Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a stretch to say that social studies is tracked by language at DCI. The truth is that few DCI students coming up from the ES feeders have experienced true language immersion. What they got down the chain was one-way immersion, with kids learning the language only from teachers, not from peers (particularly for French and Chinese).

A school system can't do language immersion well without good cohorts of native speakers. Tracked DCI immersion social studies model sounds fantastic, but it's not.

DCI does track for MS English, but only to weed out students who work far behind grade level. English instruction in the DCI MS tends to be weak, and it's not great in the HS either.

Come on, DCI has such a high retention rate because other options are worse. DCI has done well in adding math challenge in the last few years; I'll give you that.

Come on, you know very well that I’m speaking about spanish track where there are tons of native speakers from the feeders and yes, it does immersion well and the track social studies is good.

Nope, know of 5 families whose kids all declined Walls. They had options and are staying. Plus easy enough to move to the burbs or go private.

PP above offers a distorted picture. We know more than 5 DCI families, all from Ward 6, who would have leapt on Walls last year if they'd got a spot. A major reason that these kids would have left DCI is that they commute an hour one-way on public transportation to get to Walter Read. The commute to Walls is half as long and doesn't involve as many steps. The DCI schlep isn't uncommon for Cap Hill families shut out of BASIs and the Latins.

No way is it easy to move to the burbs or go private, far from it. It's not easy to pick up and leave if you've put down roots in DC over man years. We got into privates for HS but didn't get anywhere near the aid we needed, with one of us DOGE'd. Our story isn't uncommon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a stretch to say that social studies is tracked by language at DCI. The truth is that few DCI students coming up from the ES feeders have experienced true language immersion. What they got down the chain was one-way immersion, with kids learning the language only from teachers, not from peers (particularly for French and Chinese).

A school system can't do language immersion well without good cohorts of native speakers. Tracked DCI immersion social studies model sounds fantastic, but it's not.

DCI does track for MS English, but only to weed out students who work far behind grade level. English instruction in the DCI MS tends to be weak, and it's not great in the HS either.

Come on, DCI has such a high retention rate because other options are worse. DCI has done well in adding math challenge in the last few years; I'll give you that.

Come on, you know very well that I’m speaking about spanish track where there are tons of native speakers from the feeders and yes, it does immersion well and the track social studies is good.

Nope, know of 5 families whose kids all declined Walls. They had options and are staying. Plus easy enough to move to the burbs or go private.

PP above offers a distorted picture. We know more than 5 DCI families, all from Ward 6, who would have leapt on Walls last year if they'd got a spot. A major reason that these kids would have left DCI is that they commute an hour one-way on public transportation to get to Walter Read. The commute to Walls is half as long and doesn't involve as many steps. The DCI schlep isn't uncommon for Cap Hill families shut out of BASIs and the Latins.

No way is it easy to move to the burbs or go private, far from it. It's not easy to pick up and leave if you've put down roots in DC over man years. We got into privates for HS but didn't get anywhere near the aid we needed, with one of us DOGE'd. Our story isn't uncommon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a stretch to say that social studies is tracked by language at DCI. The truth is that few DCI students coming up from the ES feeders have experienced true language immersion. What they got down the chain was one-way immersion, with kids learning the language only from teachers, not from peers (particularly for French and Chinese).

A school system can't do language immersion well without good cohorts of native speakers. Tracked DCI immersion social studies model sounds fantastic, but it's not.

DCI does track for MS English, but only to weed out students who work far behind grade level. English instruction in the DCI MS tends to be weak, and it's not great in the HS either.

Come on, DCI has such a high retention rate because other options are worse. DCI has done well in adding math challenge in the last few years; I'll give you that.

Come on, you know very well that I’m speaking about spanish track where there are tons of native speakers from the feeders and yes, it does immersion well and the track social studies is good.

Nope, know of 5 families whose kids all declined Walls. They had options and are staying. Plus easy enough to move to the burbs or go private.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im assuming if your child is in Adams morgan they are in 4th at hd cooke or marie reed. Do they have a temporary right to francis already? Those two schools were allowed to go to cardozo for middle instead of CHEC. Students from the other feeders for cardozo like garrison are allowed temporarily to attend francis. Worth looking into.

