Area in Fairfax County offering (1) strong public high school and (2) short Greenbelt commute?

[CAVA1990]

I'd jettison the race criterion and focus on the best school system closest to where you're working. This is the 21st century not the 1950s. Most high schools around here will have a reasonable mix of demographics. Best would be measured in terms of curriculum, class size, facilities, special programs (IB,AP), extra-curriculars (art, music, sports) and quality of the instructors. Hard to beat Fairfax schools for those.

Another thing you might want to focus on is taxes. Those are generally lower in VA than MD. Good value for the dollar down here.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by itinérant

Almost all of the area zoned to BCC, and much of the area zoned to Walter Johnson, gives me what I am looking for.

It seems to me that that is your best answer then. The commute to Greenbelt won't be worse than some other commutes around here, and could be better than many. I don't think commuting from Fairfax County or Howard County is that much better than from Montgomery County. The Alexandria area schools (actually in Fairfax County) won't be as good as those schools are now. I think if the above mentioned area fits perfectly then that's the place to go to.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by dkf747

It seems to me that that is your best answer then. The commute to Greenbelt won't be worse than some other commutes around here, and could be better than many. I don't think commuting from Fairfax County or Howard County is that much better than from Montgomery County. The Alexandria area schools (actually in Fairfax County) won't be as good as those schools are now. I think if the above mentioned area fits perfectly then that's the place to go to.

I thought the issue was that the OP was having a hard time finding rentals in those school districts within his/her budget.

But, I agree with you that the OP either needs to be patient and wait for something in the BCC or WJ district or start deciding where he or she is prepared to make trade-offs. School systems and demographics differ from district to district.

The closest match in Howard County to what he or she seems to be looking for, as far as I can tell, is Marriotts Ridge HS in Marriottsville. The schools in Howard with the top test scores (River Hill and Centennial) have demographics very similar to Wootton in MoCo, not BCC or WJ. The OP said he/she didn't want that. Not sure, though, how long it would take to get to Greenbelt from that part of Howard.

[kmkat]

Hi there I lived 10 years in Greenbelt area and 15 in Fairfax so here's my take on your question. There is no way anywhere in Fairfax will be 30 minute commute...unless you leave at 2 am. And with a 2K budget, the areas where you could afford an apartment will have less than desirable schools.

If I were in your shoes, I'd focus on this high school
Atholton High School - Columbia, Maryland - MD - School overview

You can rent a 2 bed townhouse in that district for less than 2K, see
8237 STYERS CT, LAUREL, MD 20723 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

Yes, it is not Bethesda but your children will get a top rate education. Go to greatschools, it's rated a 10. My nephew is a Junior there and thriving. And the elementary and middle school (Hammond) are great too.

Given my history living in both areas, I like VA alot better. But if I had your requirements, the above is about as good as it gets. Good luck!

[rsh56]

Originally Posted by dkf747

It seems to me that that is your best answer then. The commute to Greenbelt won't be worse than some other commutes around here, and could be better than many. I don't think commuting from Fairfax County or Howard County is that much better than from Montgomery County. The Alexandria area schools (actually in Fairfax County) won't be as good as those schools are now. I think if the above mentioned area fits perfectly then that's the place to go to.

I drove from Bethesda to CP in the AM a couple of times and its only bad until prior to CT ave on the beltway. Then you are smooth-sailing. Though of course, if you are headed to DC, that's a problem.

[itinérant]

Originally Posted by kmkat

Hi there I lived 10 years in Greenbelt area and 15 in Fairfax so here's my take on your question. There is no way anywhere in Fairfax will be 30 minute commute...unless you leave at 2 am. And with a 2K budget, the areas where you could afford an apartment will have less than desirable schools.

If I were in your shoes, I'd focus on this high school
Atholton High School - Columbia, Maryland - MD - School overview

You can rent a 2 bed townhouse in that district for less than 2K, see
8237 STYERS CT, LAUREL, MD 20723 | Listing Information | HomesDatabase.com

Yes, it is not Bethesda but your children will get a top rate education. Go to greatschools, it's rated a 10. My nephew is a Junior there and thriving. And the elementary and middle school (Hammond) are great too.

Given my history living in both areas, I like VA alot better. But if I had your requirements, the above is about as good as it gets. Good luck!

This post was pretty amazing. I checked Atholton High School out and it seems pretty good. The numbers aren't quite as strong some of the comparably diverse schools in Montgomery County, though stil pretty strong. Are you sure the commute is right? It seems you have to come down I-95, which is with the traffic. When you go east on the Beltway in the morning, you are against the traffic. Intriguing find though.

[gefblueapple]

Tough problem there. Every HS in Fairfax is 'strong', and no place offers a short commute to Greenbelt. I second what others say about Columbia or Elliott City.

[Smoke_Jaguar4]

Wakefield HS in Arlington? It serves the southern part of the county, which is more affordable. Once the direct connection from I-395N to I-295N is completed, you'll have a straight shot from NoVA to Greenbelt.

[Carioca Da Gema]

Originally Posted by Smoke_Jaguar4

Wakefield HS in Arlington? It serves the southern part of the county, which is more affordable. Once the direct connection from I-395N to I-295N is completed, you'll have a straight shot from NoVA to Greenbelt.

How are the scores there? When I was in high school Wakefield was one of main rivals. It was perceived as the lowest achieving of the 3 Arlington Co. schools. Arlington's changed a lot since then, but not too sure how Wakefield scores compared to the MoCo schools mentioned throughout this thread..

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carioca Da Gema

How are the scores there? When I was in high school Wakefield was one of main rivals. It was perceived as the lowest achieving of the 3 Arlington Co. schools. Arlington's changed a lot since then, but not too sure how Wakefield scores compared to the MoCo schools mentioned throughout this thread..

If one takes the OP's stated preferences at face value, OP would not be interested in the Wakefield HS district. Or, if OP was, it would beg the question as to why OP wasn't considering less expensive parts of Montgomery County that feed into Einstein, Kennedy, Northwood, Springbrook and/or Wheaton HS.

I did see the plans for the new Wakefield building a while back, though, and it looks like it will be a very nice facility.