Arlington parents - would you pay more for Ashlawn over Francis Scott Key?

[Anonymous]

We're renters but the two buildings we are looking at are zoned to the above schools. Is there one that is preferred?

[Anonymous]

Key is a Spanish Immersion school. If you buy in that neighborhood zone and don't want immersion your child would go to Arlington Science Focus. At least for the next year or so. If you have children who are still a couple years away from going to school, it's hard to say exactly which school you'd end up in if you are in Key zone. The lines there will likely be redrawn as they are getting rid of a 'team' system in that area and people living in the neighborhood will no longer have an automatic in to Key.

All three - Ashlawn and Key and Science Focus -- are good schools but I'd probably lean toward Ashlawn just because there are fewer unknowns in that area.

[Anonymous]

Also, I would be surprised if you need to pay more for Ashlawn for a similar home. Homes zoned for Key are generally a shorter walk to metro, closer in, closer to Clarendon and so they generally cost more.

[Anonymous]

The rent on Wilson is about two hundred more not much but for the same size space...

[Anonymous]

If the Ashlawn building is more money, it is probably nicer.

[Anonymous]

No, I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Sure, if it's a nicer place

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, if it's a nicer place

When you say Key, do you mean zoned for Key but planning to go to ASFS? I live in N. Arlington, and have heard nice things about Ashlawn. ASFS while called "science" only means an extra hour or so of science versus other arlington elementary schools. Also, reading on DCUM parents comment that ASFS PTA moms can be quite mean. Others complain about homework.

There's a chance Cherrydale may get rezoned to ASFS, and I am praying that doesn't happen as I've met quite a few families in our current zone, and that's where I hope we get to send our kids.

Either way, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just pick the best rental for your family (commute, etc).

[Anonymous]

Agree with above posters that it really depends on specific neighborhoods. It's also really important to consider the impact of boundary shifts in NE Arlington in the next year. The Board is seriously looking at turning ASFS into a neighborhood school with Key being only a lottery immersion program. This would open up that corner of the county to redistricting among ASFS, Taylor, Jamestown and Discovery. Depending on the exact location of the house, be sure you would be okay with your kids attending any of those schools.

Ashlawn's boundaries are likely to be stable for at least a few years. They are hovering right around capacity, and likely won't be drawn into the re-drawing of boundaries in the McKinley-Nottingham-Tuckahoe-Glebe mess. Great school as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, if it's a nicer place

When you say Key, do you mean zoned for Key but planning to go to ASFS? I live in N. Arlington, and have heard nice things about Ashlawn. ASFS while called "science" only means an extra hour or so of science versus other arlington elementary schools. Also, reading on DCUM parents comment that ASFS PTA moms can be quite mean. Others complain about homework.

There's a chance Cherrydale may get rezoned to ASFS, and I am praying that doesn't happen as I've met quite a few families in our current zone, and that's where I hope we get to send our kids.

Either way, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just pick the best rental for your family (commute, etc).

This is the second post I've read where a Cherrydale family doesn't want to get re-zoned to ASFS. You guys should make sure you heavily petition your civic association -- the parents from Cherrydale that transferred to ASFS because they were in the "walk zone" for ASFS are really dominating the conversation.

[Anonymous]

If your child would be in school this fall, you would most likely be grandfathered in to whichever school you start with.

If you're thinking about Key itself (rather than Science Focus which is currently the other option for the Key zone), that means Spanish immersion. If you think that's something that would be good for your particular child (and your child would be in kindergarten), go for it. Key is an excellent school with a nice atmosphere and a good principal. We were very happy with the Spanish immersion (half-day in Spanish, half-day in English) and our child was proficient when he left. He didn't continue with immersion in middle school, but did "Spanish for fluent speakers" in middle school through AP Spanish in 10th grade (and got a 5 on the AP exam), so he did not lose his Spanish by not continuing in immersion in middle school. However, kids who continued immersion in middle school are more fluent than he is.

If your child is older than 1st grade and not proficient in Spanish, you would not be able to do Key, as the older grades rely on the kids having learned a fair amount of Spanish by then. I'm not sure whether entering in 1st grade is possible.

As others have said, if you're looking further out than this coming year, it is uncertain which schools kids in the Key zone will end up being zoned for. ASFS, Taylor, Jamestown, and Discovery are all strong schools, but ASFS would not have been right for my child due to the heavy amount of homework they assign as part of their philosophy, and I am wary about what I've heard about the atmosphere there (though that's from some parents, and others will tell you they love it - I would just want to investigate to be sure).

[Anonymous]

Op here. For this year for 2nd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. For this year for 2nd grade.

I'd go with Ashlawn. As PPs have noted I've heard a lot of mixed reviews of ASFS (if your DD isn't currently in Spanish Immersion she can't go to Key so she'd be going to ASFS) but everyone I know at Ashlawn is really happy with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child would be in school this fall, you would most likely be grandfathered in to whichever school you start with.

If you're thinking about Key itself (rather than Science Focus which is currently the other option for the Key zone), that means Spanish immersion. If you think that's something that would be good for your particular child (and your child would be in kindergarten), go for it. Key is an excellent school with a nice atmosphere and a good principal. We were very happy with the Spanish immersion (half-day in Spanish, half-day in English) and our child was proficient when he left. He didn't continue with immersion in middle school, but did "Spanish for fluent speakers" in middle school through AP Spanish in 10th grade (and got a 5 on the AP exam), so he did not lose his Spanish by not continuing in immersion in middle school. However, kids who continued immersion in middle school are more fluent than he is.

If your child is older than 1st grade and not proficient in Spanish, you would not be able to do Key, as the older grades rely on the kids having learned a fair amount of Spanish by then. I'm not sure whether entering in 1st grade is possible.

As others have said, if you're looking further out than this coming year, it is uncertain which schools kids in the Key zone will end up being zoned for. ASFS, Taylor, Jamestown, and Discovery are all strong schools, but ASFS would not have been right for my child due to the heavy amount of homework they assign as part of their philosophy, and I am wary about what I've heard about the atmosphere there (though that's from some parents, and others will tell you they love it - I would just want to investigate to be sure).

I echo this in terms of the quality of Key. I heard pros and cons about asfs but my gut said no.