I don't think this is right. I believe only the future geographic feeders to Euclid (Cleveland, Garrison, and Seaton) have temporary feeder rights to John-Francis, and NOT the future programmatic feeders to Euclid (Cooke, Reed, Tubman).

https://dcpsplanning.com/2024/10/02/changes-to-the-cardozo-feeder-pattern/

Tubman parent here. This poster is correct, Cooke, Reed and Tubman do not have temporary feeder rights to John Francis. In addition to our standard feeder rights to CHEC, we have "programmatic" feeder rights (ie, people who do not want to go to Spanish immersion) to MacFarland Middle School temporarily. Once the Euclid Middle School is open, we will have programmatic feeder rights there.

Wait - isn’t MacFarland the programming feeder for the bilingual schools also? DCPS is a hot mess.

Yes, but 6-8 at CHEC doesn't have an English only option and MacFarland does.

But I really don't understand why CHEC's geographic feeders are two English only schools and one strand dual language school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im assuming if your child is in Adams morgan they are in 4th at hd cooke or marie reed. Do they have a temporary right to francis already? Those two schools were allowed to go to cardozo for middle instead of CHEC. Students from the other feeders for cardozo like garrison are allowed temporarily to attend francis. Worth looking into.

I don't think this is right. I believe only the future geographic feeders to Euclid (Cleveland, Garrison, and Seaton) have temporary feeder rights to John-Francis, and NOT the future programmatic feeders to Euclid (Cooke, Reed, Tubman).

https://dcpsplanning.com/2024/10/02/changes-to-the-cardozo-feeder-pattern/

Tubman parent here. This poster is correct, Cooke, Reed and Tubman do not have temporary feeder rights to John Francis. In addition to our standard feeder rights to CHEC, we have "programmatic" feeder rights (ie, people who do not want to go to Spanish immersion) to MacFarland Middle School temporarily. Once the Euclid Middle School is open, we will have programmatic feeder rights there.

Wait - isn’t MacFarland the programming feeder for the bilingual schools also? DCPS is a hot mess.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Im assuming if your child is in Adams morgan they are in 4th at hd cooke or marie reed. Do they have a temporary right to francis already? Those two schools were allowed to go to cardozo for middle instead of CHEC. Students from the other feeders for cardozo like garrison are allowed temporarily to attend francis. Worth looking into.

I don't think this is right. I believe only the future geographic feeders to Euclid (Cleveland, Garrison, and Seaton) have temporary feeder rights to John-Francis, and NOT the future programmatic feeders to Euclid (Cooke, Reed, Tubman).

https://dcpsplanning.com/2024/10/02/changes-to-the-cardozo-feeder-pattern/

Tubman parent here. This poster is correct, Cooke, Reed and Tubman do not have temporary feeder rights to John Francis. In addition to our standard feeder rights to CHEC, we have "programmatic" feeder rights (ie, people who do not want to go to Spanish immersion) to MacFarland Middle School temporarily. Once the Euclid Middle School is open, we will have programmatic feeder rights there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW Latin’s accelerated math track is the same as St Anselm’s accelerated math track. Now if you had your kid do an algebra or geometry over the summer to accelerate further, they might handle it differently, but both would be very unhappy with you for doing it. And as far as I can tell, “only” doing geometry in 8th grade isn’t going to mean your kid can’t do STEM in college or for a career.

We looked at St. Anselms and passed, did not apply. We were not impressed and did not think it was worth the 40k plus for 7 years when that money could go towards college.

Our kid is at DCI and so far it’s been a good experience. We did get into a well known private talked more about on this board that we liked and applied to but no financial aid so passed.

We will see how middle school goes to assess staying for high school at DCI. Private for high school is on the table if needed.

No interest in Hardy, Deal, or high schools WOTP.

DCI is a good 6th-12th grade program but there are hidden problems to look out for. Problem #1: behavioral problems in the MS mainly because there aren't honors classes outside language and math. MS science, English and social studies are far too easy for the strongest students.

Problem #2: their guidance counselors aren't experts on the IB Diploma so families aiming high for college often seek outside IB advice, if just on Redfin and Quora. HS students aren't necessarily told of the options they have as IBD candidates, e.g. how they can take 2 sciences rather than 1 science and 1 arts course (2-yr courses). Students aren't necessarily advised to double up on AP exams that correspond with IB exams or to pursue language immersion experiences to bone up for tough language exams.

