Neighborhoods in Fairfax/Prince William/Loudoun Counties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at South Riding in Loudoun. I used to live there and loved it. Not sure about DC commute though.

I’m in South Riding now and I would recommend skipping us and going a little further west in Loudoun out 50. South Riding isn’t aging well. We’ve been here 15 years and kid will be leaving elementary school next year and we’ll try to get out of here before middle school. If you were to explore this area I’d encourage you to stay within Little River elementary boundaries.

Restaurants aren’t great, limited options, traffic is getting insane up and down 50 and the data centers are popping like weeds. For your price point Virginia Manor in Aldie, Lenah Mills or others past StoneRidge would probably fit the bill.

PP again It takes my husband 1.5-2 hours to commute to DC.

Ouch. Thanks for the honesty...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you could look at 22033. Your commute might be a little more than an hour. We are zoned for Navy, Franklin, Oakton and our house/neighborhood hovers around $740-850k. neighborhood pool is a big deal with a swim team. Franklin Farm also would probably fit in your price range (high school is Oakton or Chantilly depending which part you live in).

+1 on 22033. Also look at Greenbriar. - few houses up/coming soon meeting your budget and requirements. For Greenbriar specifically - very walkable to libraries, parks, all 3 levels of school, retail. Great community feel.

Personally I wouldn’t move out of Fairfax County on an $800k budget and commuting to the city 2x/week but that’s just me.

I was going to suggest this area. There are a few great neighborhoods that fit your description… Fair Oaks, Franklin Glen in 22033, and Franklin Farm, Chantilly Highlands and Fox Mill in 20171. Some people are wary of South Lakes HS which is what Fox Mill is zoned for, but people who live there seem really happy with it. That neighborhood is most likely to have homes under $800k; the others are Oakton/Chantilly HS and will have some under your budget and some over that price — it depends on square footage and specific location.

It’s a doable commute to DC and also easy to get to so many other places. The only places that really feel far to me are far NE/SE DC and Alexandria. I have no reason to go to either place on a regular basis so it works for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Possible neighborhood for you….Virginia Run in Centreville. Approx 1500 homes - ranging from 5 acre estates to 1/4 acre lots. There are no townhomes in the subdivision. FCPS Elementary school is located in the subdivision. Community pool w/active swim team, community tennis courts, basketball courts, trash service, bike trails/paths through the community, and lots of community social events. Homes built in the 1990s but generally well taken care of and remodeled.

https://www.olddominionrealty.com/s/va/centreville-city/virginia-run-subdivision

We enjoy living in Virginia Run. If you like outdoors, the stream valley and its network of trails is amazing for biking/running. And the bluebells in the spring are magical. We have met friends. I feel like we have a nice life here.

[Anonymous]

I would pick Lorton over Manassas, personally. Burke and West Springfield are other good options you should look into.

[Anonymous]

This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you could look at 22033. Your commute might be a little more than an hour. We are zoned for Navy, Franklin, Oakton and our house/neighborhood hovers around $740-850k. neighborhood pool is a big deal with a swim team. Franklin Farm also would probably fit in your price range (high school is Oakton or Chantilly depending which part you live in).

+1 on 22033. Also look at Greenbriar. - few houses up/coming soon meeting your budget and requirements. For Greenbriar specifically - very walkable to libraries, parks, all 3 levels of school, retail. Great community feel.

Personally I wouldn’t move out of Fairfax County on an $800k budget and commuting to the city 2x/week but that’s just me.

I was going to suggest this area. There are a few great neighborhoods that fit your description… Fair Oaks, Franklin Glen in 22033, and Franklin Farm, Chantilly Highlands and Fox Mill in 20171. Some people are wary of South Lakes HS which is what Fox Mill is zoned for, but people who live there seem really happy with it. That neighborhood is most likely to have homes under $800k; the others are Oakton/Chantilly HS and will have some under your budget and some over that price — it depends on square footage and specific location.

It’s a doable commute to DC and also easy to get to so many other places. The only places that really feel far to me are far NE/SE DC and Alexandria. I have no reason to go to either place on a regular basis so it works for me.

I grew up in 22033 Franklin Glen and it’s a great neighborhood! Lees Corner is a nice community school. I wouldn’t say commute to DC is great, but a lot of people do it. Worst thing about it now is late afternoon traffic coming from the new government buildings off Centreville Road. This house is close to where I grew up and fits OPs budget.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13407-Virginia-Willow-Dr-Fairfax-VA-22033/51763815_zpid/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

The elementary school isn't the concern with that house. That school is fine. The high school is the larger concern. In Fairfax county, anything 5 or above is likely to be fine. Even some 4s depending on the neighborhood. Focus on the high school rating. Any elementary schools feeding into an 8 or above high school pyramid will generally be fine unless you want to unnecessarily concern yourself with splitting hairs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

The elementary school isn't the concern with that house. That school is fine. The high school is the larger concern. In Fairfax county, anything 5 or above is likely to be fine. Even some 4s depending on the neighborhood. Focus on the high school rating. Any elementary schools feeding into an 8 or above high school pyramid will generally be fine unless you want to unnecessarily concern yourself with splitting hairs

And let me add more context since you asked for specific data. Don't get overly concerned with ratings at the elementary school level but also think about what kind of school environment you want for your kids which will also be determinative of the neighborhood you want to live in. For us, diversity was important so we chose a FCPS elementary school with a slightly lower GS rating (still zoned for West Springfield) to get a more balanced demographics. You may not have the same concerns. You can find this info on the county school webpages

We also found DCUM message boards to be helpful. Search the schools your considering and see what people are saying. Schools have distinct climates and, surprisingly, DCUM isn't too far off base if you can wade through the extreme voices.

