington, but you might find Falls Church City more walkable than North Arlington. They are known for superb schools, even moreso than Arlington.

(coming from a Fairfax County mom who works in Falls Church City)

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of kids in Clarendon go to Longbranch, which I think feeds into Jefferson and then Washington-Lee. don't quote me on that, though. I looked at a few houses that had that combination of schools. Arlington is strange - so many split-feeder schools. (then again, fairfax has some too.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of kids in Clarendon go to Longbranch, which I think feeds into Jefferson and then Washington-Lee. don't quote me on that, though. I looked at a few houses that had that combination of schools. Arlington is strange - so many split-feeder schools. (then again, fairfax has some too.)

No, that's exactly right. South of Wilson (or of Clarendon Blvd?) is zoned for Long Branch. Then Jefferson, which has the middle school IB program, and then W-L, which has the high school IB program.

It is definitely weird how the school zones are divided, at least to me. I grew up in a town that had a sort of stacked funnel system, whereas Arlington seems more like a decision tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of kids in Clarendon go to Longbranch, which I think feeds into Jefferson and then Washington-Lee. don't quote me on that, though. I looked at a few houses that had that combination of schools. Arlington is strange - so many split-feeder schools. (then again, fairfax has some too.)

Ashton Heights and Lyon Park..the houses on the Clarendon side.

Lyon Village and down by Rosslyn..houses on Wilson blvd side are 'Science Focus/Key' or 'Taylor'. This is why housing prices are much higher in this neighborhood (and proximity to nicer part of Clarendon).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of kids in Clarendon go to Longbranch, which I think feeds into Jefferson and then Washington-Lee. don't quote me on that, though. I looked at a few houses that had that combination of schools. Arlington is strange - so many split-feeder schools. (then again, fairfax has some too.)

Ashton Heights and Lyon Park..the houses on the Clarendon side.

Lyon Village and down by Rosslyn..houses on Wilson blvd side are 'Science Focus/Key' or 'Taylor'. This is why housing prices are much higher in this neighborhood (and proximity to nicer part of Clarendon).

Ashton Heights and Lyon Park..the houses on the Clarendon Blvd side...are Longbranch...and I think some even Glebe (at least up by Ballston).

Lyon Village and down by Rosslyn..houses on Wilson blvd side are zoned for 'Science Focus/Key' or 'Taylor'. This is why housing prices are much higher in this neighborhood (and proximity to nicer part of Clarendon).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in Arlington, but you might find Falls Church City more walkable than North Arlington. They are known for superb schools, even moreso than Arlington.

Clarify this please?