Frustrating school boundary issue— any chance of COSA? (Long)

[Anonymous]

We have a convoluted issue that isn’t a *serious* hardship, but weighing my options. I just heard about COSA, and in my research it seems like a long shot— but it would help us a lot.

Situation:

DC will start K next year. Our MoCo suburb is weirdly divided and people who live in the same “neighborhood” (small collection of neighborhoods) are assigned to one of 3 different ES, each of which feeds into a different MS AND a different HS.

IMO, all of the ES are decent, although I have a slight preference for the culture of what I’ll call Right School.

We are in boundary for Center School, and we live in an apartment, where we’ve been for several years. Our lease will come up in the spring. We would like to stay in our general “neighborhood” and MAY be able to afford to buy by then, but I’d say only a 30-40% chance of that, given our budget and tight timeline. We will be able to buy within the next 2-3 years though, for sure (ish).

We would like our DC to stay in the same school for all 6 years of ES, which seems reasonable. This is a pretty strong preference of ours.

Center School (our current home school) is fine, but my main objection is that the only affordable area for us to BUY in this “neighborhood” is within the boundaries of Right School. (Center School’s boundaries include mostly apartments, commercial areas or really expensive homes.)

Two twists— first, we live literally across the street from Right School’s boundary. If we moved a block away, we’d be within it. In fact, Right School is also physically closer to us than our home school, Center School. Second, Right School is actually considered the least desirable of the local schools, Title I, etc. I don’t see it that way, but might it help that we want a transfer INTO that school when many probably want out?

In sum, we have a few options:

1) Buy within Right School district this spring. Only a 30-40% chance of that working out. If not, then…
2) Renew our lease and send our kid to Center School, but probably have to switch schools after K or 1st grade, when we’d buy in Right School district. We really don’t want to do this, but…?
3) Move to another apartment a couple of blocks away, within Right School district. Even though it would be a relatively “easy” move, it’s a PITA. Plus, we really like our apartment management company, so based on our experience w/apartments through the years, we’re probably going to have to take a step down.
4) Try for a COSA, but based on relatively flimsy, somewhat hypothetical reasons. Any help for this? It sounds like a non-starter, except for the twists mentioned above (we’re so close to the RS boundary, and RS is not seen as a “desirable” school).

Thanks if you made it this far! Any input appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Well, there's a 5th option-- stay in our apartment basically forever. But that's not appealing.

[Anonymous]

It's really not a big deal for kids to switch schools after a few years.

[Anonymous]

I don't think you will get COSA for that, sorry!

[Anonymous]

I do think it is easier to COSA into a school that is "less desirable." I have a friend who wanted our neighborhood equivalent of "Right School." It was closer to them, and didn't involve crossing a busy road, plus was just a better cultural fit in that there were more families like my friend's family. But it was definitely less well regarded than their zoned elementary.

They were able to get a COSA without much bother, and were allowed to continue with the feeder pattern.

[Anonymous]

FYI OP, since you may be describing Kensington (which splits between multiple elementaries that feed into BCC, WJ, and Einstein HS) you should know that the whole area is up for rezoning. Google Woodward HS reopening for more info.

Either way, you won't get a COSA so that your child can be in an elementary school where you hope to buy a house in the future. Even if it's nearby. That's not the way the system works.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't stress out about a child moving from one school to another for first grade. It really isn't a big deal, and I say this as a parent of kids who don't do well with transitions. I understand that it's not your preference, but I wouldn't tie yourself in knots trying to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't stress out about a child moving from one school to another for first grade. It really isn't a big deal, and I say this as a parent of kids who don't do well with transitions. I understand that it's not your preference, but I wouldn't tie yourself in knots trying to avoid it.

This. My child has been in 4 elementary schools from PK-5, and she's handled it fine. She has autism and is usually terrible at transitions, but has still been fine. Move when you're ready to move, to the house that best fits your family's needs, and school changes will be okay.

[Anonymous]

This is OP-- thanks for the reassurances about changing schools mid-elementary. I'll consider it. (So, nobody would move to a nearby apartment? Just checking.)

I actually attended 5 elementary schools in MoCo (!) and only one of those was my home school, for second grade. Most of the moves had to do with gifted programs. Like DD, I am a shy extrovert, so that was challenging in some ways, although sort of okay in others.

I didn't think I'd have much luck with COSA, but maybe take a stab at it per the post about less-desirable schools? Not Kensington, FWIW.

A lot to think about, glad I'm starting now.

[Anonymous]

Takoma park ? They carved it up pretty well to avoid specific areas back in the day

[Anonymous]

OP, you can try for a COSA, since it can't hurt to try. Either they'll say yes, or they'll say no. But I wouldn't make my plans based on a certainty of getting the COSA.

Also, moving house is a pain. Your child hasn't even started kindergarten yet. You don't (to go from your posts) have any personal experience to know that "Right School" actually is the right school for your child. So I don't think that it makes sense to move house just so that your child can start kindergarten at that school.

[Anonymous]

Also, if you start at Center School and you end up liking it and then move to Right School's district, you might be able to get a COSA to stay at Center School through the rest of elementary school. There's no guarantee you'd be able to feed to Center School's MS, but at least you wouldn't necessarily be forced to choose between moving this year or changing your child's elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Takoma park ? They carved it up pretty well to avoid specific areas back in the day

It could also be Germantown. There are multiple places in MCPS that the OP's description applies to. It doesn't matter which, as long as OP is aware of expected future rezonings.

[Anonymous]

The one thing I would caution is that when you are buying a house, you look closely at the middle and high schools that the three ESs feed into. When dd was a baby, we bought in a nice neighborhood and LOVED the ES, but it didn't occur to me to look at the middle and high schools. Once she started ES, I started hearing things about them that I didn't like and we ended up moving to a district with a better HS. So make sure Right School is still what you want when you look down the road a decade.

FWIW, we moved in the middle of 2nd grade and within a month, my dd felt right at home in the new school.

[Anonymous]

why do you want to do COSA if the schools are all fed into different middle and hight schools?