Don't buy in MoCo until the school redistricting is setled?

[Anonymous]

Please don't move here. We have enough happy families here already and it's way too crowded as it is.

[Anonymous]

Forget the entire model of schools, school systems, and property values tied to quality of schools. Get rid of the idea of traditional classrooms altogether. Kids can sit in a room and get live streamed lessons from the best teachers in the county for each grade. That'd save on labor, and EVERY student could get the same lessons from the same teachers. Aides could be present where the students are to maintain discipline and collect/grade homework.

That's what college students do these days. You don't have to be physically present in the classroom and can stream a professors lesson. All kids get the same instruction from the best teachers. End of story.

[Anonymous]

I you are going to base your decisions on DCUM, you will never be happy in MoCo or really any other district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much fear mongering here. One of the previous posters got a right, as long as you're within walking distance of the school, you are fine. As proven by the recent Seneca Valley - Clarksburg boundary study.

To the pp who thinks Northwood HS is not getting a brand new school, you are wrong. They are knocking down the old building, and building a brand new building - that will hold significantly more students. New school, old location, same name.

Except that you are lying

We are walking distance to an ES and a MS. Both are accessible for walkers and have sidewalks. Yet, my kids are bussed to an ES and a MS that are about 1.5 miles away instead. It has been this way since we moved here, 12 years ago.

Makes no sense that the County would rather spend money on bussing my kids, but being within walking distance is certainly no guarantee.

But those are the longtime practices that the consultants' analysis is intended to address. But for those kids who are *currently* in the walk zones for their schools, no one at MCPS is interested in switching them to be bus riders. Their goal is to maintain and maximize walkers as much as possible. Which was the case in both of the recently finalized boundary studies for Seneca Valley and Forest Knolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget the entire model of schools, school systems, and property values tied to quality of schools. Get rid of the idea of traditional classrooms altogether. Kids can sit in a room and get live streamed lessons from the best teachers in the county for each grade. That'd save on labor, and EVERY student could get the same lessons from the same teachers. Aides could be present where the students are to maintain discipline and collect/grade homework.

That's what college students do these days. You don't have to be physically present in the classroom and can stream a professors lesson. All kids get the same instruction from the best teachers. End of story.

Yes, relationships have nothing to do with how kids learn. It's well-known. /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget the entire model of schools, school systems, and property values tied to quality of schools. Get rid of the idea of traditional classrooms altogether. Kids can sit in a room and get live streamed lessons from the best teachers in the county for each grade. That'd save on labor, and EVERY student could get the same lessons from the same teachers. Aides could be present where the students are to maintain discipline and collect/grade homework.

That's what college students do these days. You don't have to be physically present in the classroom and can stream a professors lesson. All kids get the same instruction from the best teachers. End of story.

Every kid isn’t going to benefit from the same lesson. Some will still need slower and others faster. Some will still need more hands on and less audiovisual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I you are going to base your decisions on DCUM, you will never be happy in MoCo or really any other district.

[Anonymous]

How old are your kids? Where are you living now? do you own or rent? If you can wait, I would wait. Also consider Falls Church City if it works for your budget/commute. it is pretty much immune from redistricting since it is such a small school system.

[Anonymous]

Since not everyone frequenting Real Estate forum is hopping MD Schools forum here are few relevant links
that may answer many questions posted her in larger scope of things:

More less so far what happened and have been discussed:

Cliff Notes summary of MCPS boundary study fight?
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/845742.page


https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/845046.page
The Facts About the Districtwide Boundary Analysis

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/845329.page
MCPS nxt Boundary Analysis December 14 at White Oak Middle Oak,

MCPS Boundary Study Meeting Tonight (12/11) at Julius West @ 7pm
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/844957.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse and I were considering moving up houses in Bethesda next year, but the brewing school redistricting mess has us a little spooked. Are there areas of Bethesda that are more likely to emerge unscathed? We would be fine with Whitman or BCC but wouldn't want to buy an expensive home only to have our kids riding a bus to some school that is farther away than that.

Should we just wait it out and buy only when the new boundaries are set and final?

If you're really concerned about this, you can still buy in those areas, just avoid property on the edges of the boundaries or on the north side of BCC boundary closer to Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spouse and I were considering moving up houses in Bethesda next year, but the brewing school redistricting mess has us a little spooked. Are there areas of Bethesda that are more likely to emerge unscathed? We would be fine with Whitman or BCC but wouldn't want to buy an expensive home only to have our kids riding a bus to some school that is farther away than that.

Should we just wait it out and buy only when the new boundaries are set and final?

If you're really concerned about this, you can still buy in those areas, just avoid property on the edges of the boundaries or on the north side of BCC boundary closer to Woodward.

I should add on a personal note I think the boundary study is a good thing. It will likely have little negative impacts despite the rampant fearmongering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much fear mongering here. One of the previous posters got a right, as long as you're within walking distance of the school, you are fine. As proven by the recent Seneca Valley - Clarksburg boundary study.

To the pp who thinks Northwood HS is not getting a brand new school, you are wrong. They are knocking down the old building, and building a brand new building - that will hold significantly more students. New school, old location, same name.

A new building is not a brand new school.

Crown is a brand new school. Northwood is an existing school being rebuilt. Like dozens of other schools in MCPS.

Except that the new building will hold many more students than it currently does, so it will be a new, changed school. It's not like it the same students will be going back when they reopen in 2025. There will be a boundary study, and more students will go to Northwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much fear mongering here. One of the previous posters got a right, as long as you're within walking distance of the school, you are fine. As proven by the recent Seneca Valley - Clarksburg boundary study.

To the pp who thinks Northwood HS is not getting a brand new school, you are wrong. They are knocking down the old building, and building a brand new building - that will hold significantly more students. New school, old location, same name.

A new building is not a brand new school.

Crown is a brand new school. Northwood is an existing school being rebuilt. Like dozens of other schools in MCPS.

Except that the new building will hold many more students than it currently does, so it will be a new, changed school. It's not like it the same students will be going back when they reopen in 2025. There will be a boundary study, and more students will go to Northwood.

Very comparable to the Seneca Valley expansion. But I agree with the PP that Crown is different--a true brand new school. Northwood will likely retain the bulk of its students, administration, and teachers. Crown will start from scratch. As will Woodward, even though that's technically a reopening/rebuilding of an old school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, an actual boundary study to be aware of is the one for Somerset and Westbrook elementary schools. The study is scheduled to begin in Spring 2020, with reassignments decided in November 2020, to take effect in Fall 2021. In the spring there will be information posted on the web site and several public meetings. There are no other imminent boundary studies in this area.

Thanks for this info!
-- OP

Funny thing is, Westbrook is one of the schools where it would be safe to buy right now. It's currently underenrolled, and there may be some boundary adjustments so some kids who currently go to Somerset might attend Westbrook. I can't imaginre anyone getting up in arms about that.

Re the larger issues, Westbrook is one of the last schools that will be affected by the consultants' work that everyone is up in arms about. At least half the kids walk to school; MCPS isn't changing that. Those same kids also will walk to Westland, and MCPS isn't changing that either. Westbrook is tucked into a corner along the DC border; the only two high schools they could possibly go to are BCC (current) and maybe Whitman, and sending Westbrook kids to Whitman won't address any demographic issues (and theat's the only conceivable reason to send these kids anywhere other than BCC).

[Anonymous]

It is like asking if you should invest in the stock market,,you never know..