PG or DC Schools?
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Anonymous
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I am considering a move from DC to PG. I have 3 kids, one who will be in middle school in two years and two who are really just beginning their elementary school journeys. We have them in a highly sought after DC charter today (which we love on one hand bc of language immersion and are just "meh" about it on the other because aside from the language component, we just are not sure that it stimulates our kids academically (DC does not allow for pullouts or TAG programs.
I am considering a move from DC to the burbs a) for safety and b) for more space with a lower cost of living. I absolutely do my want to sacrifice what I think are very good programs in the later years such as Banneker and Walls if it's not really worth it, but some parents seem to love their PG schools. Right now elementary and middle are my most pressing concerns. My kids would be adjusting to a lot - potentially no immersion, a much bigger environment and, from what I can tell, significantly less diversity. I am looking for feedback to include: 1) best areas within PG to look 2) what diversity looks like in these areas and 3) how people manage a commute plus picking kids up from school, extracurriculars, etc. at these schools. Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated! |
Anonymous
| Bowie |
Anonymous
I moved my kid from a DC private to an independent school in Bowie. We moved from the Capitol Hill area where we wasted a ton of cash living in an overpriced flat. Wasn't worth the cash we blew just to stay in the city. So here's my take on your concerns: Best areas- Upper Marlboro (Oak Creek or Beechtree), Bowie, College/University Park (for public elementary and middle, but then you'd need to go private for high school). Diversity- Bowie and Laurel areas are most diverse areas. Commute- Is private school an option? You'd have the aftercare option until 6pm. Some parents share carpooling responsibilities. I have my husband, mother and brother to assist with pick-ups, so if you have family or close friends in the area it helps. Overall, I really like living in Prince Georges County. We have a much larger home for a much better price. I like the safety of our community. |
Anonymous
| PP, independent = private? |
Anonymous
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Greenbelt. Checks all your boxes. Make sure you are zoned for Greenbelt Middle and Roosevelt. Very diverse area.
Bowie is also a great option. Not on metro though if that is a consideration. Cheverly is a fantastic neughborhood but our in zone 7-12 options are appalling, Everyone in town does specialty schools or private for those grades. |
Anonymous
Pretty much the same. Private/Independent designations are based on entity set up. |
Anonymous
| There aren't any schools in PG that are as rigorous as Walls, Banneker, Mckinley Tech, Basis or Latin. The Science and Tech programs in PG are average in comparison. I would not leave the city for any PG schools. Look at all of the data before you make a move. |
Anonymous
| My kid's only in lower ES in DC, but I've thought about a move like that in HS for in-state college tuition reasons. Would not consider Catholic schools, but curious about which PG high schools would be best to consider. |
Anonymous
PP here. I said Catholic schools bc they're often named when people talk about good schools in that county, but I'm not interested in ANY religious schools. |
Anonymous
| Best neighborhood High School is probably Bowie HS or Eleanor Roosevelt. |
Anonymous
. We are in Bowie and having a great experience in elementary school. I think the middle school would be fine, but don't like the high school option. We really like pg county so considering a move to greenbelt to get inbounds for Roosevelt. You can also test into Roosevelt's science and tech but that seems like a crapshoot. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thank you all so much. All of the comments were helpful and also on par with friends who work in MD for schools and education lobbying firms.
Walls and Tech are the schools we would actually try to get our child into if we stayed in DC and shifted gears to public education. It is a toss-up though - our kids may get in, may not. We can't bank on that, so we have to consider private and a move to a decent school system. Where do you suggest I mine for data that compares these against MD schools? Although Tech is lacking in diversity, we know the program intimately and our science/math brained kid would really gravitate toward that curriculum. My issue with the school is really the location - a kid was killed not too far from there walking home a couple weeks ago. DC is changing, but I am only 3 years away from having a teenager. Our other option is to go a few miles further out into Crofton. I have heard great things about the schools there but the diversity seems somewhat lacking as well. Also, the commute to DC... We have quite a bit to consider. Thanks so much for your responses. Any additional insight would be appreciated. |
Anonymous
| What is your housing budget? |
Anonymous
| Old Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, and University Park are awesome areas if you want to stay near the city and public transporation/metro. Greenbelt definitely has amazing community things for families, I think it is a real gem in PG county. Roosevelt is a very good high school, Greenbelt middle is adequate, Elementary is reasonably good. There are some lottery schools nearby you can submit for also once you establish residency. Home prices should not be out of reach if you are used to DC living. I live nearby Old Greenbelt and if I had to do it over again, I would have definitely bought there! |
Anonymous
I would do Old Greenbelt over the other 2 options if a decent public high schools are a priority. And it is a super cool community. I would totally buy there if I were to do it again. |