Mt. Vernon elementary/middle schools (Alexandria, Woodbridge: low income, best neighborhoods, sales)

[sonyjonalp]

I am writing from the Upper Peninsula of MI, my husband is working in D.C. and living in the Mt. Vernon area 22309 sharing a house with 3 others. He seems to really like the area, however, I have heard that the schools in the Mt. Vernon area are not very good. Can someone give me some feedback on the schools there and the general safeness of the area. Is it family friendly? I feel my husband spends more time commuting and in D.C. to have a real sense.

We lived in the Eisenhower metro area for July-August and I found the Kingstowne area safe, but what about the schools?

Thanks.

[FairfaxCoResident]

Hi. I just moved to the Mount Vernon section of Alexandria in Fairfax County. My husband and I used to live in an Archstone apartment in Kingstowne and recently upgraded to a town home. Because of the ARMs there the past five sales in our neighborhood have been foreclosures. The property value is down about $120,000 since last year on our street.

Mt. Vernon is a different world and very patchy. It's a far cry from Kingstowne, where women jog alone in sports bras at 6AM and 10PM. In 22309 I would not go outdoors alone during the night. There are expensive town homes but a lot of low income areas.

Try doing a crime report here: Crime Watch - Fairfax County, Virginia

The good news is there will be around 19,000 new contracting jobs and a new hospital coming to the Fort Belvoir area. We are counting on that to improve the area significantly. Our goal is to HOPEFULLY make a profit on our home if we move in approximately 6 years.

[adctvmonkey]

Hi there, I'm a resident of Kingstowne. As of now, the Mount Vernon/Route 1 corridor, as FairfaxCoResident said, is a patchwork of good and not so good areas, though its set to improve over the next decade. Kingstowne is a large planned development with trails and landscaped open space, along with its own towne center, and is convenient to 95, 495, and 395.

As for schools, the Mount Vernon area is considered the least desirable in Fairfax County, with two high schools: Mt Vernon and West Potomac, though West Potomac is considered the better one. As for Kingstowne, the larger Southern 2/3 of Kingstowne (south of Kingstowne Boulevard) is districted to Hayfield Secondary (middle and high, though segregated), and the smaller Northern 1/3 is districted to Edison High. Hayfield's F/R rate is the lowest of all the four mentioned above, but its test scores are about the same as the rest. Edison is comparable to West Potomac. And by the way, Mount Vernon and Edison are IB schools, while West Potomac and Hayfield are AP schools. You can check the high schools out for yourself at Fairfax County Public Schools - High Schools, and you can do the same for elementary and middle, as these schools are similar since they feed into these high schools. Each school's 'profile' offers more info, with detailed demographics and test scores available.

[mvresident81]

I actually grew up in the Mt. vernon area and went to Mt. Vernon HS. The area is beautiful. The key is to live east of Rt. 1, closer to the Potomac River. The best neighborhoods are in somewhat of a triangle off of Mt. Vernon Memorial Hwy, Old Mt. Vernon Road and Ferry Landing Road. Anywhere in that general area you will find nice homes, in family-friendly neighborhoods where the kids can walk to school, ride their bikes in the street, walk to friends houses safely. There are several places in these neighborhoods with access to the Potomac River which makes it especially nice. There are also three Yacht Clubs (one exclusively for its neighborhood) and two community pools (members only). The easy access to Mt. Vernon Estate and the bike path along the Potomac allow for wonderful outdoor opportunities. The George Washington Parkway makes commuting to DC beautiful and stress free, unlike the commutes on 395, 95 or 495. Old Town Alexandria is only a short drive down the Parkway as well.

Mt. Vernon HS is fairly small which makes it easier for the administration to control any behavior issues. The IB program is top-notch and the students get as good of an education as any of the "top rated" Fairfax County schools. The diversity of the student population really prepares the students for the real world where they will have to work with people of other races and ethnicities.

The Kingstowne area is a little less upscale and every house there looks the same. That area also requires a commute on the Interstate to DC.

I no longer live in Mt. Vernon but if I were going to raise a family in the DC area I would definitely move back to Mt. Vernon. I feel there is no more pleasant area of Fairfax County (except maybe the Great Falls area).

[Tone509]

I'm glad to see some positive thoughts about the Route 1 corridor as I live a bit further up the road in Hybla Valley. A lot of people seem to have the impression that route 1 south of Alexandria City right on through to Woodbridge is some sort of suburban wasteland. While there may have well been some truth to that before I arrived 2 1/2 years ago, that's much less the case now, IMO.

Back to topic, one elementary school worth looking into may be Stratford Landing. I don't have kids but I do know someone who works there. The school is known for being a magnet school for gifted students. The school population is socioeconomically diverse, though I see that as a plus. I believe our children will receive a solid education there.