The more ambitious DCI parents share IBD prep info. They order IB exam prep materials off Ebay and Amazon that the school doesn't know or care about, enroll their kids in IB test prep summer programs in the UK and Europe, hire outside tutors to prep for language exams etc.

DCI's IB program is OK but not on a par with the best of the burbs.

You want to be realistic, OP. No DC public middle school is all thatgoing to be all that great. Lack of MS challenge for top performers at DCI is hardly restricted to DCI. Even BASIS humanities aren't first-rate. We know a number of families who bailed on Deal or Hardy after 1 or 2 years because their kids weren't pushed and they got fed up with the lack of transparency (especially few grades assignments being sent home). If you want a fine MS, the burbs or private, period.

DCI parent here and no public or charter middle school in this town is going to track in all subjects. None. If you want that, then it’s the burbs.

But what I will say is that DCI tracks the most. Officially they track math and language. But unofficially they also track English and Social studies. So these 4 subjects, you don’t have kids 3 or 4 grade levels apart.

In fact, shortly after school starts in 6th, all the kids take the MAP test and based on those results, the school will actively shift kids to appropriate math and english class if they are not in the right one. All families get an email about this and how some kids will be changing classes.

Social studies is tracked by language so higher performing kids will take it in the language.

Kids also take science MAP and school has that data. I suspect kids are placed in classes together with similar ability but cannot confirm that.

Above is why DCI does well with the higher performers and has such a high retention rate. A number of kids who get into Walls decline the spot.

The school is not perfect. No school is but if you want a school in the city that does try to place kids in the appropriate class, DCI is one if the best ones.

Lastly OP, since you have a mathy kid, the only school EOTP who has the most advance math offerings that I would recommend are DCI and Basis. So I wish you well and hope you get Basis in the lottery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW Latin’s accelerated math track is the same as St Anselm’s accelerated math track. Now if you had your kid do an algebra or geometry over the summer to accelerate further, they might handle it differently, but both would be very unhappy with you for doing it. And as far as I can tell, “only” doing geometry in 8th grade isn’t going to mean your kid can’t do STEM in college or for a career.

We looked at St. Anselms and passed, did not apply. We were not impressed and did not think it was worth the 40k plus for 7 years when that money could go towards college.

Our kid is at DCI and so far it’s been a good experience. We did get into a well known private talked more about on this board that we liked and applied to but no financial aid so passed.

We will see how middle school goes to assess staying for high school at DCI. Private for high school is on the table if needed.

No interest in Hardy, Deal, or high schools WOTP.

DCI is a good 6th-12th grade program but there are hidden problems to look out for. Problem #1: behavioral problems in the MS mainly because there aren't honors classes outside language and math. MS science, English and social studies are far too easy for the strongest students.

Problem #2: their guidance counselors aren't experts on the IB Diploma so families aiming high for college often seek outside IB advice, if just on Redfin and Quora. HS students aren't necessarily told of the options they have as IBD candidates, e.g. how they can take 2 sciences rather than 1 science and 1 arts course (2-yr courses). Students aren't necessarily advised to double up on AP exams that correspond with IB exams or to pursue language immersion experiences to bone up for tough language exams.

The more ambitious DCI parents share IBD prep info. They order IB exam prep materials off Ebay and Amazon that the school doesn't know or care about, enroll their kids in IB test prep summer programs in the UK and Europe, hire outside tutors to prep for language exams etc.

DCI's IB program is OK but not on a par with the best of the burbs.

You want to be realistic, OP. No DC public middle school is all thatgoing to be all that great. Lack of MS challenge for top performers at DCI is hardly restricted to DCI. Even BASIS humanities aren't first-rate. We know a number of families who bailed on Deal or Hardy after 1 or 2 years because their kids weren't pushed and they got fed up with the lack of transparency (especially few grades assignments being sent home). If you want a fine MS, the burbs or private, period.

DCI parent here and no public or charter middle school in this town is going to track in all subjects. None. If you want that, then it’s the burbs.

