How easy or difficult is it to transfer schools due to childcare?

[Anonymous]

My parents are retiring and planning to move to VA from out of state to be close to us and help out with our kids when my child starts kindergarten next year. We are zoned for a mediocre elementary school but the neighboring elementary school (1 mile from us) is an excellent elementary school with very active PTA, top notch test scores and overall fantastic reputation. My parents would watch my child after kindergarten daily.

If we buy my parents a house in the better school district, could my children attend the better elementary school?

Not sure if it makes a difference but the house would be under our name. It will be our second home and we will be supporting my parents financially. My children would be watched by my parents daily so there is no deception there.

Could we just register our kids at the school from the beginning since the house will actually be owned by us?

Title, mortgage, bills will all be under our name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents are retiring and planning to move to VA from out of state to be close to us and help out with our kids when my child starts kindergarten next year. We are zoned for a mediocre elementary school but the neighboring elementary school (1 mile from us) is an excellent elementary school with very active PTA, top notch test scores and overall fantastic reputation. My parents would watch my child after kindergarten daily.

If we buy my parents a house in the better school district, could my children attend the better elementary school?

Not sure if it makes a difference but the house would be under our name. It will be our second home and we will be supporting my parents financially. My children would be watched by my parents daily so there is no deception there.

Could we just register our kids at the school from the beginning since the house will actually be owned by us?

Title, mortgage, bills will all be under our name.

Also wanted to add that our currently zoned elementary and the "better" elementary school are in the same school pyramid.

I do not want to do anything illegal. I don't want to hide where I live if I attend a PTA meeting. I plan to be very active in the school. I only want to register my child legally. I want to be able to invite classmates over for a playdate in our home and not feel afraid that we will get caught.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you can claim childcare hardship and say that your child needs to attend Snowflake Elementary because your parents live there and will be providing childcare. It's pretty easy.

No, you cannot register with the second home address even though you own it and are paying taxes. What counts is where you and your child rest your heads each evening. That is your residence.

[Anonymous]

Some schools are full. You can look on dashboard. The school will need to approve and can withdraw the approval for various reasons. Paperwork and deadlines are on the Fairfax school website under Pupil Placement (or at least use to be).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents are retiring and planning to move to VA from out of state to be close to us and help out with our kids when my child starts kindergarten next year. We are zoned for a mediocre elementary school but the neighboring elementary school (1 mile from us) is an excellent elementary school with very active PTA, top notch test scores and overall fantastic reputation. My parents would watch my child after kindergarten daily.

If we buy my parents a house in the better school district, could my children attend the better elementary school?

Not sure if it makes a difference but the house would be under our name. It will be our second home and we will be supporting my parents financially. My children would be watched by my parents daily so there is no deception there.

Could we just register our kids at the school from the beginning since the house will actually be owned by us?

Title, mortgage, bills will all be under our name.

You can ask for a transfer based on childcare, but both schools have to approve it, every.year. If the "new" school is full, they generally do not take additional transfer and can start denying the current ones. What can't you all move into the house in the better ES and your parents move into your current house. Then your child can go tot he better school without any worry that they not be able to attend the next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you can claim childcare hardship and say that your child needs to attend Snowflake Elementary because your parents live there and will be providing childcare. It's pretty easy.

No, you cannot register with the second home address even though you own it and are paying taxes. What counts is where you and your child rest your heads each evening. That is your residence.

Other option is to actually move to a house in the better school zone. The houses in that area are older and not as nice as our newer development.

DH hopes that our mediocre school will improve in the future since the houses in our neighborhood are more expensive than the better school zone.

[Anonymous]

Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

And?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

And?

LMAO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

So you want to be able to eat your cake and keep it too. If you want your child to go to a "higher ranked school" you buy a smaller house in that district like everyone else.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, we have friends who moved to Loudoun County, and are renting out their Fairfax County townhome. Their kids continue to attend the FCPS school that their rented townhome is zoned to. I always thought that cannot be done, but they are doing it. According to them, since they own the home and are paying taxes on it, FCPS legally allows them to send their kids to that school. They have to provide their own transportation of course, but since they drive by the school on their way to work, it works for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

So you want to be able to eat your cake and keep it too. If you want your child to go to a "higher ranked school" you buy a smaller house in that district like everyone else.

When we went house hunting, we had a baby. We thought we would do private school or just move by the time the kids started elementary school. The time has now come but the wrench is my parents' financial situation. We cannot afford to send our kids to private school AND pay for my parents' living expenses (estimating would be about 4k per month). My mother had and fought cancer but is now retired with no money. Thanks for judging though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just switch houses with the grandparents. Problem solved.

Our house is a 6000 sf new home. We were planning to buy my parents a ranch house in the 400-500k range.

So you want to be able to eat your cake and keep it too. If you want your child to go to a "higher ranked school" you buy a smaller house in that district like everyone else.

When we went house hunting, we had a baby. We thought we would do private school or just move by the time the kids started elementary school. The time has now come but the wrench is my parents' financial situation. We cannot afford to send our kids to private school AND pay for my parents' living expenses (estimating would be about 4k per month). My mother had and fought cancer but is now retired with no money. Thanks for judging though.

Sell the 6000 sqft house and buy two smaller houses in the ES district you want. It isn't judging, it is reality. You are trying to game the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, we have friends who moved to Loudoun County, and are renting out their Fairfax County townhome. Their kids continue to attend the FCPS school that their rented townhome is zoned to. I always thought that cannot be done, but they are doing it. According to them, since they own the home and are paying taxes on it, FCPS legally allows them to send their kids to that school. They have to provide their own transportation of course, but since they drive by the school on their way to work, it works for them.

This is not legal. They just have not been caught. They taxes cover who lives in the townhouse, not who lives in the townhouse AND who owns the townhouse (unless they are one and the same). If everyone did this it could double the already large population of the school system.