Anonymous
Post 10/18/2025 10:42     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn and Carderock Springs definitely - they are in an area with much higher property prices and low rental stock.

Bradley Hills (where my kids went) is a newer and bigger building that could accomodate more students, plus it is in an area with varied housing stock and more rental opportunities.


It could but enrollment has been staying pretty steady after the covid outflux to private schools. I think it'll stay small.
Anonymous
Post 10/16/2025 18:32     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
OP here. Thanks for these responses. How about Wood Acres-- grade and class sizes?
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 19:06     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Definitely Seven Locks. It's historically been small and people are leaving for privates in large numbers right now. Admin is a mess.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 09:54     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Anonymous wrote:What about Burning Tree? Not OP but we are looking at a house that feeds into BTES and also trying to find a school that won’t likely be overcrowded in the coming years.


Burning Tree isn't a large school, but it is overcapacity because its building is small and old, and projected to remain that way.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 06:10     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
What about Burning Tree? Not OP but we are looking at a house that feeds into BTES and also trying to find a school that won’t likely be overcrowded in the coming years.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 05:29     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Bannockburn and Carderock Springs definitely - they are in an area with much higher property prices and low rental stock.

Bradley Hills (where my kids went) is a newer and bigger building that could accomodate more students, plus it is in an area with varied housing stock and more rental opportunities.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 04:54     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Potomac, not Bethesda, but Cold Springs ES
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 00:00     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
I would argue <100 kids is only meaningful vis-a-vis the number of teachers/sections per grade. Our school which has been listed above and is otherwise deemed underutilized always hovers between 3 overstuffed classes and 4 reasonable classes, but usually 3 sections and it sucks. There's an unpredictable sweet spot around here with DC area being such a transient place for the parents/job cost of living.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 13:02     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Anonymous wrote:It's kind of hard to predict with any certainty. My kid's ES was super-overcrowded at one point, and then the boundaries were re-drawn and now it's under capacity and the other ESs nearby are now more overcrowded.

MCPS is always tweaking things.


Ha so true. We are on the flip side of this.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 12:54     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Bannockburn
Carderock
Somerset
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 12:19     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
It's kind of hard to predict with any certainty. My kid's ES was super-overcrowded at one point, and then the boundaries were re-drawn and now it's under capacity and the other ESs nearby are now more overcrowded.

MCPS is always tweaking things.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 12:17     Subject: Re:Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
bannockburn elementary, great freeder cluster too.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 12:11     Subject: Re:Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Anonymous wrote:Somerset
Westbrook
Carderock Springs


Somerset is in Chevy Chase, not Bethesda (feeds to BCC though)
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 11:25     Subject: Re:Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Somerset
Westbrook
Carderock Springs
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2025 10:45     Subject: Which Bethesda elementary schools are likely to remain small for the next few years
Can anyone help me figure out which Bethesda elementary schools are still small (say, less than 100 students per grade), and which are likely to stay small for the next few years given planned residential development nearby?

So far, it appears that list includes Seven Locks, Bradley Hills, and Bannockburn. Am I missing any?