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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
Thoughts on McKinley or Discovery?
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Anonymous
| I'm currently looking at 2 comparable houses - one zoned for McKinley and one for Discovery. I'm aware of the overcrowded situation at McKinley however families still seem to be extremely happy with the school and teachers. I am finding much less information on Discovery since it's so new. I'd appreciate any feedback on either school. Thank you! |
Anonymous
| The people I've talked to seem kind of lukewarm about discovery. I haven't talked to that many people since we aren't only in K, but no one has really said "we love it!" ITs. more like "there have been some growing pains". Friends at McKinley love it. |
Anonymous
That's my experience, too. I know several families at both and the McKinley families are more vocally happy. It's purely anecdotal, of course. Both are good schools with involved parents. |
Anonymous
| McKinley is extremely overcrowded. Of course so is all of APS. Frankly I'd stay away from the county entirely (because it's managing its problems very poorly) but if I were picking between the two I'd elect for the less crowded Discovery (keeping in mind Williamsburg MS, where Discovery is colocated) has massive drug problems. Also badly handled by the county... |
Anonymous
Do you have kids at WMS? Massive drug problem? Keep dreaming. I'm a discovery parent. We are happy but not thrilled. There have been some growing pains. The school is still trying to develop its character and that takes time (I'm a teacher). This year has been much better than last year. |
Anonymous
Yes! I have a son at Swanson. He does say that the three WMS he knows are really into drugs. There are also the comments re WMS here: https://www.arlnow.com/2017/05/25/just-in-police-dogs-to-search-schools-as-aps-addresses-drug-problem/ |
Anonymous
|
I would pick the Mac.
-D parent |
Anonymous
| McK-Swanson over Discover-WMS any day. |
Anonymous
| Because, of course, there are no drugs at Swanson. |
Anonymous
|
I would really think hard about school size if you are in it for the longer-haul. McKinley will have 780 students next year. Discovery is projected to be under 630. A lot of the parents who love McKinley entered the school before it got so huge and so they are tied to the "old" McK parent community which was very tight-knit. The Tuckahoe and Glebe families who transferred in have not been as happy, and there seems to be a lot of disgruntled K parents this year who feel lost in the school. McKinley has lost a lot of its sense of community since the school size blew up and it is harder to navigate as a new family to the school. Also, as I'm sure you've read, McKinley has no field space as a result of the overcrowding. Discovery in contrast has a brand new facility and it is really the most beautiful school building in the entire county (at least until they build the new $100M HB palace in Rosslyn). The Discovery growing pains may work themselves out in a few years, but McKinley will always be a bigger school even if the overcrowding is relieved-- with the addition, it was built to hold more children than Discovery.
Also, keep in mind that redistricting is on the horizon in two years-- it was going to be limited to South Arlington, but at the School Board meeting last week, the Board and APS talked about the need to reopen boundaries in North Arlington now too because they are turning Science Focus into a neighborhood school. McKinley is likely to see some planning units shifted away since it is one of the more overcrowded schools in North Arlington. Unless the house that you are buying is in Madison Manor or on the Dominion Hills streets west of Patrick Henry, there is at least some possibility that you will get moved to a different school. I think that is less likely to happen for Discovery, since that school is under-capacity and would be more likely to gain planning units than to lose them. |
Anonymous
| Discovery boosters can keep it from becoming overcrowded. |
Anonymous
| Thank you everyone for your replies - very helpful! |
Anonymous
| If you can walk to Westover from the McKinley house, I'd take that one. Otherwise the schools are comparable. |
Anonymous
|
What are all these "growing pains" at Discovery? Could the people claiming these pains please list them out?
My pains (none of them growing nor real) are: 1) longer walk to pick up kids (I was redistricted from Nottingham) 2) Sometimes it takes a while to gain access to the school during extended day pickup 3) Have to walk further within school because school is larger. |
Anonymous
| I think you will be happy with either school. So, decided based upon what type of neighborhood you want. Like the PP sad, if the McKinley house is near Westover, that is attractive for those that want walkability. I would have said it's more down to earth, but I don't know that applies. More & more social climbers are moving in. The lots near Discovery won't give you as much in terms of close walking, but you will have more privacy. |