Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 18:07     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
MCPS used to be A+ school district. Now, it's, at best, a B school district. In 10 years, it will be a C district... Only 1/2 step ahead of PG schools. It's really a sad story.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 18:02     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our son is 4 months old.. So I am looking at the long game I suppose


MCPS has changed and continues to change drastically. By the time your DC goes to school, it will be a completely different place.


This. The same schools that were great for my older child were not so great when her sibling reached school age. Even accounting for personality differences, it was clear that particular cluster was not going to be able to serve my younger child well. We opted for private as did nearly all our friends. Those who didn't, moved away. I wouldn't want to live in B-CC or Potomac even if we could afford to. I refuse to add 20 min to my commute to live in HoCo.


This type of argument is worthless and only proves my point which is go to the zone that's good now. No one has anyway to predict these changes and if what you say is true as far as changing so rapidly then you are best just going with the flow. If you can't deal with change that is happening your only option is to be flexible in your housing and move or go private and stay put.


Unnecessarily nasty post, PP. You are just too dense to understand, maybe. No one can predict the future but it's not hard to predict which direction the changes are happening. Anyone with more one brain cell should be able to tell. But, maybe not you.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 17:03     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry for the vagueness of the question. I realize now it's a huge system and will require tons of research.
Basically, I work in downtown DC but am looking to make a move to another location in Maryland. DH works in Moco already, all over but mostly Rockville. Budget would be about 350k due to massive student loans. We are completely willing to buy a place that needs work in order to get a little more space and yard.


Look in the Rockville cluster! It's a hidden gem. You can buy in at 350 (but easier at 400), especially if you're willing to put some work into the house. We're in Barnsely ES and loooove the neighborhood -- everyone loves the school.

Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 16:03     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
By the way.. thank you for everyone who has responded. Montgomery County appears to have this gold standard of schools, but when I scratch the surface, it's not evenly distributed. I don't mind a less than perfect school, I know it's all nebulous for the most part. I just don't want to unknowingly buy in a cluster that is a total nightmare for whatever reason.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 16:02     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry for the vagueness of the question. I realize now it's a huge system and will require tons of research.
Basically, I work in downtown DC but am looking to make a move to another location in Maryland. DH works in Moco already, all over but mostly Rockville. Budget would be about 350k due to massive student loans. We are completely willing to buy a place that needs work in order to get a little more space and yard.


Do you want a SFH or th or condo?


OP again. We prefer SFH, then a townhouse if necessary. We are going to seriously look in about about 6 months to a year in the hopes that there may be some upward advancement salary-wise.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 15:55     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry for the vagueness of the question. I realize now it's a huge system and will require tons of research.
Basically, I work in downtown DC but am looking to make a move to another location in Maryland. DH works in Moco already, all over but mostly Rockville. Budget would be about 350k due to massive student loans. We are completely willing to buy a place that needs work in order to get a little more space and yard.


Do you want a SFH or th or condo?
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 15:51     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:There is the Churchill cluster, and then there is everything else, which is far, far inferior (both in quality and the people that go there)



(from someone who bought in the Churchill cluster)
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 15:48     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
OP here. Sorry for the vagueness of the question. I realize now it's a huge system and will require tons of research.
Basically, I work in downtown DC but am looking to make a move to another location in Maryland. DH works in Moco already, all over but mostly Rockville. Budget would be about 350k due to massive student loans. We are completely willing to buy a place that needs work in order to get a little more space and yard.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 15:30     Subject: Re:Primer on Montgomery County schools?
OP, I think it would be easier to give more specifics (what is your house budget, where is your work, etc.) and then we can give you specific recommendations. It's a very large county and people have very different impressions and opinions.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 15:07     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
There is the Churchill cluster, and then there is everything else, which is far, far inferior (both in quality and the people that go there)
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 12:14     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our son is 4 months old.. So I am looking at the long game I suppose


MCPS has changed and continues to change drastically. By the time your DC goes to school, it will be a completely different place.


This. The same schools that were great for my older child were not so great when her sibling reached school age. Even accounting for personality differences, it was clear that particular cluster was not going to be able to serve my younger child well. We opted for private as did nearly all our friends. Those who didn't, moved away. I wouldn't want to live in B-CC or Potomac even if we could afford to. I refuse to add 20 min to my commute to live in HoCo.


This type of argument is worthless and only proves my point which is go to the zone that's good now. No one has anyway to predict these changes and if what you say is true as far as changing so rapidly then you are best just going with the flow. If you can't deal with change that is happening your only option is to be flexible in your housing and move or go private and stay put.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 12:06     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
For decades: Whitman cluster, BCC cluster, Churchill cluster, Wooton cluster, Walter Johnson cluster -- all safe 'bets'
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 12:01     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our son is 4 months old.. So I am looking at the long game I suppose


MCPS has changed and continues to change drastically. By the time your DC goes to school, it will be a completely different place.


This. The same schools that were great for my older child were not so great when her sibling reached school age. Even accounting for personality differences, it was clear that particular cluster was not going to be able to serve my younger child well. We opted for private as did nearly all our friends. Those who didn't, moved away. I wouldn't want to live in B-CC or Potomac even if we could afford to. I refuse to add 20 min to my commute to live in HoCo.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 12:00     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
13 years actually unless he skips a grade.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2016 12:00     Subject: Primer on Montgomery County schools?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our son is 4 months old.. So I am looking at the long game I suppose


MCPS has changed and continues to change drastically. By the time your DC goes to school, it will be a completely different place.


Not really...

When our child was four months old the west side of the country was high performing, the east not so much and now that my child is 9 that is still the case. The major clusters should remain relatively the same while individual school may change slightly or be rezoned.


It sounds like OP can't afford to buy in one of the bulletproof, always popular and high-achieving, zones, so she needs to figure out longer-term trends.


With an exception of W schools, BCC, and magnets, schools have changed significantly. We raised three kids in this county. You wouldn't believe how much it has changed.


20 years... maybe... 4 years... not so much...


OP's kid will be in MCPS for 12 years if she stays in the area.