Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for diversity, you're not going to find it at George Mason HS.

I don't think most people "look for" diversity. What a strange attribute to prioritize. What makes you think people do this?

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for responding. We will be entering K. I agree though, it would be nice to transfer but no matter where we end up everything looks excellent. I was just wondering if transfers were something a lot of people do or not.

It's gotten really difficult to transfer. Schools are overcrowded and there are not spots. You can apply to ATS and try for the lottery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for diversity, you're not going to find it at George Mason HS.

...Where did OP mention wanting diversity?

Why do so many people around here think it's such a wonderful thing and that everyone desires it? Get over yourselves.

I don't desire more diversity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're looking for diversity, you're not going to find it at George Mason HS.

...Where did OP mention wanting diversity?

Why do so many people around here think it's such a wonderful thing and that everyone desires it? Get over yourselves.

And this is why people avoid Falls Church City. They value their upper class Caucasian community a little too much.

Not the PP you are responding to. But when "diversity" stops meaning poorly performing and dangerous schools, I'll start valuing it. Unfortunately, we are not there yet.

Thanks for responding. We will be entering K. I agree though, it would be nice to transfer but no matter where we end up everything looks excellent. I was just wondering if transfers were something a lot of people do or not.

Anonymous wrote:What is the enrollment policy for Arlington Public Schools? I saw something on their website about "countywide choices available" for elementary school. We are planning on moving into the area near Ashlawn but that is also close to a few other ES. Does that mean we could also choose the other schools in that block? I also understand there are application schools.
Thanks

How old are your kids? APS is very crowded, and although there are plans to add to some schools and build another school somewhere in South Arlington, things are going to remain tight indefinitely. Your chances of transferring or of getting a space in a choice school are very, very slim.

The good news is that whatever schools your children end up at (in Arlington or Falls Church or Fairfax) is going to be excellent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marshall is too far out for OP, but Kilmer should get better when the Langley/McLean kids get moved to Cooper. Within a year or so, this will have to happen.

Yes, but Kilmer will remain the go to middle school for much of Tysons development so I wouldn't expect a big drop.

Kilmer is ghetto false falls church, ese.

http://patch.com/virginia/vienna/kilmer-remains-top-feeder-school-for-tj

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marshall is too far out for OP, but Kilmer should get better when the Langley/McLean kids get moved to Cooper. Within a year or so, this will have to happen.

Yes, but Kilmer will remain the go to middle school for much of Tysons development so I wouldn't expect a big drop.

Kilmer is ghetto false falls church, ese.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So where are the close in small or moderately sized schools with good reputations in NVA located then? All I see is big ones.

There aren't any. AFAIK, the only general admission public high school in Northern Virginia with fewer than 1000 students is George Mason High in FCC.

Alexandria's only public high school is TC Williams. It has a 9th grade campus with 715 students and a 10-12 campus with 2569 students. In Arlington, Wakefield has 1507, Washington-Lee has 2008, and Yorktown has 1766. And Fairfax County's smallest high school is Falls Church HS with 1458.

Fairfax County High School enrollment (2012-2013)
Annandale 2120
Centerville 2178
Chantilly 2354
Edison 1525
Fairfax 2439
Falls Church 1458
Hayfield 1760 (plus co-located middle school = 2417)
Herndon 1985
Lake Braddock 2381 (plus middle = 3106)
Langley 1845
Lee 1619
Madison 1856
Marshall 1535
McLean 1991
Mt Vernon 1657
Oakton 1995
Robinson 2511 (plus middle = 3408)
South County 1862
South Lakes 2056
Stuart 1621
W Potomac 2035
W Springfield 2082
Westfield 2504
Woodson 2041

These numbers are off, whether for 2012-13 or today.

HS Enrollments as of September 2013 can be found at p. 14 of this report: http://www.fcps.edu/it/studentreporting/documents/EthnicRpt13.pdf

Thanks for posting this link of most recent enrollment. The numbers I posted above are straight off the demographic data pages of each of the high schools, so they must have been accurate at some point during 2012-2013. Regardless, the larger point remains: There are no "small" public general high schools in Fairfax County.

You took the general education numbers without also including students receiving English language and special education services. For example, Madison had 1856 general education students in June 2013, but you get to 1987 students if you add the total number of male and female students listed on the demographics page.

As of April 2014, Falls Church, Lee, Edison and Marshall were the four smallest high schools in the county in terms of enrollment (only schools under 1800 students, and Marshall just barely).

