Anonymous wrote:Hi all -

My husband and I are in the process of buying a house and recently found a place in Mt. Rainier/Brentwood that we love. However, we are a little concerned about the relatively low rating (all 3's) for the schools Mt. Rainier ES, Hyattsville MS, and Northwestern HS.
I know scores aren't everything and I would love any feedback anyone has on all three of these schools, how realistic it is to think we'd be able to get into a magnet, and generally where you think/see the schools trending, since we're not even pregnant (yet!).

We're so torn because we love the area but with the school situation it seems like we should be looking in MoCo - gah! Help please!


Thank you so much!

Counting on magnet schools is not realistic. Look up the results for the specialty schools lottery. The schools have waitlists into the hundreds. One school has 400 children waitlisted. 400. For one kindergarten group.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have kids in any of the local ones? It seems like a lot of people moving into the neighborhood are sending their kids to private schools...

Doesn't that tell you all you need to know?

Not if the impression is wrong or if the choice is based on irrational fear or prejudice, no.

Thanks - I am trying to do research - this (trying to get feedback from parents) is part of that.

If you are that concerned, OP, research the schools in question thoroughly. Why are the scores so low? Does the school have a lot of FARMS kids lowering the scores? Is there something wrong with the administration? What does the building look like? Take a tour of the school if you want. Look up the testing data on Maryland Report Card. Moving to PG County is not "risky", but you should know what you are getting into. We moved into a home we loved without doing our due diligence on the school. We saw that it was a "7" on greatschools and thought that was good enough. Well, it's really not, now that our daughter is about to enter school. I want the best for her and a dilapidated school building with kids who behave badly is not it.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have kids in any of the local ones? It seems like a lot of people moving into the neighborhood are sending their kids to private schools...

Doesn't that tell you all you need to know?

I meant Hyattsville Middle...

Roosevelt is a very good magnet school in Greenbelt where a lot of high achieving kids in the area go. Many coming from Hyattsville Middle, so I'm assuming the school is doing something right if kids are successfully testing in to the magnet program at ERHS. This is our plan for our two DCs.

My niece and nephew both went to Hyattsville elementary and are now at Roosevelt HS (our home school is also Northwestern). They loved HMS and are currently loving ERHS. Don't know anything about the elementary school in Mt. Rainier as we are in Hyattsville.

Anyone have kids in any of the local ones? It seems like a lot of people moving into the neighborhood are sending their kids to private schools...

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough but would prefer not to go that route. Any insights on the public options?

Local schools or college park academy k-12. It's like NE DC schools will improve with the new prosperity and gentrification but there are privates if necessary .

They are not horrible schools. A kid could do okay there as long as they don't fall in with the wrong crowd.

Fair enough but would prefer not to go that route. Any insights on the public options?

Anonymous wrote:Sorry - why would being Catholic matter?

Lots of catholic schools . Seton and Dematha for high school. Cheap and good privates .

Sorry - why would being Catholic matter?

Anonymous wrote:Hi all -

My husband and I are in the process of buying a house and recently found a place in Mt. Rainier/Brentwood that we love. However, we are a little concerned about the relatively low rating (all 3's) for the schools Mt. Rainier ES, Hyattsville MS, and Northwestern HS.
I know scores aren't everything and I would love any feedback anyone has on all three of these schools, how realistic it is to think we'd be able to get into a magnet, and generally where you think/see the schools trending, since we're not even pregnant (yet!).

We're so torn because we love the area but with the school situation it seems like we should be looking in MoCo - gah! Help please!


Thank you so much!

If you're Catholic , you'll b fine in mt rainier.

Hi all -

My husband and I are in the process of buying a house and recently found a place in Mt. Rainier/Brentwood that we love. However, we are a little concerned about the relatively low rating (all 3's) for the schools Mt. Rainier ES, Hyattsville MS, and Northwestern HS.
I know scores aren't everything and I would love any feedback anyone has on all three of these schools, how realistic it is to think we'd be able to get into a magnet, and generally where you think/see the schools trending, since we're not even pregnant (yet!).

We're so torn because we love the area but with the school situation it seems like we should be looking in MoCo - gah! Help please!


Thank you so much!