My kids are in APS, but we researched FCCPS too. Smaller size was great, but a big factor against was IB. IB would have been great for one of my kids (humanities/writing focused) but not the other (math, STEM kid who doesn't like to write). We liked the options that APS has for high school in addition to the main high schools. Also, it was much harder to find a house we liked in FCC, it's just so small.

FCCPS resident here. I can tell you that if your family is interested in UVA this is a great school. SO many kids got into UVA this year and many had very mid stats, not sure they would have gotten in from FCPS or Arlington. There are 5 AP classes. I think the IB is well run and soon most colleges will accept SL classes for credit not just HL giving it a leg up from AP. It is true that it is socially claustrophobic and if you have a falling out with a friend group it can be very bad-dealing with this now. The upside is that given you cant escape any social drama when you finish the HS you are more aware of social dynamics because the lessons are in your face.

FCC reputations have a great reputation. The only negative I have heard is that there can be some bullying that is hard to escape because all of the kids are together in the same schools from K-12. There are a lot of kids (like 9-10 classes per grade in ES), but if you get tagged as someone the other kids don't like, then it's hard to get out of that for the next 10-12 years. I know one family that literally moved because their children were bullied - it might have been race related, they were hispanic.

It’s very very difficult to get a true comparison between HS in N Arlington and FCCPs because almost no one experiences both. Yeah, one poster said they moved from Arlington but like which ES? Arlington is bigger than FCCPS so that could mean vastly different things. Westover isn’t like country club hills, for example. And, Arlington is way smaller than Fairfax. So bottom line these comparisons aren’t really one to one; they are just random folks impressions based on their experiences-mostly interacting with a very small subgroup. Both are excellent public school systems. If it were me, I’d choose between (north) APS and Falls Church based on the house and commute and other amenities and accept that I wasn’t really winning any sort of educational competition between the two.

Have kids at Meridian now and they're FCCPS lifers. HS leadership is well intentioned but weak right now, though I expect that will change with the new superintendent. For the most part, the HS teachers are really, really terrific. MEH principal seems incredible, though I say that from afar as my kids weren't there until after he started. Meridian is an IB school with a few AP classes (Comp Sci Principals, Comp Sci A, Spanish, Gov, BC Calc, perhaps others). Kids can choose to sit for an AP exam on their own. For instance, take IB Psych and self-study for AP Psych.

https://sites.google.com/fccps.org/mhspos

I like IB with the exception of science - AP makes more sense for a kid who wants to go pre-med/science/engineering.

The limitation of Meridian is also one of its benefits - the small size. Students can't be anonymous, most classes are small/medium, they can make most sports teams, it's safe. But there's also a smaller range of class offerings due to size.

If I could do it all over again and home price wasn't a consideration, I think I'd do FCCPS through middle school and then move to Fairfax for Marshall IB for high school. Maybe there are a handful of houses zoned for both?

Good luck with your decision OP. You've got several solid options.

FCCPS is a good school system, provided one likes IB at high school, and does not want AP classes. None of the local school systems is really great at supporting special needs kids.

We could not afford a house there, but we would choose North Arlington and APS over McLean/Vienna and FCPS, mostly because APS is much smaller. For Arlington County, US Route 50 is the unofficial / informal divide between North and South.

in VA, unlike New England, towns cannot have their own school system, so Vienna, Clifton, and Herndon all use FCPS. Fairfax City chooses to use FCPS, but could choose to have its iwn school system.

Anonymous wrote:I would look into Vienna or McLean over FCCPS. You have more options in the HS and the building itself is not ideal. That is my opinion of someone who has had kids in it. Few options of classes, not a fan of the IB program over AP and the 7 floor building.

McLean HS building is very overcrowded and physically in bad shape. It has recurring problems with bathrooms closed because of plumbing backups. Langley HS building (which also serves part of McLean post office area) was renovated recently and expanded, and is in good shape.

Both McLean HS and Langley HS have AP. Not certain, but I think FCCPS only has IB and does not offer AP - one might want to verify that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford FCC your kids will probably be fine wherever they land. If I could afford FCC I’d look in North Arlington to have more options, but I don’t live the idea of having no “escape plan”.

