Anonymous wrote:How old are your children? Honestly, don't go off statistics. Just because you move schools, doesn't mean your child will be any smarter or better off.

I agree. Higher test scores only shows that are larger percentage of the student body is doing well, and doing well has a lot to do with what's going on outside of the classroom. Every school in the county has a group of high performing students. Find out what track they took, what activities they are involved in and set up a similar track for your child. There's no reason why your children cannot succeed at any school in the county. All MCPS schools teach the same curriculum and staff/teachers are pretty much equal across the board. Each school has its share of unmotivated and disinterested teachers/staff.

Sounds like a lot of schools. Just move.

Two of my children are already in the school. The issues start with the school secretaries who ignore you when you walk in the office, a principal whose motto is "My way or no way" and doesn't make my kids or I feel comfortable, staff members with attitude, bullying from students and focus on students who are below grade level but not giving help to accelerate on or above grade level students. Most of the staff is great, but with a not so great principal good teachers get discouraged and leave. I hate to feel like we're stuck with no options. We've even looked into private school, but it's out of our price range without financial aid.

How old are your children? Honestly, don't go off statistics. Just because you move schools, doesn't mean your child will be any smarter or better off.

Yes it matters. For example, if you child is struggling with reading but 70% of his peers are worse off you will not get extra help. But if your child is in the lower 30% they will get extra help. The school your child is in will make a difference.

But, you have not specified the issue.

Also, for elementary, Darnestown and jones lane are good. But the middle school, kingsview is not. Lakelands is better.

QO is good but not perfect, but better than most. All schools have their issues. You may exchange 1 issue for another.

Anonymous wrote:What about the school is making you unhappy?

You still haven't answered this question.

yes, be careful with looking a test scores. We are in a QO feeding elementary school that has perfect test scores but is so overcrowded (1000 kids in a school built for 600), that some kids have to eat "lunch" at 10:45 am and the black top for recess is so full of portables that there is hardly any room for the kids to play. Test scores aren't everything.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I guess I wasn't clear. We live in an area in Gaithersburg that doesn't have the best schools. I have been looking into other areas in Gaithersburg that have better test scores and ratings. The elementary school my children go to feeds into Watkins Mill High School and I have been looking into the Quince Orchard High School area, possibly even the Damascus High School area. There is a vast difference between MCPS schools. They aren't like they used to be when I went 20 or so years ago.

OP, are your children in school yet? Or are you going solely off the test scores and ratings?

OP look at Townhouses on Ambiance Drive or the condos on Timberbrook. They go up for sale pretty often and are reasonably priced. Both feed to Quince Orchard.

Renting is a hassle org from the landlord and possibly the tenant side of things. What if everything is going great for five or six years and then ll doesn't want to renew your lease? You are displaced, which could impact your kids' school again.

I grew up in an area that fed into Watkins Mill High School. Back then it was a good school system county wide. Now I would say that if it were me, I would move out of the area. I think Quince Orchard High is a much better area.

OP here. I guess I wasn't clear. We live in an area in Gaithersburg that doesn't have the best schools. I have been looking into other areas in Gaithersburg that have better test scores and ratings. The elementary school my children go to feeds into Watkins Mill High School and I have been looking into the Quince Orchard High School area, possibly even the Damascus High School area. There is a vast difference between MCPS schools. They aren't like they used to be when I went 20 or so years ago.

Depends on which school district you are in. If the school isn't great, I would definitely find a better place so that your kids can get a better education. I find that Montgomery County Public School system is not the way it used to be.

A better school....hmmmm. Compared to another MCPS school or a school in Mississippi?

What about the school is making you unhappy?

We own a townhouse in an area where the schools are not the greatest. I've been contemplating renting a place in a better school area. Does it make sense to rent a place and then have to rent out the townhouse we own to get my children into a better school? I've been thinking about this for the past couple of months. We probably would not be able to buy something else right now since we just bought the townhouse about 3 years ago. That's why we would have to rent. Thank you for any input.