Help w/ Picking a High School? Thanks! (Arlington, Burke: houses, transfer to)

[k713]

Hi Guys,

I need help picking a high school for my daughter. The choices right now are Churchill High in Potomac or Langley in Great Falls or Yorktown in Arlington. Could anybody tell me about these schools or experiences, if any. All info will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Tone509]

I can't answer with specifics... but I am wondering if you could share where you would be working? If it's in DC, then it may not make much difference; if it's out in Tysons Corner, coming from Potomac could be a bear.

You may also want to ask about Potomac on the Maryland forum as well. (EDIT: I see you already have. )

[kevinm]

How do you get a "choice"? Aren't schools assigned based on zip code?

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by kevinm

How do you get a "choice"? Aren't schools assigned based on zip code?

I'm assuming the family is basing their home decision at least partly on the school decision. Hopefully the commute, if applicable, is a factor as well.

[mississippimagnolia]

How do you get a "choice"? Aren't schools assigned based on zip code?

We had a choice. Our daughter was already in the IB program when we moved to Burke. Lake Braddock offers AP but not IB. She was approved for a transfer to Robinson because they offered the IB program.

...then after all that paperwork, she decided to go to Lake Braddock. But we did get to choose.

[claremarie]

These are all good schools, but in very different (and expensive) communities.
I'm not sure I would make a housing decision based on the school situation, if these are your "finalists." You could quite safely make your decision based on commute, community, etc. For example, Yorktown is in North Arlington, which will have the oldest and smallest homes, but also the only one with multiple Metro stops and a much shorter commute to DC.
Langley is actually located in McLean, but serves both the newer parts of McLean and most of Great Falls. If you live in Great Falls, it's a LONG ride to school. Also, most of the homes in Great Falls are on large lots, there are few sidewalks, and most neighborhoods are on well and septic rather than city water and sewer.
Churchill is kind of in between -- it's got a mix of older and newer standard suburban homes, and the commute to DC will be on the long side. Churchill also has a substantially larger Jewish population than either of the Virginia schools, and there are many Jewish synagogues and other organizations in the neighborhood.
But these are all good choices that most families would love to have.

[LynchburgLover]

Go with the VA school/house, if you are going to look at in-state college options after high school. The Virginia college options are far better than Maryland.

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by mississippimagnolia

We had a choice. Our daughter was already in the IB program when we moved to Burke. Lake Braddock offers AP but not IB. She was approved for a transfer to Robinson because they offered the IB program.

...then after all that paperwork, she decided to go to Lake Braddock. But we did get to choose.

But those are both in the same county, same school system.

OP is deciding between a Maryland school, an Arlington school, and a Fairfax County school. One can only guess they are considering houses in each area but can't decide, and it comes down to the schools.

[DC Oldtimer]

My advice: pick a Virginia school and put your tax savings toward college costs.

Of course I am not the most objective source of info, as I consider myself a refugee from the Peoples Republic of Montgomery County. Fairfax County is a better place to live.

[CAVA1990]

I can only speak to the Fairfax schools but we found them excellent. Teachers, curriculum, facilities, extra-curriculars, and class sizes were all great. They do a great job of preparing kids for college who want to go that route and have special programs for those who don't. As the parent of two who went all the way through, I highly recommend them.