Fairfax County Alexandria schools, esp. West Potomac and Mt. Vernon

[Anonymous]

It sounds like PP was NOT in the following elementary school zones: Waynewood, Stratford Landing, Fort Hunt, Belle View. Not sure about Hollin Meadows. It sounds like PP may have been over toward Groveton etc.

[Anonymous]

Waynewood Elementary seems like an excellent school. Unfortunately, I'm not too excited about Sandburg and West Potomac. DH thinks West Potomac will improve because the land that the low income apartment complexes is on is worth so much money, that eventually Hybla Valley will be redeveloped. I'm not so sure though...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like PP was NOT in the following elementary school zones: Waynewood, Stratford Landing, Fort Hunt, Belle View. Not sure about Hollin Meadows. It sounds like PP may have been over toward Groveton etc.

We were in one of those. The neighborhoods change quickly street by street. Again, there are a lot of positves with the area. It wasn't a good fit for us.

[Anonymous]

We live in Fort Hunt area. We plan to send our kids to the local elementary school, not sure yet about the middle school and high school. Sandburg does not have a good reputation.

For us, the pros (gorgeous home with a layout that makes sense, beautiful lot, quick commute to DC and Arlington, small town feel, nice neighbors, proximity to Old Town/GW trail) outweighed the cons. I'm thrilled we did not decide to live in a smaller home in South Arlington or further out.

[Anonymous]

Also, Fort Hunt poster again, I have no idea what PP is talking about WRT to property crime. That person must be closer to Rt 1, I have never heard if any property crime occurring in my neighborhood or the surrounding ones, except one isolated incident involving high school students vandalizing a car four years ago. And they got caught and punished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, but the South Arlington schools don't have that great of a reputation either.

Honestly, OP - focus on the elementary school and don't worry about the HS or MS. Really.

Also, FWIW, there is a new principal at Sanburg, isn't there?

My general feeling (MVHS grad who went to Whitman for MS) is that middle school just blows. Whitman was definitely not the best middle school - first time I ever had witnessed a fight and there were a bunch of them. But I survived just fine. So did all my friends. It was pretty easy to avoid the bad crowds and there is something to be said for not being raised in a bubble...

I ended up going to an Ivy league college and then top law school. I think parental involvement is really the key...

I think it's tough to find a middle school ANYWHERE that gets good reviews. GW middle school in Alexandria has a really bad reputation, ClSandburg has issues too. It's not necessarily the school, and has more to do with the age of the kids. That's just a rough rough age.

Have to add that in the ten years since this has been posted, the school has become completely out of control. The principal who replaced Vanderhye is terrified of the students. Students sense that and they run the school. I’ve taught at schools with similar demographics to Whitman and was absolutely appalled at what I saw there. Principal just wants to look good in WaPo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, but the South Arlington schools don't have that great of a reputation either.

Honestly, OP - focus on the elementary school and don't worry about the HS or MS. Really.

Also, FWIW, there is a new principal at Sanburg, isn't there?

My general feeling (MVHS grad who went to Whitman for MS) is that middle school just blows. Whitman was definitely not the best middle school - first time I ever had witnessed a fight and there were a bunch of them. But I survived just fine. So did all my friends. It was pretty easy to avoid the bad crowds and there is something to be said for not being raised in a bubble...

.


Have to add that in the ten years since this has been posted, the school has become completely out of control. The principal who replaced Vanderhye is terrified of the students. Students sense that and they run the school. I’ve taught at schools with similar demographics to Whitman and was absolutely appalled at what I saw there. Principal just wants to look good in WaPo

PP forgot to add that the school I mentioned above is Whitman MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Del Ray with a 3 yo and love the area, but we're thinking of moving out to the Fairfax County area of Alexandria (as close to the GW parkway and trail as possible) for more house and better schools. But now I'm learning that all FFX Co. schools are not necessarily better than Alexandria City. We'd be fine sending DD to Alexandria schools for elementary, but I'm not sure about the middle schools, and I do not want her at T.C. Williams. Not just the test scores/rankings, but the gangs/violence are worse than I'd anticipated. So my main question is: are West Potomac and Mt. Vernon really any better on the gangs/violence issue?

FWIW, I want some socioeconomic diversity, even if it means it brings the school's test scores down. (This is one reason we aren't going to consider private school.) And I know there will be drugs, fights, etc., at any school. But I want a reasonably safe environment, and TC does not fit that bill to me. If MV and WP don't, either, then maybe we need to scrap the FFx Co. idea and try Arlington, although I'm not sure we can afford a SFH there. We're looking for a SFH in the ballpark of $550k, which puts Del Ray, much of Arlington, and some neighborhoods along the GW parkway out of the question. Anyone know where I can get that and good schools without going farther out into the burbs?

For what you’re describing, look at the Edison High school pyramid and Bush Hill/Rose Hill elem
Schools. They are wonderful schools. I love that my kids have a lot of diversity and excellent teachers. We love our community and we are close to Old Town, access to the beltway/395, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Del Ray with a 3 yo and love the area, but we're thinking of moving out to the Fairfax County area of Alexandria (as close to the GW parkway and trail as possible) for more house and better schools. But now I'm learning that all FFX Co. schools are not necessarily better than Alexandria City. We'd be fine sending DD to Alexandria schools for elementary, but I'm not sure about the middle schools, and I do not want her at T.C. Williams. Not just the test scores/rankings, but the gangs/violence are worse than I'd anticipated. So my main question is: are West Potomac and Mt. Vernon really any better on the gangs/violence issue?