But what I will say is that DCI tracks the most. Officially they track math and language. But unofficially they also track English and Social studies. So these 4 subjects, you don’t have kids 3 or 4 grade levels apart.

In fact, shortly after school starts in 6th, all the kids take the MAP test and based on those results, the school will actively shift kids to appropriate math and english class if they are not in the right one. All families get an email about this and how some kids will be changing classes.

Social studies is tracked by language so higher performing kids will take it in the language.

Kids also take science MAP and school has that data. I suspect kids are placed in classes together with similar ability but cannot confirm that.

Above is why DCI does well with the higher performers and has such a high retention rate. A number of kids who get into Walls decline the spot.

The school is not perfect. No school is but if you want a school in the city that does try to place kids in the appropriate class, DCI is one if the best ones.

Lastly OP, since you have a mathy kid, the only school EOTP who has the most advance math offerings that I would recommend are DCI and Basis. So I wish you well and hope you get Basis in the lottery.

Anonymous wrote:It's a stretch to say that social studies is tracked by language at DCI. The truth is that few DCI students coming up from the ES feeders have experienced true language immersion. What they got down the chain was one-way immersion, with kids learning the language only from teachers, not from peers (particularly for French and Chinese).

A school system can't do language immersion well without good cohorts of native speakers. Tracked DCI immersion social studies model sounds fantastic, but it's not.

DCI does track for MS English, but only to weed out students who work far behind grade level. English instruction in the DCI MS tends to be weak, and it's not great in the HS either.

Come on, DCI has such a high retention rate because other options are worse. DCI has done well in adding math challenge in the last few years; I'll give you that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW Latin’s accelerated math track is the same as St Anselm’s accelerated math track. Now if you had your kid do an algebra or geometry over the summer to accelerate further, they might handle it differently, but both would be very unhappy with you for doing it. And as far as I can tell, “only” doing geometry in 8th grade isn’t going to mean your kid can’t do STEM in college or for a career.

We looked at St. Anselms and passed, did not apply. We were not impressed and did not think it was worth the 40k plus for 7 years when that money could go towards college.

Our kid is at DCI and so far it’s been a good experience. We did get into a well known private talked more about on this board that we liked and applied to but no financial aid so passed.

We will see how middle school goes to assess staying for high school at DCI. Private for high school is on the table if needed.

No interest in Hardy, Deal, or high schools WOTP.

DCI is a good 6th-12th grade program but there are hidden problems to look out for. Problem #1: behavioral problems in the MS mainly because there aren't honors classes outside language and math. MS science, English and social studies are far too easy for the strongest students.

Problem #2: their guidance counselors aren't experts on the IB Diploma so families aiming high for college often seek outside IB advice, if just on Redfin and Quora. HS students aren't necessarily told of the options they have as IBD candidates, e.g. how they can take 2 sciences rather than 1 science and 1 arts course (2-yr courses). Students aren't necessarily advised to double up on AP exams that correspond with IB exams or to pursue language immersion experiences to bone up for tough language exams.

The more ambitious DCI parents share IBD prep info. They order IB exam prep materials off Ebay and Amazon that the school doesn't know or care about, enroll their kids in IB test prep summer programs in the UK and Europe, hire outside tutors to prep for language exams etc.

DCI's IB program is OK but not on a par with the best of the burbs.

You want to be realistic, OP. No DC public middle school is all thatgoing to be all that great. Lack of MS challenge for top performers at DCI is hardly restricted to DCI. Even BASIS humanities aren't first-rate. We know a number of families who bailed on Deal or Hardy after 1 or 2 years because their kids weren't pushed and they got fed up with the lack of transparency (especially few grades assignments being sent home). If you want a fine MS, the burbs or private, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our inbound is CHEC, which is a no go for 2 reasons main reasons - child doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and is interested in math and science and they have 11% and 1% proficiency.

Our list for 5th is:
1. Latin 1
2. Latin 2
3. Basis (but not sure we would take - seems like a joyless place)
4. ITDS - also not sold on this

Plan B: wait for 6th and then lottery into Hardy, or maybe Francis if they get geometry for 8th. Or apply to St Anselms.

Plan C: move into Deal boundary in 6th.

Am i missing any other options? Kid is super super mathy, but we are looking for a well-rounded education with arts and books and sports and low tech.

