Blair pyramid or Kennedy pyramid

[Anonymous]

Hello all, looking to move to Silver Spring, MD from out of the area. We found an amazing SFH in the kennedy pyramid in Poplar Run, and some older ones in the blair pyramid. I've seen on here that blair is consistently one of the best schools in the area. Is kennedy much worse? Also we are looking at middle schools and elementaries. We are considering the neighborhoods around downtown and takoma park, as well as poplar run(our favorite but worried about schools). Does anyone have info on how these schools compare? Please recommend an elementary school too, unsure which we are looking at for areas in blair pyramid. We are open to new school areas to look at as well, commute will be to downtown Silver Spring. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would do Takoma Park - Blair, personally. You would be in the Downcounty Consortium with Takoma Park Middle School and Blair as your home schools. DCC students can choose a different high school. More students seem to want Blair, from what I can tell.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

We're zoned for Kennedy.

It's not a **bad** school--I've heard and seen good things from their broadcast journalism students--but it's not as desired as Blair.

At the same time, Blair is HUGE. There are over 3000 students enrolled at the school.

I actually recommend you pay attention to the elementary and middle school zoned for the areas you're interested in. You'll have five high schools to choose from, and your DC may not even be INTERESTED in Blair's offerings.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Kennedy 1000%. Its a good school and as good as Blair without having almost 3K students. Kennedy is not overcrowded which makes a difference for a diverse population. The houses are nicer in that area too.

Blair is too big and only stands out because of the magnet program. 80% of the magnet kids are not in bound for Blair. If your child is extremely gifted them he of she will get into a magnet. Plus there is a rumor out there that the Blair magnet might move to Kennedy. I suspect this will happen eventually. Blair is so overcrowded but so are all the nearby schools. It can't get any bigger so the magnet is the most likely way to reduce the size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello all, looking to move to Silver Spring, MD from out of the area. We found an amazing SFH in the kennedy pyramid in Poplar Run, and some older ones in the blair pyramid. I've seen on here that blair is consistently one of the best schools in the area. Is kennedy much worse? Also we are looking at middle schools and elementaries. We are considering the neighborhoods around downtown and takoma park, as well as poplar run(our favorite but worried about schools). Does anyone have info on how these schools compare? Please recommend an elementary school too, unsure which we are looking at for areas in blair pyramid. We are open to new school areas to look at as well, commute will be to downtown Silver Spring. Thanks!

A good elementary school option for the Blair cluster is East Silver Spring ES. It feeds to Takoma Park MS and then Blair. It is rare to get into Blair via the lottery unless you're zoned for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy 1000%. Its a good school and as good as Blair without having almost 3K students. Kennedy is not overcrowded which makes a difference for a diverse population. The houses are nicer in that area too.

Blair is too big and only stands out because of the magnet program. 80% of the magnet kids are not in bound for Blair. If your child is extremely gifted them he of she will get into a magnet. Plus there is a rumor out there that the Blair magnet might move to Kennedy. I suspect this will happen eventually. Blair is so overcrowded but so are all the nearby schools. It can't get any bigger so the magnet is the most likely way to reduce the size.

I'm gonna need a citation on that 80 percent figure, but the "rumor" of the magnet moving to Kennedy has thus far only been sighted on DCUM.

I have no objection to Kennedy, which I'm sure is a perfectly fine school, but tearing down Blair isn't a great look.

[Anonymous]

Also consider these elementaries feeding to Einstein: Woodlin, Flora Singer, Oakland Terrace, and Rock View.

And these feeding to Northwood: Forest Knolls, Highland View, and Sligo Creek.

All well-liked Silver Spring area schools.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't Poplar Run feed into Westover/Lee/Kennedy? Westover is a GS 9 so basically the highest ranking ES in all of Silver Spring.

The Poplar Run neighborhood and houses are SO NICE! The neighborhood has a pool, clubhouse, playground and lots of green space. We have friends up there and it is a great area for families/kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Poplar Run feed into Westover/Lee/Kennedy? Westover is a GS 9 so basically the highest ranking ES in all of Silver Spring.

The Poplar Run neighborhood and houses are SO NICE! The neighborhood has a pool, clubhouse, playground and lots of green space. We have friends up there and it is a great area for families/kids.

No. The schools are Glenallan/Lee/Kennedy. Westover is part of the NEC, not DCC. I'd be the most wary of Lee MS, which is very old and run down.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools...ns-at-col-e-brooke-lee-middle/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Poplar Run feed into Westover/Lee/Kennedy? Westover is a GS 9 so basically the highest ranking ES in all of Silver Spring.

The Poplar Run neighborhood and houses are SO NICE! The neighborhood has a pool, clubhouse, playground and lots of green space. We have friends up there and it is a great area for families/kids.

Isn’t Kennedy a GS4?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Poplar Run feed into Westover/Lee/Kennedy? Westover is a GS 9 so basically the highest ranking ES in all of Silver Spring.

The Poplar Run neighborhood and houses are SO NICE! The neighborhood has a pool, clubhouse, playground and lots of green space. We have friends up there and it is a great area for families/kids.

Isn’t Kennedy a GS4?

It's a 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Poplar Run feed into Westover/Lee/Kennedy? Westover is a GS 9 so basically the highest ranking ES in all of Silver Spring.

The Poplar Run neighborhood and houses are SO NICE! The neighborhood has a pool, clubhouse, playground and lots of green space. We have friends up there and it is a great area for families/kids.

No. The schools are Glenallan/Lee/Kennedy. Westover is part of the NEC, not DCC. I'd be the most wary of Lee MS, which is very old and run down.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools...ns-at-col-e-brooke-lee-middle/

From your link: "Lee’s upgrades remained on track for completion in September 2021."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're zoned for Kennedy.

It's not a **bad** school--I've heard and seen good things from their broadcast journalism students--but it's not as desired as Blair.

At the same time, Blair is HUGE. There are over 3000 students enrolled at the school.

I actually recommend you pay attention to the elementary and middle school zoned for the areas you're interested in. You'll have five high schools to choose from, and your DC may not even be INTERESTED in Blair's offerings.

Good luck.

Middle school is really the issue here. What does your child need to thrive during those three years?

We chose Blair although I taught at Kennedy at the time.

[Anonymous]

Kennedy is not well regarded. The least desirable in the DCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy is not well regarded. The least desirable in the DCC.

Blair isn't especially well regraded save for being the "best" school in the DCC. Even then most of that reputation is by strives pining for the Magnet program which most everyone doesn't get invited to.