You might also look at Canterbury Woods/Frost/Woodson and Wakefield Forest/Frost/Woodson in Annandale. A bit further out, but you are close to the Rolling Road VRE, which is only two stops to King Street. And house prices are lower than in Alexandria.

Stratford Landing and Waynewood have fantastic reputations, but some folks aren't as happy with the MS/HS.

Anonymous wrote:I would just move into Fairfax County for Belle View, Stratford Landing or Waynewood ES/Sandburg MS/West Potomac HS. Closer than any schools in the Yorktown pyramid and better than DCPS. You will have more family time, and that's not irrelevant if you are trying to keep open TJ as a possible option.

I would second this recommendation, look at the Fairfax County portion of Alexandria. It would be an easy ten minute drive to the USPTO. Yorktown/Arlington would be a pain-in-the-ass commute. Stratford Landing has the AAP center, which you might be interested in if you are thinking about TJ.

including middle school, and high school -- such as including TJ Science and Math eligibility?

It wasn't clear from the language of her post that eligibility for TJ was an absolute must, although it indicated that it was something she was interested in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maury school

Yup, it is a good school, but also file it under the list of schools in a real estate area that is definitely "not cheap."

Too true. In fact, apart from the Charles Barrett zone (which includes a huge number of nice but not tremendous condo apts), all of the better school zones in Alexandria really demonstrate a direct schools-to-pricing proportionality. Lyles-Crouch and MacArthur are excellent, for example, and a decent house in either zone will entail a walletectomy.

Hasn't it been pointed out that the City of Alexandria does not work for the OP? It does not allow its students to attend TJHSST, one of her requirements.

It might be most helpful to the OP if you discussed ACPS on one of the many other threads about ACPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Maury school

Yup, it is a good school, but also file it under the list of schools in a real estate area that is definitely "not cheap."

Too true. In fact, apart from the Charles Barrett zone (which includes a huge number of nice but not tremendous condo apts), all of the better school zones in Alexandria really demonstrate a direct schools-to-pricing proportionality. Lyles-Crouch and MacArthur are excellent, for example, and a decent house in either zone will entail a walletectomy.

Maury school

Yup, it is a good school, but also file it under the list of schools in a real estate area that is definitely "not cheap."

OP, an ACPS parent here. We really like our ACPS elementary and are sticking with ACPS.

NP. I agree that there are many ACPS elementary schools that are good. The uncertainty of modified open enrollment kind of freaks me out, though. I guess we'll have to see how this year ultimately goes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Town Alexandria - the Lyles-Crouch school (NOT the Jefferson-Houston school). Warning: expensive real estate catchment. Also in Alexandria City and a 9-minute drive of the PTO: Charles Barrett, Mason, MacArthur schools. Also, unfortunately, not cheap.

OP asked for a school pyramid where students are eligible for TJ. That excludes City of Alexandria schools, since ACPS does not allow it's students to attend TJ.

She also asked for a "really strong" school district, which ACPS is not by anyone's definition, a perception reinforced this week by the newest SOL results.

OP, an ACPS parent here. We really like our ACPS elementary and are sticking with ACPS. You'll find that to be true of most ACPS parents; boards like this invite the projection of dissenting opinions, as you've seen. You should call the principals of the schools that interest you (the list above is good, but I'd add the Maury school, and I agree that you'll want to avoid the Jeff-Houston school until significant work on the building and the school environment are done) and arrange a quick meeting/tour. All the ACPS elementaries welcome that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Town Alexandria - the Lyles-Crouch school (NOT the Jefferson-Houston school). Warning: expensive real estate catchment. Also in Alexandria City and a 9-minute drive of the PTO: Charles Barrett, Mason, MacArthur schools. Also, unfortunately, not cheap.

OP asked for a school pyramid where students are eligible for TJ. That excludes City of Alexandria schools, since ACPS does not allow it's students to attend TJ.

She also asked for a "really strong" school district, which ACPS is not by anyone's definition, a perception reinforced this week by the newest SOL results.

Don't you have anything better to do with your life than to sit on this forum and bash ACPS? Go be a parent to your kids with your time! Stop wasting it on the internet!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Town Alexandria - the Lyles-Crouch school (NOT the Jefferson-Houston school). Warning: expensive real estate catchment. Also in Alexandria City and a 9-minute drive of the PTO: Charles Barrett, Mason, MacArthur schools. Also, unfortunately, not cheap.

OP asked for a school pyramid where students are eligible for TJ. That excludes City of Alexandria schools, since ACPS does not allow it's students to attend TJ.

She also asked for a "really strong" school district, which ACPS is not by anyone's definition, a perception reinforced this week by the newest SOL results.

Anonymous wrote:Old Town Alexandria - the Lyles-Crouch school (NOT the Jefferson-Houston school). Warning: expensive real estate catchment. Also in Alexandria City and a 9-minute drive of the PTO: Charles Barrett, Mason, MacArthur schools. Also, unfortunately, not cheap.

OP asked for a school pyramid where students are eligible for TJ. That excludes City of Alexandria schools, since ACPS does not allow it's students to attend TJ.

Old Town Alexandria - the Lyles-Crouch school (NOT the Jefferson-Houston school). Warning: expensive real estate catchment. Also in Alexandria City and a 9-minute drive of the PTO: Charles Barrett, Mason, MacArthur schools. Also, unfortunately, not cheap.

I would just move into Fairfax County for Belle View, Stratford Landing or Waynewood ES/Sandburg MS/West Potomac HS. Closer than any schools in the Yorktown pyramid and better than DCPS. You will have more family time, and that's not irrelevant if you are trying to keep open TJ as a possible option.

Probably Taylor/Nottingham/Jamestown/Tuckahoe-Williamsburg-Yorktown.

We're thinking of moving closer to my work from the district, but can't justify all the costs to move from one middling school district with potential to another. What is the closest really strong school pyramid, including middle school, and high school -- such as including TJ Science and Math eligibility?