I have a kid who went to Deal and goes to Banneker. (There are probably a half dozen from Deal.) We are zoned for JR. Kid needed a smaller school. We like Banneker a lot. Kid is very happy there. Teachers are largely excellent.

JR will have advanced math classes while Banneker goes up to AP Calculus AB.

PP : my kid loves pretty much all of their classes and teachers, but especially loves math (honors Algebra 2) and IB Spanish 3. The teachers are highly dedicated and willing to challenge and engage outside of class material. My kid is also really into their (nearly) year-long science fair project, being able to develop a cool project independently but with fantastic equipment and guidance. Homework is totally manageable- it’s about making sure they understand and can apply concepts outside of the classroom. It’s not busy work. At Banneker the students come from vastly different schools, backgrounds, and prep. So some need more prep and find the work more onerous than others. The teachers are dedicated to teaching and elevating each kid where they are, despite the fact that they are all in different places (particularly in 9th). The electives are great- plenty of artsy things but at a small school like Banneker I’m sure it’s not quite what you’d get at JR. My kid has a good deal of out-of-school extra curriculars so I don’t think they are missing anything.

Banneker is not popular on DCUM because its demographics do not align with DCUM’s.

Just telling it like it is - and like all of you KNOW it is.

Some great answers here. One of those all too rare cases where DCUM shines.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a DCUM consensus on this? Banneker looks to be a very good high school from the outside, but I also haven’t heard of many kids who are in-bounds for J-R or MacArthur choosing Banneker over their in-boundaries.

There could be a lot of reasons for that, including maybe they just didn’t get in to Banneker, which is highly selective. How many kids do you actually know who got into Banneker but chose JR/MacArthur instead?

Anonymous wrote:We are in boundary for MacArthur and JR (had the choice between the two last year), and chose Banneker. We could not be happier.

We are considering Banneker. One thing we are nervous about is type and amount of homework. Could you please share what your kid has experienced homework-wise?

Also, I'd love to hear what classes your kid enjoys and why along with any clubs/sports, if you feel like sharing.

We are in boundary for MacArthur and JR (had the choice between the two last year), and chose Banneker. We could not be happier.

I know someone IB for JR who sends their kid to Banneker. I don't know their reason for choosing Banneker over JR, but they've had a very positive experience. It sounds like a demanding, structured place, including in the humanities. I would send my kid who likes rules and has great executive functioning, but not my other kid who's a dreamer and does not do well under time pressure. This is an opinion from a parent who went to a well-regarded school (think Berkeley/UVA/Macalaster/Emory/Duke), so I trust their opinion as far as academic rigor.

Anonymous wrote:Am not sure you will find consensus on here as very few who post on DCUM seem to go to Banneker. My kid goes there and she loves it. It’s super challenging and has great facilities. We live a 5 minute bus ride up the road which is great for us. I think, regardless of other issues people express if parents are able to consider in bounds for JR or MacArthur, the additional commute to Banneker just may not be worth it given the transport connections from ward 3 to Shaw. Similarly Walls is an easier commute as well if you’re in ward 3.

Yeah I don’t think a consensus is possible. It really depends on the kind of student you have as well as things like the commute. They are all solid choices.

I know one kid who chose Banneker over JR and regretted it. This was during virtual school so that also figured in. But this kid wasn’t a really strong math student and felt he missed a lot of the “normal high school” vibes. Still, was well prepared for college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am not sure you will find consensus on here as very few who post on DCUM seem to go to Banneker. My kid goes there and she loves it. It’s super challenging and has great facilities. We live a 5 minute bus ride up the road which is great for us. I think, regardless of other issues people express if parents are able to consider in bounds for JR or MacArthur, the additional commute to Banneker just may not be worth it given the transport connections from ward 3 to Shaw. Similarly Walls is an easier commute as well if you’re in ward 3.

I agree with this. If Banneker was plopped down in upper NW or somewhere right on the red line, it would see a massive increase in applications.

Also, at least with JR, JR offers all the AP classes, STEM and sports that anyone wants/needs. I am not aware of anything that Banneker offers that is unique to Banneker (outside of student body composition).

Banneker does have the IB program and I'm sure making sports teams is much easier than at JR. From what I've heard, Banneker has a much stricter/organized environment. 500 vs. 2000 students is a big difference.

Anonymous wrote:Am not sure you will find consensus on here as very few who post on DCUM seem to go to Banneker. My kid goes there and she loves it. It’s super challenging and has great facilities. We live a 5 minute bus ride up the road which is great for us. I think, regardless of other issues people express if parents are able to consider in bounds for JR or MacArthur, the additional commute to Banneker just may not be worth it given the transport connections from ward 3 to Shaw. Similarly Walls is an easier commute as well if you’re in ward 3.

I agree with this. If Banneker was plopped down in upper NW or somewhere right on the red line, it would see a massive increase in applications.

Also, at least with JR, JR offers all the AP classes, STEM and sports that anyone wants/needs. I am not aware of anything that Banneker offers that is unique to Banneker (outside of student body composition).

Am not sure you will find consensus on here as very few who post on DCUM seem to go to Banneker. My kid goes there and she loves it. It’s super challenging and has great facilities. We live a 5 minute bus ride up the road which is great for us. I think, regardless of other issues people express if parents are able to consider in bounds for JR or MacArthur, the additional commute to Banneker just may not be worth it given the transport connections from ward 3 to Shaw. Similarly Walls is an easier commute as well if you’re in ward 3.

Is there a DCUM consensus on this? Banneker looks to be a very good high school from the outside, but I also haven’t heard of many kids who are in-bounds for J-R or MacArthur choosing Banneker over their in-boundaries.