I would not rule out south arlington in your price range. There are some nice SFH that feed into great elementary schools. Wakefield gets a bad rap compared to Yorktown in Arlington, but it is more diverse and they going to be building a brand new Wakefield in the near future. We are currently in Crystal City and there is a lot I love about Arlington, including it's size. It is big enough to offer a lot of amenities, but small enough that I feel our kids get a lot of individual attention. Also, south arlington schools are not facing the severe overcrowding problem that the north arlington schools are (although there are some exceptions to that).

I know you don't want to move much further out but if you are looking for a good, safe school district along with a SFH under 550k (which is impossible in Arlington & McLean, believe me I looked) then I would recommend you look at the part of Annandale that feeds into Canterbury Woods/Frost/Woodson. This would be neighborhoods between 236 and Braddock, just west of the beltway. Great schools, though the commute is not as lovely as the GW pkwy. We were in your price range, almost bought a house in Hollin Hall but ended up here instead.

I have many colleagues who live in Alexandria FFX county. Most are happy with their elementary schools and those with older kids going into college were happy with West Potomac (don't know anyone at Mt. Vernon). But many of them had serious issues with Carl Sandburg. I think that the principal there is not very good.

I am new to this area also - my child is in elementary school and I am 100% comfortable with it but still doing research on the middle and high schools (Sandburg and West Potomac)
just to be an informed parent - not planning on going anywhere unless there is a real reason to avoid these schools. In the past few months I have had some babysitters - LOVELY girls who are students or have graduated from West Potomac - and I have drilled them on the school. I honestly feel that the school gives them a good exposure to the real world without putting them in any danger or any real chance of falling in with the wrong crowd. People in my neighborhood routinely send girls to Catholic School just because they are scared of West Potomac and having been to a private all girls school myself I think they are making a mistake. You can't keep your kids in a bubble - it will only come back to bite them. There is still crime at Bishop Ireton it is just white collar crime.

Honestly, I have a bunch of juniors and seniors from TC who babysit for me and none of them have ever seen any "gang violence" during their years there. I've asked! Maybe one or two fights in the hallways but no more. These girls are as reliable as they come, have done some really fun and interesting things and are off to pretty decent colleges (UVA, William & Mary, etc.) in the fall.

If I were you, I would be more concerned about getting out of Del Ray and Mount Vernon Elementary. There are better elementary schools in Alexandria with less expensive real estate.

Safety is no more of a concern at TC than it is at Mt. Vernon or West Potomac. You won't find any difference in that regard between any of these large public high schools. And the "jail or Yale" thing is really an exaggeration. There are lots of "middle of the pack" kids who are going to GMU, JMU, Ohio State, Penn State, W.Va. U., etc.

OP, I find the idea that the likelihood that perceived "gang" issues now, will impact your daughter 10-12 years from now is curious. I went to a school that was totally suburban. I was totally shocked to find out that there were reports of gangs at my alma mater ten years later. Gangs were totally unheard of - really, unheard of -- when I went. A lot can happen in 10 years.

I say all this to say that I wouldn't buy a house based on what the high school is going to be like 10-12 years from now. The potential gang members that you are concerned about are still in preschool with your DD. The total dynamic of the school could change by the time your daughter is entering grade school.

BTW, I also moved a lot as a child and hope to be able to stay put for my kids (ages 2.5 & 4). So, I totally understand your feelings in that regard.

OP here--thanks, all. I am a rower, so I like the fact that there are crew programs at these schools, but safety is really the big concern. Thanks for the input!

Anonymous wrote:Something else to consider: I had lunch recently with two friends whose children are at West Potomac (I'm the parent of the DD at TC Williams). They were complaining about budget cuts -- no full-time theater teacher, for one thing. We have no such problems at TC. Also, they do have a crew team, but it is a club, meaning that each family has to pay a significant amount for their child to participate (over $1,000). It is a regular sport at TC, participation is free, and the team wins national titles. It is also one of those sports that is particularly sought-after by elite colleges.

A crew team won't make up for the fact that the state recently found that TC Williams was a failing school. If you're not in the Yale part of the "Yale or Jail" crowd at TC, heaven help you.

Something else to consider: I had lunch recently with two friends whose children are at West Potomac (I'm the parent of the DD at TC Williams). They were complaining about budget cuts -- no full-time theater teacher, for one thing. We have no such problems at TC. Also, they do have a crew team, but it is a club, meaning that each family has to pay a significant amount for their child to participate (over $1,000). It is a regular sport at TC, participation is free, and the team wins national titles. It is also one of those sports that is particularly sought-after by elite colleges.

