Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Wootton's FARMS rate is 8.2%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we are looking at homes in these two areas.

i know there's a difference in their ratings overall (5 versus 7 on greatschools, for example) but what does it really mean at the individual level for a kid with good grades/standardized tests coming from a mid-high SES family with plenty of support ? assume our kids don't get into IB. how's a regular honors/ap kid at these two schools outcomes materially different?

and the main reason for the question is (1) difference in cost for a home; and (2) proximity to metro (rm area easier overall in that sense).

MCPS schools are fairly uniform in that they have the same curriculum and pool of teachers. There are some minor variations stemming from demographic differences but ultimately that doesn't impact your kids so go with whichever community you like better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great you can not go wrong.

RM is more diverse than Wootton economically. And people think its disciplinary problems are worse. The problems are at Wootton as well, maybe slightly different but still there.


If not in IB students can still take great classes and head off to a four-year school well-prepared.

Sports teams are easier to make at RM.

Harder to get into Ivie's top tier from RM (DCUM will disagree on this), IB program all the kids apply to same schools the colleges only take so many kids from each HS so do the math.

All the kids I know from RM have done very well in life ie college then jobs etc....

As for courses at RM a good student not in the IB program has same choices pretty much as any Wootton student would.

If I had it to do over again, not sure which I would pick. Prob RM because of the metro. We use the metro a lot and that extra drive or going to Shady Grove pain.

Only Blair send more kids to the ivies than RM.

Care to back that up with facts/data?

Check out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years and see this list for a snapshot.

https://polarislist.com/best-high-schools-in-maryland

IDK, silly to argue about these things but the link is only for three schools. MIT is not even an Ivy League school. I don't think it supports PP statement of "Only Blair sends more kids to the ivies than RM".

That is why the post said " a snapshot", not a complete list. Have you checked out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great you can not go wrong.

RM is more diverse than Wootton economically. And people think its disciplinary problems are worse. The problems are at Wootton as well, maybe slightly different but still there.


If not in IB students can still take great classes and head off to a four-year school well-prepared.

Sports teams are easier to make at RM.

Harder to get into Ivie's top tier from RM (DCUM will disagree on this), IB program all the kids apply to same schools the colleges only take so many kids from each HS so do the math.

All the kids I know from RM have done very well in life ie college then jobs etc....

As for courses at RM a good student not in the IB program has same choices pretty much as any Wootton student would.

If I had it to do over again, not sure which I would pick. Prob RM because of the metro. We use the metro a lot and that extra drive or going to Shady Grove pain.

Only Blair send more kids to the ivies than RM.

Care to back that up with facts/data?

Check out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years and see this list for a snapshot.

https://polarislist.com/best-high-schools-in-maryland

IDK, silly to argue about these things but the link is only for three schools. MIT is not even an Ivy League school. I don't think it supports PP statement of "Only Blair sends more kids to the ivies than RM".

That is why the post said " a snapshot", not a complete list. Have you checked out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

Why would entire Crown go to Gaithersburg but not Crown? This doesn’t make sense

I think they meant the entire King Farm will go to Gaithersburg. Right now the neighborhood is split and half goes to Gaithersburg and the other half goes to Richard Montgomery. It's never made sense. But it is an upper middle class area that will bring more "class" to Gaithersburg High School when they start redistricting. And I think the PP is right. The only thing that will change at Wootton is they have that weird slice of Rio apartments between Fields Rd and Rio that get bussed to Fallsmead/Frost/Wootton. That will get moved to Crown since it will be in walking distance.

No. The families in King Farm will not bring ‘class’ to Gaithersburg. What does that even mean? White people bring class?

Anyway, the King Farm families (often wealthy immigrants) will leave for private school when re-zoned to Gaithersburg. I don’t live in King Farm, but have a kid at CGES so we know many of these King Farm families.

MCPS will move KF (possibly all of College Garden ES) and move some other neighborhoods to Crown and suddenly GHS will be a better school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great you can not go wrong.

RM is more diverse than Wootton economically. And people think its disciplinary problems are worse. The problems are at Wootton as well, maybe slightly different but still there.


If not in IB students can still take great classes and head off to a four-year school well-prepared.

Sports teams are easier to make at RM.

Harder to get into Ivie's top tier from RM (DCUM will disagree on this), IB program all the kids apply to same schools the colleges only take so many kids from each HS so do the math.

All the kids I know from RM have done very well in life ie college then jobs etc....

As for courses at RM a good student not in the IB program has same choices pretty much as any Wootton student would.

If I had it to do over again, not sure which I would pick. Prob RM because of the metro. We use the metro a lot and that extra drive or going to Shady Grove pain.

Only Blair send more kids to the ivies than RM.

Care to back that up with facts/data?

Check out Bethesda magazine for the last 10 years and see this list for a snapshot.

https://polarislist.com/best-high-schools-in-maryland

IDK, silly to argue about these things but the link is only for three schools. MIT is not even an Ivy League school. I don't think it supports PP statement of "Only Blair sends more kids to the ivies than RM".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

Why would entire Crown go to Gaithersburg but not Crown? This doesn’t make sense

I think they meant the entire King Farm will go to Gaithersburg. Right now the neighborhood is split and half goes to Gaithersburg and the other half goes to Richard Montgomery. It's never made sense. But it is an upper middle class area that will bring more "class" to Gaithersburg High School when they start redistricting. And I think the PP is right. The only thing that will change at Wootton is they have that weird slice of Rio apartments between Fields Rd and Rio that get bussed to Fallsmead/Frost/Wootton. That will get moved to Crown since it will be in walking distance.

No. The families in King Farm will not bring ‘class’ to Gaithersburg. What does that even mean? White people bring class?

Anyway, the King Farm families (often wealthy immigrants) will leave for private school when re-zoned to Gaithersburg. I don’t live in King Farm, but have a kid at CGES so we know many of these King Farm families.

MCPS will move KF (possibly all of College Garden ES) and move some other neighborhoods to Crown and suddenly GHS will be a better school.