Anonymous
02/09/2026 18:01
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Not true, parent of two kids is Spring Hill Elementary that came in after 2nd grade. One of my kids is the high 130s kid with WISC-V in 99.5 percentile. We were declined AAP while applying from outside FCPS last year and now again in 3rd grade. I have spoken to a former teacher at Spring Hill and several neighbors. All unanimous that it's easier to get in 2nd grade while at FCPS. Heard similar story about Churchill as well. Now program is strong in a regular classroom, we are just supplementing math from outside. Won't bother with AAP anymore, they will just take honors classes in middle school and be fine
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is it better to move to FCPS in the earlier grades before eligibility for AAP like in 2nd grade? Is it easier to get in at the start as opposed to later grades?
I don't have data but knowing the process, I think it might be easier to get in at the older grades (fewer applications that need to be screened).
Anonymous
02/09/2026 07:03
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Churchill Road parent here, class sizes are huge.
Last year we had 25 in first grade, 27 this year in second.
I believe FCPS increased class size due to budget constraints last year. I heard is about the same in other schools in McLean.
If Arlington has small classes, I would stay put for now.
Class sizes vary.
https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2025-09/1_fcps-elementaryclasssize-2024-2025.pdf
Those are averages. Some may not accurately represent actual class size for any schools with immersion. Is FCPS using the teachers from the gen ed staffing ratios for immersion or now funding all extra staff? It used to provide a standard 1 extra teacher and an aid in the budget. Some sites had immersion only classrooms for the English language content areas and others had pullouts from classrooms for the immersion portion.
Anonymous
02/08/2026 12:02
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Anonymous wrote:Churchill Road parent here, class sizes are huge.
Last year we had 25 in first grade, 27 this year in second.
I believe FCPS increased class size due to budget constraints last year. I heard is about the same in other schools in McLean.
If Arlington has small classes, I would stay put for now.
Another Churchill Road parent here. I don’t think 25 kids is a “huge” class. My kids have had classes with only 18 or 20 and that’s kind of small.
Anonymous
02/08/2026 08:10
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Anonymous wrote:Churchill Road parent here, class sizes are huge.
Last year we had 25 in first grade, 27 this year in second.
I believe FCPS increased class size due to budget constraints last year. I heard is about the same in other schools in McLean.
If Arlington has small classes, I would stay put for now.
Class sizes vary.
https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2025-09/1_fcps-elementaryclasssize-2024-2025.pdf
Anonymous
02/07/2026 23:38
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Churchill Road parent here, class sizes are huge.
Last year we had 25 in first grade, 27 this year in second.
I believe FCPS increased class size due to budget constraints last year. I heard is about the same in other schools in McLean.
If Arlington has small classes, I would stay put for now.
Last year we had 25 in first grade, 27 this year in second.
I believe FCPS increased class size due to budget constraints last year. I heard is about the same in other schools in McLean.
If Arlington has small classes, I would stay put for now.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 20:12
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Anonymous wrote:We moved from an average FCPS pyramid into Langley/McLean. The differences in the peer groups and academic expectations were quickly noticeable, and it served our kids very well in terms of college preparedness and developing a solid work ethic.
Less crime in the neighborhoods and schools
Anonymous
02/07/2026 20:05
Subject: Moving from Arlington to Mclean
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Colvin Run ES doesn't serve McLean neighborhoods.
It feeds to Langley HS. The OP specified Langley or McLean.
The OP also specified they were thinking of moving to McLean. Colvin Run serves neighborhoods in Great Falls and Vienna, not McLean.
OP also said they were interested in schools smaller than Churchill Road and Spring Hill, and Colvin Run has more kids than Churchill Road.
If you think OP should be looking at other feeders to Langley or McLean, even if they don’t serve McLean neighborhoods, Great Falls and Lemon Road - both smaller than Churchill Road and Spring Hill - might make more sense than Colvin Run.
Or, I guess, you could just keep ignoring OP’s post and recommending Colvin Run. Are you trying to sell a house there?
From OP’s post:
“ Are there any smaller elementary schools in Mclean/Vienna that feed to solid high schools?”
Colvin Run is not a smaller elementary school. It is bigger than Churchill Road.