Finally, don't base the decision solely on GS ratings. Your kids education, especially at the elementary level, is more than just test scores and ratings. Do the schools foster competition or collaboration? Do they help students develop a love for learning? How engaged are parents and are the engaged parents the ones you want to be around? Do the teachers have a good relationship with the admin and vice versa. I highly recommend identifying a few neighborhoods and then talking with neighbors. And if the neighbors aren't willing to talk to you, is that somewhere you really want to live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

The elementary school isn't the concern with that house. That school is fine. The high school is the larger concern. In Fairfax county, anything 5 or above is likely to be fine. Even some 4s depending on the neighborhood. Focus on the high school rating. Any elementary schools feeding into an 8 or above high school pyramid will generally be fine unless you want to unnecessarily concern yourself with splitting hairs

So there is no difference between a 5 and 8 ES?

The reason I’m not concerning myself w the HS is because my kids are very very young. I don’t know that this house has to be the house forever or in 8 years etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

The elementary school isn't the concern with that house. That school is fine. The high school is the larger concern. In Fairfax county, anything 5 or above is likely to be fine. Even some 4s depending on the neighborhood. Focus on the high school rating. Any elementary schools feeding into an 8 or above high school pyramid will generally be fine unless you want to unnecessarily concern yourself with splitting hairs

And let me add more context since you asked for specific data. Don't get overly concerned with ratings at the elementary school level but also think about what kind of school environment you want for your kids which will also be determinative of the neighborhood you want to live in. For us, diversity was important so we chose a FCPS elementary school with a slightly lower GS rating (still zoned for West Springfield) to get a more balanced demographics. You may not have the same concerns. You can find this info on the county school webpages

We also found DCUM message boards to be helpful. Search the schools your considering and see what people are saying. Schools have distinct climates and, surprisingly, DCUM isn't too far off base if you can wade through the extreme voices.

Finally, don't base the decision solely on GS ratings. Your kids education, especially at the elementary level, is more than just test scores and ratings. Do the schools foster competition or collaboration? Do they help students develop a love for learning? How engaged are parents and are the engaged parents the ones you want to be around? Do the teachers have a good relationship with the admin and vice versa. I highly recommend identifying a few neighborhoods and then talking with neighbors. And if the neighbors aren't willing to talk to you, is that somewhere you really want to live?

Great ideas. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

If you are worried about ES, I would look for schools with Language Immersion programs in FCPS. They start in K or 1 and the parents choose to enroll their kids in the program. the LI programs tend to require that parents are supportive of some homework at home, namely learning the alphabet for the new language and some math to help supplement math at home. Math and Science are taught in the target language meaning that there are reports of kids who might struggle a bit with math because they are learning a language and math. A child who might need to work a little bit to be on grade level in math is going to need to work a little harder in the LI program.

So if you like a house that feeds into Dogwood but you are worried about the school, you would apply for LI at Fox Mill (Japanese and very close by) or Lake Anne (Spanish, starts in K). Fox Mill tends not to have much of a wait list and most people on the wait list make it into the program.

Spanish and French programs tend to have far longer wait lists and are harder to get into.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you ok with the Fairfax county public schools goal of "equity" in education? You should probably look into what that means, and if that's something your want for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That house seems underpriced, even for that district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This house just came on the market in my neighborhood. I wouldn't put a lot of credence into the school ratings. Go to the FCPS website and look up the data yourself to get a better idea of the academics.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Springfield/7790-Tangier-Dr-22153/home/9802938

That's beautiful! But I need help re the schools. What kind of data do you suggest we look up? It seems to me that the low ratings are due to ESL kids, right? But I've talked to teachers who work in those schools and they say that they do, in fact, spend a disproportionate amount of time w the kids who need more help. Isn't that a valid concern? What else separates a 5 from an 8 if not that? I truly want to understand. We are both working outside the home and while we want to be involved w our kids education, we do really need the schools to do the heavy lifting. There must be some valid reasons that 8s and 9s are considered better?

Many of the schools that are 8-10 are higher SES schools and plenty of those parents are supplementing their kids education with math classes, language classes, music lessons, and the like. While I am sure that there are some kids who do really well just attending school many kids who are ahead or excel in high school have parents who have supplemented or providing tutoring. If you are counting on the schools doing the heavy lifting then your kids are not likely to do great. They will probably be fine but middle of the pack.

There are tons of studies that show that involved parents matter in a kids educational outcome. High income families have the time, money, or both to be able to make sure that their kids stay on grade level or get ahead. Their kids go to school knowing their letters, sounds, numbers, shapes, colors and the like. They are on track or ahead from day one. The kids who have learning issues have parents who can get them tested privately and get IEPs at school as well are private tutoring or therapy. They have access to extra curricular activities.

What separates a 5 from an 8? Money and involved parents.