I've got a four year old in day care and we're all talking about kindergarten for next year. Various parents live in Gaithersburg and Germantown. One mom is sending her child to Watkins Mill. It's a Title I school, which is, IMO, an advantage because you'll get smaller class sizes. What exactly have you heard that's bad? I don't think there's a bad elementary school in the county, honestly. I think it gets trickier when you get up to middle and high school.

Whether the school is the best fit for your particular child? That might be a different story. You could also look at the French immersion program at Maryvale in Rockville, if that interests you. And I think there's a Chinese immersion program at College Gardens in Rockville.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/Immersion-AtAGlance.pdf

There are some private school options, too, including Seneca Academy, Butler (Montessori), Barnesville, and I think the Epworth preschool program has a private kindergarten class as well. There are also some Catholic and Christian private schools to choose from.

It is fine. Really, fine. Don't be afraid.

OP, it is not a bad school district. MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the entire country. What you have heard is probably related to the fact that Watkins Mill serves a larger than normal low-income, ESOL population, which makes lots of people on here tremble. Anywhere your child goes in MCPS is a gazillion times better than districts in 99% of the rest of this country.

OP. Who knew spending this much on a house would put you in a bad school district? I wish something could be done to change the public school districts in this country.

I'm zoned for a similar school close by, and had to bite the bullet and send DC to private. I should of bought in a better school district.

Have fun searching COSA (change of school assignment) on this forum! The only acceptable option on DCUM is to move to a better neighborhood.

Can anyone tell me anything about Watkins Mill Elementary School? This is the school that we are supposed to send our kid to, but I have read some negative reviews. Is there a way to choose a different school?