New job in Woodbridge - Best High School? (Lake Ridge, Montclair: rental, townhouse)

[vipassana]

I've got a new job in Woodbridge. I want to rent until the housing market settles. I've got to live within 25 minutes of my job. Any suggestions as to a good neighborhood with a great high school? Many thanks!

[ChristineVA]

What is your budget?

[vipassana]

My house rental budget is about 2K/mo. Thanks.

[ChristineVA]

The higher rated schools in PWC tend to be on the Western side (Gainesville/Bristow). I don't know if the curriculum and teachers are any better over there; however, it is MUCH less diverse and that makes a difference on overall test scores (and ultimately school ratings) when you don't have economically challenged students in your school.

After that, if you want to live right in or around Woodbridge (and for 2K you're probably going to be looking at a townhouse), I would stick with the Lake Ridge community, Westridge (that feeds into Osborne Park HS). Woodbridge High School (Lake Ridge community) is so-so.

You can look at Montclair (it was on Newsweek's best places to live list recently). That feeds into Forest Park, which is a pretty decent high school. The other high schools rank lower than Osborne Park and Forest Park. Hylton High Schools seems to go up and down with ratings each year, so not sure on that one.

[tgbwc]

My first thought was Forest Park. Look at neighborhoods such as Montclair, Ashland, Winding Creek...there are others around there.

[Forehead]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

After that, if you want to live right in or around Woodbridge (and for 2K you're probably going to be looking at a townhouse), I would stick with the Lake Ridge community, Westridge (that feeds into Osborne Park HS). Woodbridge High School (Lake Ridge community) is so-so.

Maybe I'm misreading something, but the Westridge community is right down the street from Woodbridge High School, and not particularly close to Osborne Park. My wife and I have looked in there; every listing we've seen feeds into Woodbridge High school.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Forehead

Maybe I'm misreading something, but the Westridge community is right down the street from Woodbridge High School, and not particularly close to Osborne Park. My wife and I have looked in there; every listing we've seen feeds into Woodbridge High school.

Maybe they have been rezoned then. When my daughter was in high school, that neighborhood was shipped over to Osborn Park. Springwoods used to also go there but that was stopped in 2006. I wasn't aware that Westridge had changed too.

[Forehead]

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Maybe they have been rezoned then. When my daughter was in high school, that neighborhood was shipped over to Osborn Park. Springwoods used to also go there but that was stopped in 2006. I wasn't aware that Westridge had changed too.

What middle school did they go to? Because the odd thing for Westridge (geographically) is that they go to Woodbridge Middle School, over near Route 1, rather than to Lake Ridge Middle School, which is less than 1/2 a mile away. But like I said, all listings I've seen show the local elementary school and Woodbridge High.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Forehead

What middle school did they go to? Because the odd thing for Westridge (geographically) is that they go to Woodbridge Middle School, over near Route 1, rather than to Lake Ridge Middle School, which is less than 1/2 a mile away. But like I said, all listings I've seen show the local elementary school and Woodbridge High.

I don't remember what the middle school was at the time (this was 2005). I thought about using my parents' address from my daughter so she could attend OP (they live in Springwoods). In 2005, Springwoods was being trucked over to OP as well as Westridge. However, they said that starting in 2006, Springwoods kids would go to Woodbridge HS even if they were currently attending OP. Westridge was still going to OP. After that, I stopped paying attention. One of my physicians lives in Westridge and their high school daughter was zoned from Westridge. Again that was 2005-2008. It has probably changed.

[Muffy62]

Woodbridge Middle has been the zoned school for Westridge for as long as I can remember. They had split Westridge in two during the rezoning (4 or 5 years ago). Depending upon where you lived in Westridge, you either went to OP or Woodbridge High however the middle school remained Woodbridge Middle.