Does anyone have experience with moving from MoCo to Howard?

[Anonymous]

Our family currently lives in MoCo, but my spouse is changing jobs and we are considering moving to Howard County because it will shorten commute times. So far our kids have had an uneven experience in MCPS, but at least we know what we're dealing with here. We're wondering what experiences people have had with moving to Howard Co and switching their kids to the schools there. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Howard County is by far the best county in the state and their schools are amazing. Do not let the inflated GPA's and bussing smart kids to not so great schools for magnet programs let you think MCPS is tops. It isn't.

River Hill is the best high school. Great neighborhoods too. Do not hesitate. Anything to decrease traffic, but you are only moving up.

[Anonymous]

Definitely would do it, especially with the added bonus of a shorter commute.

MCPS has been in a definite decline this past decade. We have several friends in HoCo and compare notes all the time. Would move to HoCo except both of our jobs are in DC.

[Anonymous]

HoCo is like MoCo in that it matters where you are moving. There are strong and week HSs. There are no magnets though they do offer more levels in HS. There is a lot of redistricting and also no straight feeder schools. So you go to ES and then get mixed for middle and then mixed again potentially in HS depending on your address. These are the HoCo complaints from my coworkers.

[Anonymous]

In DCUM fantasy land, HoCo schools are the best but in the real world that's another story.
One HoCo school made the top 10 in the state and 2 in the top 20 while MCPS has 8.
Also living in HoCo, you might as well live in WVA... boring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DCUM fantasy land, HoCo schools are the best but in the real world that's another story.
One HoCo school made the top 10 in the state and 2 in the top 20 while MCPS has 8.
Also living in HoCo, you might as well live in WVA... boring

It's mostly homogenous and lower FARMS so kind of like stepping into a time-machine for now. Overall fewer highs and lows.

[Anonymous]

I’d move. We raised our 3 kids here (moco) and the school system is nothing like it used to be. Hard to believe but it used to be a really good system. Very sad to see the decline but at least our kids are done now. Howard reminds me of MCPS years ago.

[Anonymous]

We have a friend who was in a well-regarded HoCo school and switched his kid to private school by the early elementary years.

Lots of MCPS haters on this board like to pretend HoCo is perfect, but of course it's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HoCo is like MoCo in that it matters where you are moving. There are strong and week HSs. There are no magnets though they do offer more levels in HS. There is a lot of redistricting and also no straight feeder schools. So you go to ES and then get mixed for middle and then mixed again potentially in HS depending on your address. These are the HoCo complaints from my coworkers.

This happens here in MCPS too. Churchill, WJ, and QO to name a few with mixed feeder ES and MS schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who was in a well-regarded HoCo school and switched his kid to private school by the early elementary years.

Lots of MCPS haters on this board like to pretend HoCo is perfect, but of course it's not.

Who here said it was perfect?

Is it better than MCPS? Yes and that isn't saying much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DCUM fantasy land, HoCo schools are the best but in the real world that's another story.
One HoCo school made the top 10 in the state and 2 in the top 20 while MCPS has 8.
Also living in HoCo, you might as well live in WVA... boring

Um, you realize that they rate those schools based on ESOL and FARMS? HoCo has gifted programs in ALL of their schools. MCPS buses them to lower performing schools to rank them higher. If you don't see the political gain in that, you are an idiot.

Once Montgomery County became a welcoming county to illegal immigrants, the system went down the tubes quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In DCUM fantasy land, HoCo schools are the best but in the real world that's another story.
One HoCo school made the top 10 in the state and 2 in the top 20 while MCPS has 8.
Also living in HoCo, you might as well live in WVA... boring

Um, you realize that they rate those schools based on ESOL and FARMS? HoCo has gifted programs in ALL of their schools. MCPS buses them to lower performing schools to rank them higher. If you don't see the political gain in that, you are an idiot.

Once Montgomery County became a welcoming county to illegal immigrants, the system went down the tubes quickly.

My HoCo coworker tried to tell me that all HoCo HSs offer programs which rival the Blair Magnet... She just had no idea that the non competitive science track at her kids school was not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In DCUM fantasy land, HoCo schools are the best but in the real world that's another story.
One HoCo school made the top 10 in the state and 2 in the top 20 while MCPS has 8.
Also living in HoCo, you might as well live in WVA... boring

Um, you realize that they rate those schools based on ESOL and FARMS? HoCo has gifted programs in ALL of their schools. MCPS buses them to lower performing schools to rank them higher. If you don't see the political gain in that, you are an idiot.

Once Montgomery County became a welcoming county to illegal immigrants, the system went down the tubes quickly.

Not PC but true. That and low income housing really destroyed the county (and the school system).

[Anonymous]

I had the opposite experience. Left Howard because it's boring. Will never go back. Live in Moco now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had the opposite experience. Left Howard because it's boring. Will never go back. Live in Moco now

?? Boring as in no shooting, no MS-13, no sex scandals at school?? Is that what you mean?