Buying a House in a Neighborhood w/ Less than Stellar HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I totally agree about the White flight comment. Was thinking the same thing.

White flight, urban filght, crime flight, watever kind of flight you want to call it.....yes I will fly far far away into a nice neighborhood with good schools for the sake of my children's education, safety, and future opportunities. To do otherwise is foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I totally agree about the White flight comment. Was thinking the same thing.

White flight, urban filght, crime flight, watever kind of flight you want to call it.....yes I will fly far far away into a nice neighborhood with good schools for the sake of my children's education, safety, and future opportunities. To do otherwise is foolish.

If you can do that, great, but many people cannot afford to live in the areas with the "best" schools. I agree with the previous poster who said safety is most important - if I feel my child is in danger or in a situation where they cannot learn because they do not feel safe, they are not going to go to that school. But there are plenty of schools that are more diverse and have lower income students, but they are not dangerous. Those types of schools do not need to be automatically eliminated because they don't get the best test scores.

[Anonymous]

I know womeone who has been teaching at an elem school that feeds into Einstein for over 10 years. She says that many families end up moving out of the area once their kids hit middle school (Sligo) or high school (Einstein).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I totally agree about the White flight comment. Was thinking the same thing.

White flight, urban filght, crime flight, watever kind of flight you want to call it.....yes I will fly far far away into a nice neighborhood with good schools for the sake of my children's education, safety, and future opportunities. To do otherwise is foolish.

If you can do that, great, but many people cannot afford to live in the areas with the "best" schools. I agree with the previous poster who said safety is most important - if I feel my child is in danger or in a situation where they cannot learn because they do not feel safe, they are not going to go to that school. But there are plenty of schools that are more diverse and have lower income students, but they are not dangerous. Those types of schools do not need to be automatically eliminated because they don't get the best test scores.

Of course, why wouldn't someone want to move to the best district they could afford? How is this white flight? I'm thinking its economic flight, maybe that's white people, maybe that's brown people, but its people who can and want to afford their children the best that their money can buy.

I'm white and left the Bailey's Cross roads area of Falls Church and I left a largely brown population behind. I don't feel one bit guilty, I can afford it and I'm going to give my kids the best education money can buy and live in an area where they can play in safety if that's in a predominantly upper-class neighborhood that has more white people than the neighborhood I left behind, then so what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


Of course, why wouldn't someone want to move to the best district they could afford? How is this white flight? I'm thinking its economic flight, maybe that's white people, maybe that's brown people, but its people who can and want to afford their children the best that their money can buy.

I'm white and left the Bailey's Cross roads area of Falls Church and I left a largely brown population behind. I don't feel one bit guilty, I can afford it and I'm going to give my kids the best education money can buy and live in an area where they can play in safety if that's in a predominantly upper-class neighborhood that has more white people than the neighborhood I left behind, then so what?

I'm trying to take the balanced approach to this debate. When my friend and I were looking at houses - we had to admit at least to ourselves how it brought out the worst side of people. No matter how liberal you may want to be, if you have the financial choice, most people are going for the "best" school district. However, that said, I also see the other side of this because my grandparents were immigrants to this country and could not afford the "best" school etc. but they did the best with what they had and stressed the value of education to all of their children. I am only where I am because of who they were. So I always have to wonder did everyone else's parents go to the best schools? Did they? Are they all from independenly wealthy households? I also remember seeing the films in college (educational policy class ) from Boston in the 70's with school integration and try to stop myself from going to far with the "I only want the best schools" etc., because quite honestly 40 years ago in Boston that would have meant ME not being at that school!

So anyway I think there are many sub debates with this topic. I think somewhere else in the Washingtonpost or maybe on this board there was someone that wrote a book about what to look for in schools (sort of beyond the test scores). One of the things was parent involvement for example - how active is the PTA. I'll be honest - test scores are quick and easy. Truly evaluating the school - takes more work. Some other people also think that putting their kids in the "best" school ends all issues. Maybe daily guns in school isn't the problem - but respecting teachers, drugs, sense of entitlement etc. all happen at the "best" schools and there is always that chance that someone wants to "get back" at other kids and your child gets caught in that. So back to the OP question - I guess find the school that you feel comfortable for your child. Remember there is more than one criteria out there - and do what you can afford. I think from an economic perspective being able to stay in the same house (imagine if your salary goes up, but you are living in the house you had from 30 years ago) is the best thing if job interests don't take you elsewhere. Also, the comfort of your kids knowing kids from when they were young - maybe they won't always be friends but I think it gives them stability and allows them to know people with different personalities and backgrounds that they wouldn't do if they had met them when they were older.

Let us know what you decide to do.

[Anonymous]

My husband went to Kennedy and when we house-hunted we looked in Kensington too but he felt strongly (being from the area) that he did not want our kids to attend those schools. We have a townhouse with a top-rated school district versus having a single-family house that we could have afforded there. It comes down to what you want and I think you are leaning towards buying there and that could be fine-but just do as much research now as you can and def play with the numbers (I also agree with the poster that suggested Olney-very nice!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband went to Kennedy and when we house-hunted we looked in Kensington too but he felt strongly (being from the area) that he did not want our kids to attend those schools. We have a townhouse with a top-rated school district versus having a single-family house that we could have afforded there. It comes down to what you want and I think you are leaning towards buying there and that could be fine-but just do as much research now as you can and def play with the numbers (I also agree with the poster that suggested Olney-very nice!)

OP here, I am actually leaning toward ruling out Einestein neighborhoods. A TH is actually more in line w/ what we are looking for but unfortunately I don't think $450k will buy you one of those in a top rated district either. For us it isn't a matter of more or less house- we were already planning on the less house part, even in Kensington/SS.

[Anonymous]

OP, we are in a similar situation, looking in the same price range. Any comments on neighborhoods within the Richard Montgomery or Rockville High boundaries?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, we are in a similar situation, looking in the same price range. Any comments on neighborhoods within the Richard Montgomery or Rockville High boundaries?

Me too, I would also be interested in NOVA neighborhoods in this range.

[Anonymous]

Are you looking to move by the time your kids reach HS age? The pendulum will probably swing the other way 10 years from now when your oldest child is ready.

There have been a couple of posters who have said this and while it is nice to dream, Einstein and Wheaton have been the terrible high schools in Montgomery County since before my Dad was at BCC (he's almost 70) so I find it highly unlikely that this will change.

But there are definitely tons of families that live in the Einstein neighborhoods in Kensington who move when it's time for their kids to go to middle or high school.

[Anonymous]

Alot of Kensington feeds into B-CC. Have you checked the boundaries of the different neighborhoods in Kensington?

[Anonymous]

To OP: $450 will buy you a very nice relatively new TH in the Manor Oaks area of Olney/Brookeville. Check out the stats for Greenwood Elementary -- demographics and test scores are comparable to Kensington Parkwood Elem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alot of Kensington feeds into B-CC. Have you checked the boundaries of the different neighborhoods in Kensington?

True - but the prices reflect that. The parts of Kensington that feed into BCC or Whitman are much more expensive than those that feed into Einstein. I don't think there is anyway to avoid paying a premium for the "good school" districts.

[Anonymous]

PP is exactly right - the few average sized (3-BR, 2-BA) houses in Kensington that are at or near $450K are all in the Einstein school district, even though other parts of Kensington do go to BCC or Walter Johnson high schools (not Whitman).

[Anonymous]

i am in the same boat as op, want to be close in and not in the outer burbs, with decent schools at a reasonable price...is it too much to ask for? where do people who want these things actually live these days??