Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the step between "Our local school is overcrowded" and "so we decided to send our daughter to Aquinas Montessori school in Alexandria, VA"? Why did you zero in on this one school that wasn't at all convenient?

In general I would not move this far for an elementary school. Call around to local privates that may still have space or try the local public for a year.

+1
Acquinas is definitely not worth that drive. I’d have a different answer if it was to secure a place at a top k-12 where you’d be set until graduation. I’d just find a local parochial or Montessori school bc the education will be just as good as acquinas. I live in Alexandria so am familiar with the school.

+1

I would find another alternative. There have to be options near you that are private?

I'm also thinking of the length of the day and your quality of life for that duration of time. Even on a basic level, school will let out hours before you're "done" at work and what happens then? After school care at best, and you're getting home at 7pm?

It seems that you like where you live, so I'd find a solution that works where you are.

Anonymous wrote:What was the step between "Our local school is overcrowded" and "so we decided to send our daughter to Aquinas Montessori school in Alexandria, VA"? Why did you zero in on this one school that wasn't at all convenient?

In general I would not move this far for an elementary school. Call around to local privates that may still have space or try the local public for a year.

+1
Acquinas is definitely not worth that drive. I’d have a different answer if it was to secure a place at a top k-12 where you’d be set until graduation. I’d just find a local parochial or Montessori school bc the education will be just as good as acquinas. I live in Alexandria so am familiar with the school.

Tl;dr

If one moves, one ought move north of the Occoquan River (to eliminate the chronic bridge traffic issues). To preserve a public school option, one also ought avoid buying in a low-quality public school pyramid (e.g., avoid the entire City of Alexandria, but maybe someplace in Fairfax County or Arlington County).

I doubt that private is any better than your public. Don't waste your money.

We live in NW DC and see eagles, foxes, deer, all kinds of birds too, plus Rock Creek Park is our daily hike and the river accessible by bike.

I have lived in Prince William County for 20+ years. All my children attended and graduated from Prince William County Schools and attended excellent colleges. You don't need to move out of the county for their schooling. PWCS high school graduates are accepted to top schools. If you children are motivated, take advantage of advanced classes and extracurricular activities, you can save a lot of money, gas, and time by enrolling them in the public school system. We moved down here for larger home and more land and do not regret our decision at all.

We live one mile from school and I asked the kid of he would like us to move closer like into the building right next door.
Do the drive and see how it goes. I would rent nearby once you love the school.

Important question: How many children do you/will you have? Private school is tough to scale with more than one and long commutes.

No real opinion on the commute but wanted to chime in that we were at Aquinas for ages 3-12 for both my children and loved it, I hope you do as well.

PP here -- also, I tend to agree that finding some thing closer makes a lot more sense for a young child. 45 minutes in the car is a lot of time for a little kid and a lot of wear and tear. They do have a reputation as a great Montessori school, but there are many factors to consider. I asked about tuition because my impression is that they're kind of on the high side. They are unusual in that they don't post their tuition rates online

May I ask how much the tuition is at Aquinas Montessori?

Anonymous wrote:What was the step between "Our local school is overcrowded" and "so we decided to send our daughter to Aquinas Montessori school in Alexandria, VA"? Why did you zero in on this one school that wasn't at all convenient?

Yeah, I’m not following this either. I’m sure the school in Old Town is fine but I can’t imagine it’s so great that it’s worth relocating or that type of daily commute. As with many Montessori schools, kids probably move on to other schools after the early elementary years.

If you like the Montessori model, find one closer to home. There’s The Woods Montessori and Cardinal Montessori School, both in Woodbridge.

What was the step between "Our local school is overcrowded" and "so we decided to send our daughter to Aquinas Montessori school in Alexandria, VA"? Why did you zero in on this one school that wasn't at all convenient?

In general I would not move this far for an elementary school. Call around to local privates that may still have space or try the local public for a year.

We moved closer to the school and never regretted it. As long as finances are doable, it was worth it. Getting to friends, after school activities, home, etc.