Any suggestions for specific areas in North Arlington that have a walkable feel and smaller streets? This was what appealed about Falls Church. Thank you!!

Westover, Cherrydale, Lyon Village, Waverly Hills

+1 and I agree with what folks have said op. Take anything about middle schools with a grain of salt. It’s just a hard time for many kids almost no matter how you slice it. We live in Westover in Arlington and bid on a house in FCC- would have been happy there too. Our friends there are all happy. Small school system has pros and cons, I think mostly pros and people are happy, sometimes can be hard if your child doesn’t find their crowd or has a falling out.

Westover is fantastic and just as walkable if not more than FCC because not all of FCC has sidewalks so I’m not sure I agree with the poster who said more walkable than Arlington, some parts of Arlington I’m sure. They are both great places to live. Arlington is also incredibly bikeable if that appeals to you. I bike a lot and find it easier in Arlington than when I cross over and am navigating FCC. FCC has some better restaurants and brewery’s I feel like lately! Living in Westover we’re right there and can bike on the trail to them, FCC has done a great job bringing in some good new places.

I think you’d be happy in Westover or FCC or some of the others listed here. It can be hard to get a house in FCC since it’s a small area so doesn’t hurt to have a couple options.

Thanks for all this great perspective!

Mary Ellen Henderson MS and Meridian HS are right next to each other. Kids all ride buses there together so your siblings two years apart will have probably more time going in the same direction as other school experiences.

Big factor is also that Meridian student population is about half the size of Arlington and Fairfax HS. For us, it means more opportunities to join the sports teams or get a spot in the school play. Something to consider.

Anonymous wrote:We are evaluating neighborhoods for a move to the Arlington area. Looking for combination of safe walkable neighborhood with great schools for our elementary aged kids. We liked City of Falls Church for walkability and seemingly good schools but read some pretty bad experiences by students at the middle school (Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School). Also it is a bummer that our two kids who are 2 grade levels apart would barely ever be in the same school given the 2-elementary school setup. Does anyone have experience with these schools and willingness to share or recommend? Our kids do not (currently) have special learning needs and we really like the idea of IB curriculum. Thank you! Would also appreciate suggestions for alternatives to Falls Church.

Lyon Park also has a very walkable feel - that said I wish the school system was smaller so kind of regret not living in FCC (although I have never really researched the school system I just have general "grass is always greener" angst.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford FCC your kids will probably be fine wherever they land. If I could afford FCC I’d look in North Arlington to have more options, but I don’t live the idea of having no “escape plan”.

Any suggestions for specific areas in North Arlington that have a walkable feel and smaller streets? This was what appealed about Falls Church. Thank you!!

Have you been in FCC recently? The streets may be small but they’re jammed with traffic and lots of tall developments.

You're talking about the main drag - Rte 7. There are lovely neighborhoods with houses off the main street. FCC is really lovely. It's probably gonna be hard to find a house to buy. Or are you planning to rent?

Not sure yet…

There is a group of people on this board that like to hate on FCCPS. MEH is great. We have been super pleased with it. We moved from Arlington into FCC. The FCCPS schools in general, and MEH in particular, are just a notch above. Middle School is tough. MEH knows all the students personally and seeks to meet their needs as individuals. FCC is also much more walkable than Arlington. Certainly, when we lived in Arlington there were things we could walk to- but FCC is walkable in a different way. Basically my kids can walk to any friend's house in the city. Lots and lots of kids walk home from school together, stopping at the starbucks and crumble etc. The community center is walkable for most of falls church, with the farmers market and other events happening there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford FCC your kids will probably be fine wherever they land. If I could afford FCC I’d look in North Arlington to have more options, but I don’t live the idea of having no “escape plan”.

Any suggestions for specific areas in North Arlington that have a walkable feel and smaller streets? This was what appealed about Falls Church. Thank you!!

Not sure what you mean by smaller streets but anywhere along the orange line has a lot to walk too.