Where to move in montgomery county for good schools???

[Anonymous]

If we have a second, the likelihood of sending either child to a private school seems pretty low. We currently live in silver spring (we both work in DC, so the ability to commute with ease into DC is a consideration), but our elementary school is not considered very good. If we were to move, what would you recommend? I doubt we could afford Bethesda - a common recommendation - as I doubt we could afford much more than $500k for a house.

Any suggestions? Looking just at the montgomery county school district website is too overwhelming. Everywhere I look I see the whole Bethesda/Chevy Chase recommendation, but there have to be other high quality options out there, right? I would be grateful for any advice. thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would suggest Rock Creek Forest (Silver Spring/Chevy Chase but feeds into BCC), Rosemary Hills (same deal), or Kensington Parkwood (feeds into Walter Johnson). But for 500k you are not going to get a huge or luxurious house.

[Anonymous]

Takoma?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would suggest Rock Creek Forest (Silver Spring/Chevy Chase but feeds into BCC), Rosemary Hills (same deal), or Kensington Parkwood (feeds into Walter Johnson). But for 500k you are not going to get a huge or luxurious house.

I second this recommendation for the BCC high school cluster. You can find some 3 bedroom houses for under 500K in the part of zip code 20910 that feeds into BCC high school. And you may be able to find townhomes for under 500k in the areas of Wootton, Churchhill and Whitman high schools.

I'm not recommending these realtors but their website is helpful (map of school boundaries and homes for sale):
http://mocorealestate.com/schools/bethesda-chevy-chase-cluster/
http://mocorealestate.com/schools/thomas-wootton-cluster/
http://mocorealestate.com/schools/winston-churchill-cluster/
http://mocorealestate.com/schools/walt-whitman-cluster/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Takoma?

I wish I could say great things about our local schools, but I don't think they're up to the level of the Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase publics. Unless you're in a magnet. The good news is that Takoma kids get a slight edge for getting into the Takoma Middle School Math & Science magnet, which is nationally recognized. This is less good news if your kid isn't into science and math, of course.

Unfortunately, I think that if you move to Bethesda or Potomac you will have a much more certain path to good schools, and less second-guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma?

I wish I could say great things about our local schools, but I don't think they're up to the level of the Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase publics. Unless you're in a magnet. The good news is that Takoma kids get a slight edge for getting into the Takoma Middle School Math & Science magnet, which is nationally recognized. This is less good news if your kid isn't into science and math, of course.

Unfortunately, I think that if you move to Bethesda or Potomac you will have a much more certain path to good schools, and less second-guessing.

Is there anything even for sale in Potomac for $500,000?

[Anonymous]

Olney/Brookeville. The commute isn't the greatest, but the schools, neighborhoods, and general quality of life more than make up for it. You can find a SFH with a nice yard for under $500k. Go on the MCPS website and check out Greenwood and Belmont elementary schools (Rosa Parks MS; Sherwood HS). We left Silver Spring b/c of the schools and crime (not the perceived crime, but the actual crime occuring in our neighborhood/on our street). I commute to DC and it isn't as bad as people say it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Takoma?

I wish I could say great things about our local schools, but I don't think they're up to the level of the Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase publics. Unless you're in a magnet. The good news is that Takoma kids get a slight edge for getting into the Takoma Middle School Math & Science magnet, which is nationally recognized. This is less good news if your kid isn't into science and math, of course. Unfortunately, I think that if you move to Bethesda or Potomac you will have a much more certain path to good schools, and less second-guessing.

I don't have kids in Takoma Park public schools (yet), so PP probably knows a lot more than I do. She seems more certain than I am, so I assume she has her kids in Takoma Park public schools. I just know all my neighbors in Takoma rave about how good the public schools are. I don't have a great basis to compare them to B/CC public schools, although I suspect those are good as well. I do know that housing is a lot more affordable in Takoma Park than in B/CC though. Good luck with your search, OP.

[Anonymous]

They are in a language immersion program and we have been very happy with their education to date. I think Sligo Creek ES, Woodlin, and other elementary schools in close-in Silver Spring are A-ok. I know that the schools in Silver Spring are not as highly-rated as the ones in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, and suspect this is mostly about test scores.

