Woodmoor & Indian Spring n'hoods of Silver Spring, MD (Baltimore: homes, neighborhood)

[ayhnbee]

My husband and I are looking to buy a 500-600K SFH close to/in DC for our small and soon to be growing family (we have a 2 year old son and baby on the way). It appears that the Silver Spring n'hoods of Woodmoor and Indian Spring are the best bet for our money. Nice looking homes (albeit small), young friendly families, close to parks, easy access to DC and urban areas, etc. One thing we don't know much about are the elementary schools in those areas. A cursory internet search did not impress me. Is Hillcrest ES the only school that serves kids below 3rd grade? What is it and other ESs in the area like (parent involvement, teacher enthusiasm/motivation/skills, student population, etc.)? Do most n'hood kids go to these school or do they attend private schools? If private schools, which are popular and why? Anyone who lives in or knows the areas well please weigh in. We are new to the area and looking for a diverse, friendly, supportive n'hood to raise our children in.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by ayhnbee

Is Hillcrest ES the only school that serves kids below 3rd grade?

I don't even see Hillcrest listed in the counties web site. It may be an obsolete school. Things change so much it's hard for a non-parent (like me) to keep up.

Your best bet is to use the county school locator when you have an interest in a specific address. It's at Division of Long-range Planning

I think the county does an excellent job of handling the diverse population in the down-county areas. However, there is a Montessori school and some religious schools you might consider. I think your best option is to actually talk with parents in the are.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by ayhnbee

We are new to the area and looking for a diverse, friendly, supportive n'hood to raise our children in.

For the zip code 20901, it looks like Montgomery Knolls serves the primary grades K-2, and Pine Crest serves grades 3-5. Montgomery Knolls has a very diverse population, and Pine Crest is a modern building with a Center for Highly Gifted kids in grades 4 and 5. You would feed into Eastern Middle Schools and Montgomery Blair High School. It's all part of the Down-County Consortium which has specialized programs for kids to select "majors" in high school. I think you should visit to get a feel for whether it's something you would like.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

However, there is a Montessori school and some religious schools you might consider.

Here's a web site with sketches of several private and public schools: Silver Spring, Maryland Schools and Education Directory

For private schools, I like the Grace Episcopal Day School or Barrie School, but that's such a personal choice, I couldn't make a recommendation.

[goldenage1]

[quote=ayhnbee;1813179] Do most n'hood kids go to these school or do they attend private schools? If private schools, which are popular and why? QUOTE]

After looking at the ads for Woodmoor on Realtor.com, it's apparent that they are playing up the proximity to St. Bernadette's, a K-8 Catholic school. I would bet that's where a lot of Woodmoor kids go. I would be nervous about having my K-2 kids bused over to Montgomery Knolls.

Again, I think you ought to talk with homeowners in the area about their feelings about the schools.

[koofie]

I grew up in Woodmoor and my Mom still lives there. There is an active community listserv and a Moms of woodmoor listserv (yahoo groups) - I belong to both as I used to live in Woodmoor and keep up with it for my Mom and my 4yo's friends still live there. They also have a very active Garden Club. Although there is a large Catholic community there, there are lots of kids that go to Montgomery Knolls. The school is very diverse, as are the schools that it feeds into.

I would highly recommend Woodmoor as a neighborhood - you can PM me if you have specific questions!

BTW, a family I used to babysit for moved away to Chevy chase (I think) and moved back a few years later because they missed it. In addition, many families have several generations living in the neighborhood. I'd live there but Hubby and I are working in the Baltimore area.