DD is a sophomore at TC this year. She's never EVER witnessed "gang violence." Seniors have been accepted to Duke, Penn, Cornell, Virginia (including two Echols scholars), William and Mary, Haverford, and Wesleyan, to name a few. Those who get involved in gang violence at TC, or who are even remotely exposed to it, are the unfortunate "lost soul" children who have no family support -- often recent immigrants who are adrift and drowning in a completely foreign environment. For good or for bad, children of those writing on DCUM will have little or no exposure to them.

Yea I agree with the last poster for the most part. Recent West Potomac grad here. I know people that went to WP, TC Williams, Bishop Ireton (Catholic school), and Mount Vernon. Honestly, if your kid has a good head on his or her shoulders, he or she will be fine WHEREVER they go.

As for the difference between a Langley and a WP, Fairfax County is so highly ranked for a reason. Their are great teachers at every single school in FFX County. I can't speak as much for BI or TC, but I know TC is really improving, and, again, your student would be fine there. I've gone through 2 different pyramids in the FFX County system, both were great.

Sure, there are drugs (and alcohol, but we all start drinking at some point) and gangs and fights at every school, but who cares? WP apparently had more fights than any other school in the county when I was there, and I witnessed, oh, i dunno 3 fights in a year at most? It's nothing to worry about.

There will be a bad teacher at every school, but as I tell people, that is only going to make you stronger as a student. And with strong PTA's and communication with parents at all FFX county schools, if there is a REAL serious issue, it will be dealt with. I had one "serious issue" in my 4 years: While I personally had my issues with the teacher, I survived the class just fine. Some of the, um, more spoiled and pampered students just felt the need to complain, because she was expecting a bit too much out of them or something, and not really teaching very well. I don't remember the exact reasons, but at the end of the day, as a student, you need to be independent, and as long as you are, you'll be totally fine!

Your son or daughter will find a great group of friends and that will really be important to their success and development as well.

thanks, PP. Yeah, I know she's only 3, but we want the option of staying wherever we go next for a very long time--and if I KNOW I'm uncomfortable with the high schools, I may want to reconsider moving. I moved around a lot as a kid and don't want DD to. But you're right that everything could change by then!

If you are looking for a SFH for $550k, seriously - don't even bother with Arlington, McLean, etc. Even down the GW parkway will be somewhat tough, but there are decent SFHs there that may need some updating.

Honestly, we just moved from City of Alexandria to a few miles down the GW Parkway (feeds into WW, Sandburg and WestPo). We are fine with these schools. First, our kids are also pretty young (oldest starting elementary next year).

Who really knows how the freaking high school is going to rank in 9 years when my oldest starts there? Sandburg is a little earlier, but again - who knows what will happen?

And I'm fine with them as they are now (spoken with lots of people whose kids either go there now or graduated recently - all are great kids). They aren't the *best* in FFx Co., but I think they are each decent schools. There is going to be some violence at any school (Arlington / McLean schools included). And drugs/alcohol, etc. at any school. Hell, look at places like Langley and some of the problems they have had.

OP - look for the good elementary schools and don't freak out about how the HS scores right now. You have a THREE YEAR OLD!

We live in Del Ray with a 3 yo and love the area, but we're thinking of moving out to the Fairfax County area of Alexandria (as close to the GW parkway and trail as possible) for more house and better schools. But now I'm learning that all FFX Co. schools are not necessarily better than Alexandria City. We'd be fine sending DD to Alexandria schools for elementary, but I'm not sure about the middle schools, and I do not want her at T.C. Williams. Not just the test scores/rankings, but the gangs/violence are worse than I'd anticipated. So my main question is: are West Potomac and Mt. Vernon really any better on the gangs/violence issue?

FWIW, I want some socioeconomic diversity, even if it means it brings the school's test scores down. (This is one reason we aren't going to consider private school.) And I know there will be drugs, fights, etc., at any school. But I want a reasonably safe environment, and TC does not fit that bill to me. If MV and WP don't, either, then maybe we need to scrap the FFx Co. idea and try Arlington, although I'm not sure we can afford a SFH there. We're looking for a SFH in the ballpark of $550k, which puts Del Ray, much of Arlington, and some neighborhoods along the GW parkway out of the question. Anyone know where I can get that and good schools without going farther out into the burbs?