Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the #1 thing to know.

Wilson: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding.

WJ: overcrowded and plan to relieve crowding in 2025

Blair: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding

BCC: not overcrowded… yet.

Both WJ and Blair will have some relief from overcrowding in 2025, when Woodward opens. That will pull from WJ, Einstein, and Wheaton, and it’s not unreasonable to think there may be some shifting of Blair and Northwood boundaries then, too. WJ will have more relief from overcrowding.

I think PP’s point about where you want to live is the most important variable. The neighborhoods feeding into these schools vary considerably, both within and between schools.

Woodward will not have any appreciable impact on Blair overcrowding. Banking on shifting other boundaries is not a strong assumption. MCPS also reduced overall capacity at Woodward recently to save costs. So even less seats are available.

BOE quite literally cut a chunk out of the building and reduced capacity by about 500 kids. Now 2160 instead of 2700. That's either a whole, or most of an elementary school getting cut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the #1 thing to know.

Wilson: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding.

WJ: overcrowded and plan to relieve crowding in 2025

Blair: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding

BCC: not overcrowded… yet.

Both WJ and Blair will have some relief from overcrowding in 2025, when Woodward opens. That will pull from WJ, Einstein, and Wheaton, and it’s not unreasonable to think there may be some shifting of Blair and Northwood boundaries then, too. WJ will have more relief from overcrowding.

I think PP’s point about where you want to live is the most important variable. The neighborhoods feeding into these schools vary considerably, both within and between schools.

Woodward will not have any appreciable impact on Blair overcrowding. Banking on shifting other boundaries is not a strong assumption. MCPS also reduced overall capacity at Woodward recently to save costs. So even less seats are available.

Anonymous wrote:We love Blair. Have one child about to graduate and another child a different MCPS school. We think Blair is better.

I have a Blair kid and a WJ kid - I really like both. The teachers at WJ have kept my child engaged and challenged, and the friendships, diversity, and intellectual challenges of Blair have been great for my other child. I do think with the schools you've specifically named, that you choose your neighborhood first. Then, the school follows. Either WJ or Blair will serve your children well if they can operate in a large public school environment. If they are less able to navigate being one in a sea of literally thousands, then they may have issues, regardless of whether it's Wilson or WJ/Blair. I don't have kids at BCC though so can't speak to BCC - and I do think that the last couple years have been tough on teens in general.

BCC just completed an expansion a few years ago (and had another renovation/expansion about 10-15 years before that) so hopefully they have enough space for a while.

Agree finding a house you like matters more than what specific HS you end up in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the #1 thing to know.

Wilson: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding.

WJ: overcrowded and plan to relieve crowding in 2025

Blair: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding

BCC: not overcrowded… yet.

Both WJ and Blair will have some relief from overcrowding in 2025, when Woodward opens. That will pull from WJ, Einstein, and Wheaton, and it’s not unreasonable to think there may be some shifting of Blair and Northwood boundaries then, too. WJ will have more relief from overcrowding.

I think PP’s point about where you want to live is the most important variable. The neighborhoods feeding into these schools vary considerably, both within and between schools.

Northwood's new building is also opening in 2025, with 1000 seats more than the current building's capacity. That's the plan for Blair's overcrowding.

Anonymous wrote:Here is the #1 thing to know.

Wilson: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding.

WJ: overcrowded and plan to relieve crowding in 2025

Blair: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding

BCC: not overcrowded… yet.

Both WJ and Blair will have some relief from overcrowding in 2025, when Woodward opens. That will pull from WJ, Einstein, and Wheaton, and it’s not unreasonable to think there may be some shifting of Blair and Northwood boundaries then, too. WJ will have more relief from overcrowding.

I think PP’s point about where you want to live is the most important variable. The neighborhoods feeding into these schools vary considerably, both within and between schools.

Here is the #1 thing to know.

Wilson: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding.

WJ: overcrowded and plan to relieve crowding in 2025

Blair: overcrowded and no plan to relieve crowding

BCC: not overcrowded… yet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And all will have more stress then Wilson though better selection of classes and more APs early in MoCo. No APs in Wilson freshman year, only two useless ones offered Sophomore year. I feel like the W schools in MoCo are not as dependent on the "great teacher" model as Wilson. Not sure who's central office is more messed up though. That said, Wilson's college admits are very good this year, I can't remember the last time there was a suicide and the kids I know at Wilson seem a little more relaxed. Purely anecdotal.

Given that Wilson college admissions seem no different than MC schools, it makes you wonder that AP classes in 9th grade are not all that important

That's not entirely true

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are all in very different neighborhoods. Where do you want to live?

Exactly.

+1 You need to think about the full range of factors - the various boosters here will tell you how wonderful their school is to make their property values go up.

Or because they think it is wonderful!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are all in very different neighborhoods. Where do you want to live?

Exactly.

+1 You need to think about the full range of factors - the various boosters here will tell you how wonderful their school is to make their property values go up.

Anonymous wrote:They are all in very different neighborhoods. Where do you want to live?

Exactly.

They are all in very different neighborhoods. Where do you want to live?

Anonymous wrote:And all will have more stress then Wilson though better selection of classes and more APs early in MoCo. No APs in Wilson freshman year, only two useless ones offered Sophomore year. I feel like the W schools in MoCo are not as dependent on the "great teacher" model as Wilson. Not sure who's central office is more messed up though. That said, Wilson's college admits are very good this year, I can't remember the last time there was a suicide and the kids I know at Wilson seem a little more relaxed. Purely anecdotal.

Given that Wilson college admissions seem no different than MC schools, it makes you wonder that AP classes in 9th grade are not all that important

WJ has great diversity, the APEX program for high stats students, a great principal and great community. And, it is severly overcrowded, which won't be relieved until fall of 2025 at the earliest (if Woodward building stays on schedule).

Bad sports rivalry with BCC (as in fights with weapons, knives that I know of). I would not let my kid attend a football or basketball game against the other at home or away for the foreseeable future.

We love Blair. Have one child about to graduate and another child a different MCPS school. We think Blair is better.