Marshall will be over 2,000 by fall 2015. Even without Tysons development the class sizes of the schools that feed it have been getting bigger for years.

Yes, I work at Marshall and our principal said we are predicted to be at around 2200 by 2018. So much for the 2000 student renovation that is almost complete!

Where did you end up, OP?

Newton Lee/Belmont Ridge MS/Riverside High School. Loudoun County.

We're in FCC. The taxes are annoyingly high, but you'll pay less than you do in DC all-in, and you'll likely get the same house for less in FCC vs. North Arlington, which accounts for some of the tax difference.

This is totally anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt, but the houses we liked in FCC were $100k or so less than the comparable houses we liked in N. Arlington. For us this meant we were slightly ahead on a monthly basis in FCC, even after taxes, than buying a more expensive similar house in Arlington.

Regarding diversity, I was pleasantly surprised to find more racial diversity in FCC than I would have assumed from reading this board. It is true that there is less SES diversity (I think FARMS is about 7-8%, but that's off the top of my head) than much of FCPS or APS. But -- again anecdotally -- I don't see a huge difference in racial diversity between GMHS and Yorktown HS. If diversity is really important I'd give Wakefield a hard look even though scores are lower and people tend to slam it sight-unseen on this board.

If I could sum up most of what I hear into gross generalizations, it would be:

FCC: Small, high quality schools, less diversity, high taxes, getting more popular/overcrowded

* Note that the overcrowding may be less of an issue depending on your timeframe. FCCPS is opening a new, larger K-2 school in fall 2016, which will relieve pressure at both elementary schools. Crowding isn't a major issue at the relatively new middle school. And there are plans to rebuild the high school as well, though that's almost certainly a few years off.

N. Arlington: Larger, high quality schools, low diversity at Yorktown schools, more at W-L and Wakefield, widespread overcrowding and redistricting

What is the enrollment policy for Arlington Public Schools? I saw something on their website about "countywide choices available" for elementary school. We are planning on moving into the area near Ashlawn but that is also close to a few other ES. Does that mean we could also choose the other schools in that block? I also understand there are application schools.
Thanks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So where are the close in small or moderately sized schools with good reputations in NVA located then? All I see is big ones.

There aren't any. AFAIK, the only general admission public high school in Northern Virginia with fewer than 1000 students is George Mason High in FCC.

Alexandria's only public high school is TC Williams. It has a 9th grade campus with 715 students and a 10-12 campus with 2569 students. In Arlington, Wakefield has 1507, Washington-Lee has 2008, and Yorktown has 1766. And Fairfax County's smallest high school is Falls Church HS with 1458.

Fairfax County High School enrollment (2012-2013)
Annandale 2120
Centerville 2178
Chantilly 2354
Edison 1525
Fairfax 2439
Falls Church 1458
Hayfield 1760 (plus co-located middle school = 2417)
Herndon 1985
Lake Braddock 2381 (plus middle = 3106)
Langley 1845
Lee 1619
Madison 1856
Marshall 1535
McLean 1991
Mt Vernon 1657
Oakton 1995
Robinson 2511 (plus middle = 3408)
South County 1862
South Lakes 2056
Stuart 1621
W Potomac 2035
W Springfield 2082
Westfield 2504
Woodson 2041

These numbers are off, whether for 2012-13 or today.

HS Enrollments as of September 2013 can be found at p. 14 of this report: http://www.fcps.edu/it/studentreporting/documents/EthnicRpt13.pdf

Thanks for posting this link of most recent enrollment. The numbers I posted above are straight off the demographic data pages of each of the high schools, so they must have been accurate at some point during 2012-2013. Regardless, the larger point remains: There are no "small" public general high schools in Fairfax County.

You took the general education numbers without also including students receiving English language and special education services. For example, Madison had 1856 general education students in June 2013, but you get to 1987 students if you add the total number of male and female students listed on the demographics page.

As of April 2014, Falls Church, Lee, Edison and Marshall were the four smallest high schools in the county in terms of enrollment (only schools under 1800 students, and Marshall just barely).

Marshall will be over 2,000 by fall 2015. Even without Tysons development the class sizes of the schools that feed it have been getting bigger for years.

Anonymous wrote:Marshall is too far out for OP, but Kilmer should get better when the Langley/McLean kids get moved to Cooper. Within a year or so, this will have to happen.

Yes, but Kilmer will remain the go to middle school for much of Tysons development so I wouldn't expect a big drop.