If you really have a math kid, take a harder look at BASIS (talk to current families). It's not joyless for math kids, in our experience. My kid is very happy.

Same.

Above is the answer with a mathy kid. Latin isn’t going to cut it even if you get in which is unlikely. You should really consider moving to the burbs.

This is OP, can you share more details on why Latin won't work? I was thinking we can supplement with RSM during middle school if it's really not challenging.

I'm a different BASIS PP, but you should look into the math and science curriculums at each school. They are really different. BASIS has the kids learning Biology, Physics and Chemistry throughout middle school (with each of these as separate classes taught by people with degrees in those subjects starting in 6th grade). Physics incorporates a lot of math, of course, and they also learn how to do chemistry equations. AND math is more acclerated. (typical path is to cover pre-algebra by the end of 6th, and the 7th and 8th is algebra + geometry +algebra 2, and there is one more level of acceleration for a handful of kids who really want/earn it).

No other public school (in DC -- suburbs have it) Math and Science curriculum even comes close. If you have a real STEM kid, you are have to really consider it. Do i know kids who hate it? absolutely, and they leave. But my kid and his friends are genuinely happy. All high math aptitude and genuinely love learning math and science.

I do think Latin seems excellent for the humanities.

When I was at this point in the process, I brought my husband to the BASIS open house (he loved it), booked my son for a shadow day (he loved it), and had coffees/emails with current parents and teachers. I know this post will attract the BASIS trolls so i encourage you to talk to real people.

This is OP, we did Basis shadow day this week and the kid loved it and wants to go there and now i'm really not sure what to do. I feel for everyone - this is hard!

So glad he tried it!

This week in 6th grade English, they had to write three poems, then read The Veldt by Ray Bradbury, then discussed survivalism after reading Hatchet. In math, they learned probability. My kid is so happy there.

The lottery is hard because making predictions based on limited information is hard (and questionable opinions on the forum are confusing). But if your kid liked the shadow day, that's a good sign.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our inbound is CHEC, which is a no go for 2 reasons main reasons - child doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and is interested in math and science and they have 11% and 1% proficiency.

Our list for 5th is:
1. Latin 1
2. Latin 2
3. Basis (but not sure we would take - seems like a joyless place)
4. ITDS - also not sold on this

Plan B: wait for 6th and then lottery into Hardy, or maybe Francis if they get geometry for 8th. Or apply to St Anselms.

Plan C: move into Deal boundary in 6th.

Am i missing any other options? Kid is super super mathy, but we are looking for a well-rounded education with arts and books and sports and low tech.

If you really have a math kid, take a harder look at BASIS (talk to current families). It's not joyless for math kids, in our experience. My kid is very happy.

Same.

Above is the answer with a mathy kid. Latin isn’t going to cut it even if you get in which is unlikely. You should really consider moving to the burbs.

This is OP, can you share more details on why Latin won't work? I was thinking we can supplement with RSM during middle school if it's really not challenging.

I'm a different BASIS PP, but you should look into the math and science curriculums at each school. They are really different. BASIS has the kids learning Biology, Physics and Chemistry throughout middle school (with each of these as separate classes taught by people with degrees in those subjects starting in 6th grade). Physics incorporates a lot of math, of course, and they also learn how to do chemistry equations. AND math is more acclerated. (typical path is to cover pre-algebra by the end of 6th, and the 7th and 8th is algebra + geometry +algebra 2, and there is one more level of acceleration for a handful of kids who really want/earn it).

No other public school (in DC -- suburbs have it) Math and Science curriculum even comes close. If you have a real STEM kid, you are have to really consider it. Do i know kids who hate it? absolutely, and they leave. But my kid and his friends are genuinely happy. All high math aptitude and genuinely love learning math and science.

I do think Latin seems excellent for the humanities.

When I was at this point in the process, I brought my husband to the BASIS open house (he loved it), booked my son for a shadow day (he loved it), and had coffees/emails with current parents and teachers. I know this post will attract the BASIS trolls so i encourage you to talk to real people.

This is OP, we did Basis shadow day this week and the kid loved it and wants to go there and now i'm really not sure what to do. I feel for everyone - this is hard!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our inbound is CHEC, which is a no go for 2 reasons main reasons - child doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and is interested in math and science and they have 11% and 1% proficiency.