I imagine I'm in the minority in my thinking, but IMO, a child who has an intellectually stimulating and stable home life will do as well in a Silver Spring school as s/he will in a B/CC or Potomac (or wherever) school. And a bonus: That child will stand out when it is time to apply for college. Our babysitter, a product of Oakland Terrace ES, Sligo Middle School, and Einstein HS - all "bad" schools - is headed to Princeton this fall. She was accepted at several other top-tier colleges as well. Had she applied from Whitman or Wooton or the like, her application would not have stood out in the same way.

There are some great magnets available for both elementary and middle schools in this area. My older son is headed to Takoma Park's nationally-recognized math/science magnet this fall and we are delighted. Even if we could send him to Pyle over Takoma's magnet, we wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are in a language immersion program and we have been very happy with their education to date. I think Sligo Creek ES, Woodlin, and other elementary schools in close-in Silver Spring are A-ok. I know that the schools in Silver Spring are not as highly-rated as the ones in Bethesda/Chevy Chase, and suspect this is mostly about test scores.

I imagine I'm in the minority in my thinking, but IMO, a child who has an intellectually stimulating and stable home life will do as well in a Silver Spring school as s/he will in a B/CC or Potomac (or wherever) school. And a bonus: That child will stand out when it is time to apply for college. Our babysitter, a product of Oakland Terrace ES, Sligo Middle School, and Einstein HS - all "bad" schools - is headed to Princeton this fall. She was accepted at several other top-tier colleges as well. Had she applied from Whitman or Wooton or the like, her application would not have stood out in the same way.
There are some great magnets available for both elementary and middle schools in this area. My older son is headed to Takoma Park's nationally-recognized math/science magnet this fall and we are delighted. Even if we could send him to Pyle over Takoma's magnet, we wouldn't.

I agree with the above - I went to DCPS and was a very good student, but not a true stand-out star. I still got in everywhere I applied, including an Ivy League. I'm hoping this is still true, as my kids will likely go to the Silver Spring schools.

OP, if your budget is really $500k, I think you're going to be hard pressed to find somewhere that feeds into the BCC or Walter Johnson cluster even in Silver Spring. We looked - and there just aren't a lot of houses that come available in those neighborhoods for under $500k. If you can stretch to $550k, or better yet $600k, then you should have some options.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery schools in Bethesda, Potomac and most of Rockville are exceptional. Montgomery schools in Damascus, Poolesville, parts of Gaithersburg (Quince Orchard area), and the Olney area are quite decent. The Montgomery schools in Silver Spring, Kensington (Einstein), most of Gaithersburg/Germantown and Wheaton are generally the pits, at least at the high school level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Montgomery schools in Silver Spring, Kensington (Einstein), most of Gaithersburg/Germantown and Wheaton are generally the pits, at least at the high school level.

What's your basis for this claim? I had always thought Montgomery Blair (Silver Spring) was viewed as a pretty solid high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Montgomery schools in Silver Spring, Kensington (Einstein), most of Gaithersburg/Germantown and Wheaton are generally the pits, at least at the high school level.

What's your basis for this claim? I had always thought Montgomery Blair (Silver Spring) was viewed as a pretty solid high school.

I'm wondering the same thing - the "pits"? Pretty broad brush, there. Blair's math/science and communications arts magnets are extremely well-regarded on the national level. Lots of students graduate from Silver Spring and Wheaton high schools and go on to great colleges and universities. Apparently not everyone thinks these schools are "the pits."

[Anonymous]

Blair is not even in the same league as Whitman, Churchill, Wootton, WJ, or BCC. Magnet program might be fine, but it is NOT like the others. Sure, it's probably great as far as national rankings, but it is nowhere near the top Montgomery County schools that gave MoCo the reputation it has. And Einstein is the worst of the MoCo schools. I would think Einstein isn't that great even when compared nationally. But obviously doesn't hold a candle to the others mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair is not even in the same league as Whitman, Churchill, Wootton, WJ, or BCC. Magnet program might be fine, but it is NOT like the others.

How is it NOT like the others?

Do you mean the student body is not as affluent? Test scores?

Can you be more precise?

And why is it important to be in the Whitman etc. "league"?