Our youngest kid, an 8th grader, ended up deciding to go to JR, unlike their older sibling who chose Walls. Based on touring both schools, they each wanted a different high school experience. Our oldest was more reserved and scholarly and inclined toward place like Walls which offered a smaller environment but a little more academically intense. Whereas our youngest is just as apt a pupil but more freewheeling and social and saw Jackson Reed as a fun place that offered that big high school experience. We’re proud that each of our kids felt supported to go their own way.

Anonymous wrote:And of course it never hurts to have a lovely new building, which is near the metro!

+1. But the big thing is that it has so many more available seats now.

Bump

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With due respect, Banneker has always gotten attention and produced outstanding grads. It's just that now white people are paying attention to it too. Don't erase its great history.

It’s this but it’s not just this, it’s also that Banneker has nearly doubled in size over the past decade. Banneker always used to have a smaller freshman class than Walls, now it always has a larger freshman class. So of course it’s a bigger presence in the city, and in the high school application game.

I don't believe this to be true. SWW had a freshman enrollment of 45 and a graduating class of 87 students when I attended and graduated in the early 2000s. Expansion at both occurred post-renovation. Banneker has an abnormally large sophomore class (231-255, depending on which SY is considered) and about 185 current freshman. The junior and senior classes are 150 and 120 students, respectively, and aren't meaningfully different from SWW's numbers over the years. Banneker has relatively higher attrition than Walls from year to year also.

What’s not to believe? I’m just looking at the OSSE audit data (which I admit only goes back to 2011-12). In that data, Walls has been bigger than Banneker every year until last year. In fact for a lot of that time Walls was much bigger: Walls has had about 600 students per year, every year since 2013-14, while Banneker was under 485 until 2019-20. But then Banneker got the new building and grew. Last year Banneker had 671 students in the audit. The audit data for this year isn’t out yet but the school is saying they’re at 703, which matches your numbers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With due respect, Banneker has always gotten attention and produced outstanding grads. It's just that now white people are paying attention to it too. Don't erase its great history.

It’s this but it’s not just this, it’s also that Banneker has nearly doubled in size over the past decade. Banneker always used to have a smaller freshman class than Walls, now it always has a larger freshman class. So of course it’s a bigger presence in the city, and in the high school application game.

I don't believe this to be true. SWW had a freshman enrollment of 45 and a graduating class of 87 students when I attended and graduated in the early 2000s. Expansion at both occurred post-renovation. Banneker has an abnormally large sophomore class (231-255, depending on which SY is considered) and about 185 current freshman. The junior and senior classes are 150 and 120 students, respectively, and aren't meaningfully different from SWW's numbers over the years. Banneker has relatively higher attrition than Walls from year to year also.

Another way to look at this. Think about the middle schools you think are offering more rigorous options. Look here and see where the students in 8th grade classes at those schools have ended up over the past few years: https://edscape.dc.gov/page/student-enrollment-pathways

"Not in audit" means the student either moved to a private or out of DC.

And of course it never hurts to have a lovely new building, which is near the metro!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With due respect, Banneker has always gotten attention and produced outstanding grads. It's just that now white people are paying attention to it too. Don't erase its great history.

It’s this but it’s not just this, it’s also that Banneker has nearly doubled in size over the past decade. Banneker always used to have a smaller freshman class than Walls, now it always has a larger freshman class. So of course it’s a bigger presence in the city, and in the high school application game.

Interesting, I did not know that. Was that due to the renovation/increased space?

Anonymous wrote:With due respect, Banneker has always gotten attention and produced outstanding grads. It's just that now white people are paying attention to it too. Don't erase its great history.

It’s this but it’s not just this, it’s also that Banneker has nearly doubled in size over the past decade. Banneker always used to have a smaller freshman class than Walls, now it always has a larger freshman class. So of course it’s a bigger presence in the city, and in the high school application game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can read all about this on the myschooldc website.

Right, but general advice/tips for timing, which tests to take if you are considering private schools - general months to be aware of. Could be helpful, that's all!

For that you'll have to try the private schools board. I'm sure they'll love your do-no-research approach as much as I do!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the PPs who went private, where? How was the process?

I thought it was pretty much near impossible to get into privates by HS (w/out connections or very high scores, etc).

It's not impossible at all, it's just very hard to do at the top-tier privates. If you aim a little lower it can totally happen. Also it's easier at schools that start in 9th. Inspired Teaching kids routinely go to St. John's, Gonzaga, Elizabeth Seton, and Burke, for example.

This is all helpful. For those of us new to the high school game, what are the various deadlines? I know the public school HS lottery was due Feb 1, when do people have to choose where they enroll? What is the average timeline for privates?

I will be curious to refresh this thread in a few weeks or whenever the deadlines are to see where this year's 8th graders ended up.

Private application deadlines are early January. Decisions for Catholic schools are generally the last Friday in February, and decisions for independents are the first Friday in March. Not sure about Catholics, but there's generally a two-week enrollment period for independents, and then you're on the hook for a full-year tuition bill on June 1 (not due June 1, just that you're obligated to pay the full amount even if you unenroll your child after June 1).

Anonymous wrote:You can read all about this on the myschooldc website.

Right, but general advice/tips for timing, which tests to take if you are considering private schools - general months to be aware of. Could be helpful, that's all!