Please shed some light on the issue with Ashburn schools... (Reston: 2014, new house)

[Brooke05]

We are considering a move from Reston, VA to Ashburn, VA. Mostly to get some more space, inside and out. We bought our house here in Reston, 4 years ago for $750,000 and will be happy if we make out with that, even considering the amount invested. However, the real issue here, is the schools in Ashburn. We have 2 young children (kindergaten). There is a house we are looking at that is about the same price as our current house value in Reston. However, we would be gaining considerable space, inside and out. Lovely community and gorgeous house. We have been hearing horror stories about waiting lists for kids getting into schools and terrible overcrowding. The house we are looking at is in the newer part of Ashburn, Brambleton really. I think the elementary was Creighton's Corner.
Can anyone help clarify, what is going on with this and if there is a plan of action to remedy the problem.
Thank you!

[hilsmom]

in a nutshell - too many houses with young families, not enough schools.

[MrsEvie64]

I moved out of Ashburn last year, but what they were doing was once the school hit a certain number over capacity, anyone other new kids registering were bussed to another local school. This problem, if I recall correctly, was focused primarily in the Brambleton area as there are just too many kids and new houses going up, and not enough new elementary schools to keep up. So until they build more elementary schools, you risk having your child bussed to another school in Ashburn. The good part is all the school in Ashburn are good. The bad part is your child may not be going to school with his/her neighbors.

[stpickrell]

What MrsEvie64 said. You're not going to get bussed to a school with 50% FARMS or the such. All the schools in Ashburn get a 6 or high or Great Schools, are under 15% FARMS, etc. I don't know of anywhere in Loudoun except maybe the iffy parts of Sterling where the schools are NOT over-crowded.

[mikebnllnb]

The schools here are great. I haven't heard about kids getting bussed to other schools for awhile. As far as overcrowding the tests scores from the schools here for me seem to make that a moot point. Don't worry about the schools in Loudoun your kids will get a great education.

FYI the high school your kids would go to is in the top 200 (198) in the nation. That's out of 27,000 schools nationwide. The one thing you may not like is just how competitive it is in Loudoun for kids both academically and athletically.

[kutra11]

Originally Posted by mikebnllnb

FYI the high school your kids would go to is in the top 200 (198) in the nation. That's out of 27,000 schools nationwide. The one thing you may not like is just how competitive it is in Loudoun for kids both academically and athletically.

At the risk of sounding racist, here's a tidbit I want to pass along... ...

Just last week, I met a parent from Ashburn who was complaining that the academic atmosphere in Ashburn is insanely competitive because of the large percentage of Asian population. She said she had no prejudice against Asians other than accepting the well-known fact that Asian parents just push their kids into Math and Science and hell-breaks-loose if their kid comes home with average scores.

[MrsEvie64]

Originally Posted by mikebnllnb

The schools here are great. I haven't heard about kids getting bussed to other schools for awhile. As far as overcrowding the tests scores from the schools here for me seem to make that a moot point. Don't worry about the schools in Loudoun your kids will get a great education.

FYI the high school your kids would go to is in the top 200 (198) in the nation. That's out of 27,000 schools nationwide. The one thing you may not like is just how competitive it is in Loudoun for kids both academically and athletically.

I know at Legacy this year, parents were sent notifications about overflow and a waiting list. Whether it got resolved by today and all of them were able to attend their home school, I don't know. But know they were sent letters notifying them they were on a waiting list and needed to wait and see if they'd be going to Legacy or elsewhere.

[cdmurphy]

Legacy and Creighton's Corner were both on overflow for first grade this year. My neighbor's daughter, who should attend Legacy, is assigned to Rosa Lee Carter (which is in Loudoun Valley Estates).

Part of the problem is that so many people send their kids to private kindergarten (because they don't like the LCPS half-day or whatever) that there are lots of 1st graders entering the system for the first time. In overflow status, kids who are already in the school get priority for the next year's enrollment. Some of my friends' kids who were coming in from private K did eventually get spots at Legacy.

The other problem is that Creighton's Corner was way undercapacity its first few years, and the Brambleton residents north of Creighton Road fought hard to keep their kids at Legacy, so the boundaries were drawn far and wide to fill CC. Now, there lots of people moving into the new construction in Phase III of Brambleton, so CC is over capacity, too.

There is a third Brambleton-proffered school, but it isn't even in the Capital Improvement Plan for 2012-2016. However, the planned openings of ES-16 in Moorefield Station (fall 2013) and ES-23 in Arcola Center (fall 2014) should help by siphoning off some of the kids on the outer edges of the Creighton's Corner boundary.

[looktowindward]

Originally Posted by kutra11

At the risk of sounding racist, here's a tidbit I want to pass along... ...

Just last week, I met a parent from Ashburn who was complaining that the academic atmosphere in Ashburn is insanely competitive because of the large percentage of Asian population. She said she had no prejudice against Asians other than accepting the well-known fact that Asian parents just push their kids into Math and Science and hell-breaks-loose if their kid comes home with average scores.

Its not racist and it is true. This is one reason why Ashburn schools are great. The Asian population and the Internet industry in Ashburn (which are related) drive great schools.

Ashburn schools may not be great for the average to below average child. For a high performer, its an outstanding environment.

[Brooke05]

There is a third Brambleton-proffered school, but it isn't even in the Capital Improvement Plan for 2012-2016. However, the planned openings of ES-16 in Moorefield Station (fall 2013) and ES-23 in Arcola Center (fall 2014) should help by siphoning off some of the kids on the outer edges of the Creighton's Corner boundary.

Cd Murphy: This is good information. Where can I find out more about this.

Thanks so much.