Our list for 5th is:
1. Latin 1
2. Latin 2
3. Basis (but not sure we would take - seems like a joyless place)
4. ITDS - also not sold on this

Plan B: wait for 6th and then lottery into Hardy, or maybe Francis if they get geometry for 8th. Or apply to St Anselms.

Plan C: move into Deal boundary in 6th.

Am i missing any other options? Kid is super super mathy, but we are looking for a well-rounded education with arts and books and sports and low tech.

If you really have a math kid, take a harder look at BASIS (talk to current families). It's not joyless for math kids, in our experience. My kid is very happy.

Same.

Above is the answer with a mathy kid. Latin isn’t going to cut it even if you get in which is unlikely. You should really consider moving to the burbs.

This is OP, can you share more details on why Latin won't work? I was thinking we can supplement with RSM during middle school if it's really not challenging.

I'm a different BASIS PP, but you should look into the math and science curriculums at each school. They are really different. BASIS has the kids learning Biology, Physics and Chemistry throughout middle school (with each of these as separate classes taught by people with degrees in those subjects starting in 6th grade). Physics incorporates a lot of math, of course, and they also learn how to do chemistry equations. AND math is more acclerated. (typical path is to cover pre-algebra by the end of 6th, and the 7th and 8th is algebra + geometry +algebra 2, and there is one more level of acceleration for a handful of kids who really want/earn it).

No other public school (in DC -- suburbs have it) Math and Science curriculum even comes close. If you have a real STEM kid, you are have to really consider it. Do i know kids who hate it? absolutely, and they leave. But my kid and his friends are genuinely happy. All high math aptitude and genuinely love learning math and science.

I do think Latin seems excellent for the humanities.

When I was at this point in the process, I brought my husband to the BASIS open house (he loved it), booked my son for a shadow day (he loved it), and had coffees/emails with current parents and teachers. I know this post will attract the BASIS trolls so i encourage you to talk to real people.

This is OP, we did Basis shadow day this week and the kid loved it and wants to go there and now i'm really not sure what to do. I feel for everyone - this is hard!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our inbound is CHEC, which is a no go for 2 reasons main reasons - child doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, and is interested in math and science and they have 11% and 1% proficiency.

Our list for 5th is:
1. Latin 1
2. Latin 2
3. Basis (but not sure we would take - seems like a joyless place)
4. ITDS - also not sold on this

Plan B: wait for 6th and then lottery into Hardy, or maybe Francis if they get geometry for 8th. Or apply to St Anselms.

Plan C: move into Deal boundary in 6th.

Am i missing any other options? Kid is super super mathy, but we are looking for a well-rounded education with arts and books and sports and low tech.

If you really have a math kid, take a harder look at BASIS (talk to current families). It's not joyless for math kids, in our experience. My kid is very happy.

Same.

Above is the answer with a mathy kid. Latin isn’t going to cut it even if you get in which is unlikely. You should really consider moving to the burbs.

This is OP, can you share more details on why Latin won't work? I was thinking we can supplement with RSM during middle school if it's really not challenging.

I'm a different BASIS PP, but you should look into the math and science curriculums at each school. They are really different. BASIS has the kids learning Biology, Physics and Chemistry throughout middle school (with each of these as separate classes taught by people with degrees in those subjects starting in 6th grade). Physics incorporates a lot of math, of course, and they also learn how to do chemistry equations. AND math is more acclerated. (typical path is to cover pre-algebra by the end of 6th, and the 7th and 8th is algebra + geometry +algebra 2, and there is one more level of acceleration for a handful of kids who really want/earn it).

No other public school (in DC -- suburbs have it) Math and Science curriculum even comes close. If you have a real STEM kid, you are have to really consider it. Do i know kids who hate it? absolutely, and they leave. But my kid and his friends are genuinely happy. All high math aptitude and genuinely love learning math and science.

I do think Latin seems excellent for the humanities.

When I was at this point in the process, I brought my husband to the BASIS open house (he loved it), booked my son for a shadow day (he loved it), and had coffees/emails with current parents and teachers. I know this post will attract the BASIS trolls so i encourage you to talk to real people.