FWIW, I want some socioeconomic diversity, even if it means it brings the school's test scores down. (This is one reason we aren't going to consider private school.) And I know there will be drugs, fights, etc., at any school. But I want a reasonably safe environment, and TC does not fit that bill to me. If MV and WP don't, either, then maybe we need to scrap the FFx Co. idea and try Arlington, although I'm not sure we can afford a SFH there. We're looking for a SFH in the ballpark of $550k, which puts Del Ray, much of Arlington, and some neighborhoods along the GW parkway out of the question. Anyone know where I can get that and good schools without going farther out into the burbs?

For what you’re describing, look at the Edison High school pyramid and Bush Hill/Rose Hill elem
Schools. They are wonderful schools. I love that my kids have a lot of diversity and excellent teachers. We love our community and we are close to Old Town, access to the beltway/395, etc.

OP was looking for a house 10 years ago so they are probably all set at this point…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Del Ray with a 3 yo and love the area, but we're thinking of moving out to the Fairfax County area of Alexandria (as close to the GW parkway and trail as possible) for more house and better schools. But now I'm learning that all FFX Co. schools are not necessarily better than Alexandria City. We'd be fine sending DD to Alexandria schools for elementary, but I'm not sure about the middle schools, and I do not want her at T.C. Williams. Not just the test scores/rankings, but the gangs/violence are worse than I'd anticipated. So my main question is: are West Potomac and Mt. Vernon really any better on the gangs/violence issue?

FWIW, I want some socioeconomic diversity, even if it means it brings the school's test scores down. (This is one reason we aren't going to consider private school.) And I know there will be drugs, fights, etc., at any school. But I want a reasonably safe environment, and TC does not fit that bill to me. If MV and WP don't, either, then maybe we need to scrap the FFx Co. idea and try Arlington, although I'm not sure we can afford a SFH there. We're looking for a SFH in the ballpark of $550k, which puts Del Ray, much of Arlington, and some neighborhoods along the GW parkway out of the question. Anyone know where I can get that and good schools without going farther out into the burbs?

For what you’re describing, look at the Edison High school pyramid and Bush Hill/Rose Hill elem
Schools. They are wonderful schools. I love that my kids have a lot of diversity and excellent teachers. We love our community and we are close to Old Town, access to the beltway/395, etc.

OP was looking for a house 10 years ago so they are probably all set at this point…

The funny thing is that Rose Hill has gotten worse. Island Creek, Clermont, and Lane are better elementary schools in the same area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are not good schools. If you want good FFX schools, you have to move away from Alexandria.

And your kids will end up at the same colleges as those people who moved away from Alexandria kids do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Sandburg/West Po zone and honestly, it is fine. There may be gangs but our kids certainly don't mention it as a problem. Smoking pot among all socio-economic classes seems to be the biggest issue by mid high school-some richer kids start in middle school. It is a very diverse group of kids by middle school and high school. Most elementary schools are pretty diverse too. We happen to think it generally makes life richer.

We were one of many families from Rosemont/Del Ray who move down here every year. I have a relative who lives in Del Ray felt she had no option by middle school to send her kids off to Catholic school. We've felt no such need thus far.

You must not live in the Waynewood School District.

Most people call it White-wood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, Fort Hunt poster again, I have no idea what PP is talking about WRT to property crime. That person must be closer to Rt 1, I have never heard if any property crime occurring in my neighborhood or the surrounding ones, except one isolated incident involving high school students vandalizing a car four years ago. And they got caught and punished.

My friends in Belle View, over by the country club and library area, have had several home break-ins, as have their neighbors. The cheapest house on the street is probably $1.2M

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Del Ray with a 3 yo and love the area, but we're thinking of moving out to the Fairfax County area of Alexandria (as close to the GW parkway and trail as possible) for more house and better schools. But now I'm learning that all FFX Co. schools are not necessarily better than Alexandria City. We'd be fine sending DD to Alexandria schools for elementary, but I'm not sure about the middle schools, and I do not want her at T.C. Williams. Not just the test scores/rankings, but the gangs/violence are worse than I'd anticipated. So my main question is: are West Potomac and Mt. Vernon really any better on the gangs/violence issue?

FWIW, I want some socioeconomic diversity, even if it means it brings the school's test scores down. (This is one reason we aren't going to consider private school.) And I know there will be drugs, fights, etc., at any school. But I want a reasonably safe environment, and TC does not fit that bill to me. If MV and WP don't, either, then maybe we need to scrap the FFx Co. idea and try Arlington, although I'm not sure we can afford a SFH there. We're looking for a SFH in the ballpark of $550k, which puts Del Ray, much of Arlington, and some neighborhoods along the GW parkway out of the question. Anyone know where I can get that and good schools without going farther out into the burbs?

For what you’re describing, look at the Edison High school pyramid and Bush Hill/Rose Hill elem
Schools. They are wonderful schools. I love that my kids have a lot of diversity and excellent teachers. We love our community and we are close to Old Town, access to the beltway/395, etc.

And if those ES are too brown for you, there is always Clermont ES. Also in the Edison pyramid. Has a bit more cream/sugar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in Sandburg/West Po zone and honestly, it is fine. There may be gangs but our kids certainly don't mention it as a problem. Smoking pot among all socio-economic classes seems to be the biggest issue by mid high school-some richer kids start in middle school. It is a very diverse group of kids by middle school and high school. Most elementary schools are pretty diverse too. We happen to think it generally makes life richer.

We were one of many families from Rosemont/Del Ray who move down here every year. I have a relative who lives in Del Ray felt she had no option by middle school to send her kids off to Catholic school. We've felt no such need thus far.

You must not live in the Waynewood School District.

Most people call it White-wood.

I think there is zero chance that they don't end up with an island of RT1 students to add diversity once the next boundary study is completed. That's how ever other school in the area gets its diversity