Fairfax County Public Schools and Demographics (Springfield, West Springfield: apartment, rent, crime)

[JD984]

Originally Posted by airjay75

If its helpful and/or if anyone has any additional thoughts, the primary reason motivating my post today is that I am going to look at a couple of home in the Saratoga section of Springfield. I'm not very familiar with the area other than what I'm seeing in the pictures of the homes, but they seem quite nice - nicer than some of the similar homes I have seen in West Springfield, but priced somewhat lower. It seems to me that the main reason for this is that Saratoga Elementary is in the Lee HS pyramid as opposed to West Springfield or South County, but I'm sure there could be other aspects of the area that are not as desirable.

Any additional thoughts are most welcome. Thanks.

I think most would say that the Saratoga/22153 area off Rolling Road that feeds into Lee seems more like adjacent areas in West Springfield (in terms of the types of housing and stable neighborhoods) than some of the other areas in Central Springfield that are now somewhat run-down. Another thing that area has going for it is its proximity to Fort Belvoir.

[michgc]

Regardless of whether a student can excel in a lower-performing school or not, real estate prices will always be higher for schools that have higher test scores overall (everything else being equal).

Just because you don't have kids is not a reason to not pay attention to school pyramid. There will always be a greater demand for homes in schools with good test scores, again eveything else being equal.

And I disagree with some others who say you are worried for no reason about the schools when your hypothetical kids haven't been born yet.

We moved into our house in Vienna before having children. We partially picked it because of the schools we fed into. We had a child 1 year later and 2 more after that. Two of them attended the elementary school (one for 5 years). Time goes quickly! We have since moved away, but have held onto our home. We feel very fortunate because although our house is an old, 1950's ranch house, we are confident that it will sell quickly because it's in the Madison High School pyramid.

Personally, I wouldn't consider a house in the Lee district over West Springfield unless there were some other compelling reason to live there or if I couldn't afford West Springfield. But I fully admit to being somewhat of a school snob.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by michgc

Personally, I wouldn't consider a house in the Lee district over West Springfield unless there were some other compelling reason to live there or if I couldn't afford West Springfield. But I fully admit to being somewhat of a school snob.

So how is that sentiment any different from what motivated Southern segregationists?

[michgc]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

So how is that sentiment any different from what motivated Southern segregationists?

Who said it was? Honestly, I didn't pay attention to his comments on the percentage of white people in each school. I was just thinking about test scores, which are a result of socioeconomic status, rather than race. And if I could afford a school that has dramatically higher test scores than another, then that is where I'd buy. Lee is 23rd out of 24th in terms of SAT scores in Fairfax County, while West Springfield is 9th. To me, there is no question of where I'd buy.

[ACWhite]

I would add that, to the extent that schools affect home value, and that perceived quality remains the same over time, you would be paying a premium now for something that you are not using. With these assumptions, if you have plenty of extra money and can afford a house that also provides the commute that you want, has the features you want, etc., even with the school premium, then it should be a wash in real terms (at buying vs. selling times). However, most of us have to make trade-offs around here given the extremely high cost of housing. So a better alternative for you may be NOT to pay the school premium now. And, because there are so many high income people here without kids in public schools (relative to many other urban areas), keep in mind that there are lots of desirable (though expensive) neighborhoods not in areas known for top schools (e.g., parts of the district, Old Town)--lots of other factors are involved (e.g., metro access, location close to jobs, how well-kept the neighborhood is). So schools probably aren't as important a factor in neighborhoods' keeping value as they might be in some other urban areas.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

So how is that sentiment any different from what motivated Southern segregationists?

I have to agree with michgc. I don't see how you drew the connection to southern segregation.

[car54]

Somebody tell the OP that FCPS regularly changes school boundaries. These "redistrictings" are very contentious with much gnashing of teeth, near riots, and other hysterics....but FCPS usually prevails.

If you buy a house in order to be within a particular school's boundaries, I suggest a property that abuts school property...or maybe across the street would be alright. Anything farther away would be risky.

PS: I have a couple of rental houses that were recently redistricted to Lake Braddock from Annandale (gasp) High. How much of a premium should I expect when it comes time to sell? LOL

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

I have to agree with michgc. I don't see how you drew the connection to southern segregation.

But that doesn't answer the question. Both are based on a parent's desire to have their children associate with only certain other children and not others. Though one is considered acceptable and the other not, I don't see a major difference in terms of motivation.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

But that doesn't answer the question. Both are based on a parent's desire to have their children associate with only certain other children and not others. Though one is considered acceptable and the other not, I don't see a major difference in terms of motivation.

It has absolutely nothing to do with who my kids associate with and everything to do with getting my kids into a school that has good results.

[airjay75]

car54 - thanks for your thougts regarding redistricting. That is certainly something that has crossed my mind. The particular area I am looking at in Springfield (Saratoga) is probably the furthest away from Lee HS one could get and still be districted for that HS, so I am sure this is a distinct possibility over the medium to long term horizon. Another factor into the equation I suppose.

Thanks to everyone else for their continued comments. Apologies if my opening post was a little too focused on race. I know it can be a little tricky area when talking about demographics of different schools because of the differences between correlation and causation when it comes to test scores and student performance. For some, its only the test scores they care about. For others, they may not feel comfortable with their kid being in the minority at school whether that is because of race, socieconomic status, and/or simply motivation level. And, of course, it can also be a combination of those factors.

I think my real main concern is how much emphasis to place on the schools for which a particular house is zoned in Fairfax County given my current life situation, and I think the posts on here have provided some very valuable insight so thanks very much.