MS Families that Did Not Succeed in the Lottery

[Anonymous]

Now that the lottery is closed, I'd love to hear from middle school families who did not have lottery luck in past years. What did your plans B and C and D look like? I'd really appreciate hearing from families that have gone through this as opposed to families that are bearing witness to what they've seen/heard.

Did you stay at your current school for 5th grade and use the year to apply to private or make a plan to move to the suburbs or elsewhere? Did you decide to enter the lottery for another round?

Did you end up moving the summer before 5th grade?

While I have my fingers crossed that we will be one of the few families that have lottery luck, I also don't want to be completely blind-sided come April 1st.

[Anonymous]

I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

[Anonymous]

Lottery does not close until midnight tonight. Just wanted to throw that out there for anyone reading this.

[Anonymous]

There are more middle school options now - CMI, ITS. I'd go for those. And Hardy. If all fail then some small private (waldorf, onessness) for middle. Then back at the application schools for HS. HS is the biggest worry for me. I'm not moving though - can't afford the suburbs unless we are way out fairfax (and I grew up in far flung suburbs and don't want that social scene for my kids)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

Takoma Park, MD, not Takoma, DC. And sure, we'd love to live in Shepherd Park. I'd group that in with "in-bounds for Deal."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

Assuming PP meant Takoma Park, Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Private Catholic

[Anonymous]

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

She meant TPMS. We live IN Shepherd Park and are considering doing this for MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

Assuming PP meant Takoma Park, Maryland.

Oh my apologies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

I am several years away from middle school, but have thought about this plan too. I'd be willing to live 4-7 years in the burbs for a good high school education and then move back when the kids are in college. There is also the added benefit of getting in-state tuition at some great VA schools if we move to the VA burbs for high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

I am several years away from middle school, but have thought about this plan too. I'd be willing to live 4-7 years in the burbs for a good high school education and then move back when the kids are in college. There is also the added benefit of getting in-state tuition at some great VA schools if we move to the VA burbs for high school.

PP here--good point. Maybe we'll rent in Arlington for the HS years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't done it yet--my oldest is in 3rd grade. But I've thought through what we will do and I think it's something like this (we are EOTP):

1. Spring of 4th grade: lottery for first choice charter middle school. If that fails,
2. Attend 5th grade at our beloved elementary.
3. 5th grade spring: Lottery for nearby but out-of-bounds DCPS middle school, out-of-bounds but far away DCPS middle. If both of those fail,
4. Move over the summer to a house inbounds for either Deal or Hardy. Or, if that proves impossible, move to somewhere like Takoma Park. My choice would be to rent out our house on the Hill and just rent a house for the duration of middle and high school for both kids. Then, unless things change, we could move back once the kids are done with school.

I am several years away from middle school, but have thought about this plan too. I'd be willing to live 4-7 years in the burbs for a good high school education and then move back when the kids are in college. There is also the added benefit of getting in-state tuition at some great VA schools if we move to the VA burbs for high school.

PP here--good point. Maybe we'll rent in Arlington for the HS years.

But once you have two kids, you are looking at 10+ years. And if you are rich enough to rent in a good close-in school district, you might as well rent in Deal/Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why move to Takoma Park? For Takoma EC? Shepherd Park is blocks away and maybe a few hundred more in rent (albeit less inventory) and has Deal as IB.

She meant TPMS. We live IN Shepherd Park and are considering doing this for MS.

You're saying that you live in Shepherd Park and are considering moving to TP for middle school?? Curious why...we live in Shepherd Park currently with young kids. Is TP MS a better option than Deal?

[Anonymous]

We have a 4th grader in Capitol Hill who is doing very well at her/his current school. We are not playing the lottery for middle school.
Plan A: 5th grade at our current school & OOB lottery into Stuart-Hobson
Plan B.1: 5th grade at our current school & our IB middle school
Plan B.2: 5th grade at our current school & charter school lotteries for 6th or other DCPS
(As of yet, we're undecided between B.1 and B.2.)