Anonymous wrote:Please tell me which you would choose and why?

My choice will be Clemens Crossing, but all three of these schools are great as far as state test scores go. Go to great schools http://www.greatschools.org and to each school website to compare all three. The school's websites will give you more detail information about each school. However, if you're working in Washington DC or Montgomery County, then commuting from Ellicott City will be a nightmare. If that is the case, then I will choose Hammond or Clemens Crossing. I would even choose the schools that are in the Maple Lawn neighborhood in Fulton if you're working in DC or Montgomery County.

Also, most of the elementary schools in Howard County are great except for a few. They all offer the same curriculum. The only difference is that some have a high percentage of FARM (free and reduced meals) students than others or they have more involved parents via PTA.

My class used to meet at atholton before reservoir. Those kids are nice too, I mostly met the athletes who were there at that time of day. They were very polite and quietly censored their language around the little kids, which not all teenagers both to do. I have a superficially favorable impression of both schools.

Anonymous wrote:The Hammond neighborhood is fine, if not very diverse, and the school has been great. The HS for our section anyway is Reservoir, (are there still parts of Hammond ES that go to atholton?) and kids I meet from over there have been quite lovely. I'm in the building for a class in the evening so I see quite a few, and many of them work as helpers for various kids programs we use. No experience with the middle school yet.

Yes. My family lives right next to the school in Hammond Village and is zoned for Atholton High.

The Hammond neighborhood is fine, if not very diverse, and the school has been great. The HS for our section anyway is Reservoir, (are there still parts of Hammond ES that go to atholton?) and kids I meet from over there have been quite lovely. I'm in the building for a class in the evening so I see quite a few, and many of them work as helpers for various kids programs we use. No experience with the middle school yet.

Don't some of Thunder Hill communities feed into Oakland Mills and Wilde Lake High Schools? Or do they all feed into Howard High? Looking at the fact that Howard County redistricts (change school boundaries) every few years it looks like some communities zoned to Thunder Hill will change very soon. Thunder Hill is a great elementary school. I don't dispute that fact. However, you really need to look at the boundary maps on the Howard County School website because I wouldn't want to send my child to Wilde Lake or Oakland Mills High Schools in the future. I wouldn't risk Thunder Hill due to future boundary changes. For all you know your child may end up at another elementary school within the next few years.


I'm not a big fan of Laurel either. There are some really shady areas of Laurel. Again, Hammond Elementary (just like Thunder Hill) is a great school. However, I don't like the feeder high school. So, I definitely will not select Hammond.

Honestly, if it were me, I would choose Centennial or Clemens Crossing Elementary Schools. With Centennial Elementary you're guranteed great feeder middle and high schools.

Clemens Crossing feeds into both Wild Lake Middle (neighborhoods north of Highway 32 - Hickory Ridge) and Lime Kiln Middle School (neighborhoods south of Highway 32- Holiday Hills, Riverside Estates, Riverside). All of Clemens Crossing feeds into Atholton. The only negative is the Wild Lake Middle School feeder. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable sending my child to Wilde Lake Middle. However, Clemens Crossing and Atholton are both great schools. If you choose Clemens Crossing, then pick the communities that have the Clemens Crossing to Lime Kiln to Atholton feeder pattern.

You could also, choose neighborhoods that have the Pointer's Run Elementary, Clarkesville Middle, and Atholton feeder pattern as well to avoid Wilde Lake Middle. Some neighborhoods have the Pointer's Run Elementary, Clarksville Middle, and River Hill feeder pattern which gurantees great schools.

Also, if you're looking into Ellicott City the neighborhoods that have the Veterans Elementary, Ellicott Mills Middle, and Centennial High School feeder pattern are great too.

Please look at the boundary maps and pay attention to the future boundary changes on the Howard County School page before you make a decision. http://www.hcpss.org


Also, the local paper The Columbia Patch http://www.columbiapatch.com or the Ellicott City Patch http://www.ellicottcitypatch.com has some recent and past articles about schools and other information.


I will choose Clemens Crossing and Centennial over Hammond!

Anonymous wrote:Based on what? Thunder Hill is a 10 on greatschools, has a 7% FARMS rate, and has MSA scores in the 90s across the board. Is there something I'm missing?

Using schooldigger which ranks based on test scores only, Hammond comes out higher. Another issue with Thunder Hill: On November 15, 2012 the Howard County School Board voted 5-2 to approve a redistricting plan that would move new students into THES, and move current THES students to Northfield ES beginning fall 2013.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on what? Thunder Hill is a 10 on greatschools, has a 7% FARMS rate, and has MSA scores in the 90s across the board. Is there something I'm missing?

Only thing I can think of is long term. The high schools aren't super-great.

Concur- Centennial is the best long-term b/c elementary, middle, and high are all good.

Hammond in theory should also fall in that category if you are in the Hammond Middle cluster / Atholton High School cluster - BUT supposedly there is redistricting in 2016 forthcoming (this could change with new superintendent) and logistically that parcel shouldn't really be in Atholton, it has always been in Hammond.

Clemens and Atholton are both excellent - Wilde Lake Middle may be a challenge.

But, the above might not matter to OP at all if you are renting for a few years, b/c you may shift areas anyhow.

Anonymous wrote:Based on what? Thunder Hill is a 10 on greatschools, has a 7% FARMS rate, and has MSA scores in the 90s across the board. Is there something I'm missing?

Only thing I can think of is long term. The high schools aren't super-great.

Anonymous wrote:Hammond is an excellent school. Always does well on standard exams. The kids are nice.

On the slightly-less-than-perfect side: I don't think the principal is the strongest, but the vice principal is good. The PTA leaves a bit to be desired.

I don't think any of the three choices are bad at all. Clemons Crossing will subject you to CA fees. I would focus more on commute and quality of life issues surrounding each neighborhood.

Depends on CA fees - if you rent you won't have any. If you own, you would only have them if you own in a street that is Columbia proper - a portion of that district is outparcels.

OP any way you can visit before you fully commit? I think you have three great options, and I honestly think its going to come down to house choice and neighborhood- I think any of these 3 would be a great education.

I have nothing negative to say on Thunder Hill - I'm not familiar with it personally, but can comment that it is centrally located between Clemens and Centennial I think a PP on this board has kids there and has expressed positive thoughts about it.

Based on what? Thunder Hill is a 10 on greatschools, has a 7% FARMS rate, and has MSA scores in the 90s across the board. Is there something I'm missing?

I think Hammond ranks much higher than Thunder Hill

What about Thunder Hill? I have seen it mentioned on here before.

Hammond is an excellent school. Always does well on standard exams. The kids are nice.

On the slightly-less-than-perfect side: I don't think the principal is the strongest, but the vice principal is good. The PTA leaves a bit to be desired.

I don't think any of the three choices are bad at all. Clemons Crossing will subject you to CA fees. I would focus more on commute and quality of life issues surrounding each neighborhood.

I would not choose Hammond b/c I don't like the feel of Laurel, even the Howard County part.

I would choose Clemens or Centennial depending on my housing options. Both of those locations are central (whereas I don't feel like Laurel is as much) and in great areas.

To differentiate between the two is probably splitting hairs.

Caveat that if you have to commute to DC, I would weight Clemens higher b/c Rt. 29 to Ellicott City and 95 N at night always seem jammed between Laurel and EC.

Please tell me which you would choose and why?