WWYD? If you own or are thinking of buying in an area with iffy schools

[Anonymous]

What do you plan to do when your kids are school age? Private school or move? What do you think will happen in close-in areas where the schools are now considered questionable but where property values are going up - will the schools improve, or will those with kids just send their kids to private school?

I ask because we own in one of these areas, have a toddler, and are trying to figure out whether to stay where we are and do some renovations, or move. If we move it would probably have to be further out (outside the beltway) to get into a better school district at a price we can afford. I'm curious what others would do, and what those in our position plan to do.

[Anonymous]

We left Silver Spring exactly for this reason. The thing is, pretty much everyone in our area sent their kids to private school or moved before their kids started kindergarten. No one seemed to want to be the first to send their kid to the iffy school. So we moved out to Brookeville.

[Anonymous]

We will probably stay, hope for the best and consider private school. Moving further out will affect our commutes which means time spent with children. That being said we are in an improving elementary school district.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and we are not afraid of working class or lower socioeconomic people- as that is where we came from.

[Anonymous]

We bought knowing the schools sucked but dh blindly assumed we would move for better schools when the time came.

5 years later, a 40,000 dollar drop in income and more deeply upside down than I care to share, we are looking at private schools. We would be okay on public until middle school if need be.

I wouldn't buy again knowing the schools sucked.

[Anonymous]

We live in Reston and I always thought we would just move when the time for schools comes. However; we have a toddler now and I love this area! I am considering buying our next me here - the elementary school is good, the middle school is ok and HS is iffy. I think by the time we. Eyed HS it will be improved... Reston is growing so much, and it is expensive, but still cheaper than FCC, McLean, Arlington, Vienna,etc.

[Anonymous]

Iffy by DCUM standards are fine by most everyone else's standard. Iffy on DCUM is every school in MC which is east of Rock Creek Park. Is that your iffy? What exactly is your iffy school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Iffy by DCUM standards are fine by most everyone else's standard. Iffy on DCUM is every school in MC which is east of Rock Creek Park. Is that your iffy? What exactly is your iffy school?

I agree, depends on the iffy school. We bought in Silver Spring thinking that the schools were iffy but in fact, we are quite happy with them. We have two kids, one in HS and the other in MS.

[Anonymous]

OP here - it is the Falls Church High School pyramid. Not FCC, but Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

We bought in an iffy area for the commute, ten minute walk to work. Thought we had to send DC to private but we got into a popular charter: ten minute drive. We love the school. We still have high school but looks like there will be lots of options by then since DC is in preK.

The convenience to work and school will be hard to give up so we are staying put for the foreseeable future. As a bonus, our row house in downtown DC has risen in value since we bought it in 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Iffy by DCUM standards are fine by most everyone else's standard. Iffy on DCUM is every school in MC which is east of Rock Creek Park. Is that your iffy? What exactly is your iffy school?

I agree, depends on the iffy school. We bought in Silver Spring thinking that the schools were iffy but in fact, we are quite happy with them. We have two kids, one in HS and the other in MS.

Where in Silver Spring? Just curious- my kids are still in elementary school, we are satisfied, but can't figure out what we will do about MS and HS.

[Anonymous]

We moved. High quality education was a priority and couldn't afford private school.

[Anonymous]

We have an infant and are in an area with acceptable ES but MS and HS not so much. No clue what we'll do yet but have a decade to figure it out!

[Anonymous]

When my first was a toddler, we lived in an iffy area. We ended up moving and choosing an area with good schools. We were planning on more kids and we thought the cost of privates would be too high. In the end, we went on to have two more kids, so we were glad we made the decision we did.

[Anonymous]

Planning to stay and see what the elementary school is like in a few years. If we're not comfortable with the school then,we'll apply for magnet or check out catholic schools. We love our house, neighborhood, and commute, and the price difference of a house in a top school cluster plus the cost of moving just aren't worth it (or even feasible) for us. It'll be okay.