Ok,
So we're planning on moving (fingers crossed) next summer provided we can sell our house. Now, for years I've been putting moving to VA as a priority. Lately, the wife has been discussing HoCo for the schools.

Now, I've worked there and have friends that teach there, and there's no doubt that HoCo has very good schools.

From what Ive found online Prince William isn't too shabby either, depending on where you go.

The wife's biggest concern is that if we move to Prince Willie and the demographics continue to change the way the trend looks like it is, she's worried it will end up being a "lateral" move (we live in PG).

Anyone here have any experience with both? Any good non-biased websites that rate them?

One thing that is a consideration is that ALL MD schools are going common core (gotta get that "race to the top" money), whereas VA isn't.

Fairfax and Loudoun schools have a better reputation than those in PWC.

If you do decide that PWC is where you want to go, remember that the eastern part of the county is heavily populated with lower-income residents. Remember the words of Horace Greeley: "go west, young man".

We live in PWC. The public schools are not considered that good but we send are kids to private schools. What we spend in tuition is offset by the lower real estate tax bill and the better home we got for less money. Besides, even the "best" public schools are primarily focused on Liberal-Progressive indoctrination.

I wouldn't live in the slave state of Maryland under any circumstances.


ETA- +1 on Western PWC

Grew up in MD; you could not pay me to live there today.

OP:  even within "good" counties for schools, there are bad schools.

Hope no one is offended by my generalization, but you want to avoid "Title 1" schools - these are defined usually by the percentage of kids getting free lunch (i.e. "farms") & in this area, it often comes with a very high percentage of kids who need ESOL training; that's nice & all, but I know parents with kids in those classes & there is little time left for learning other than trying to learn English. Again, every child present in the U.S. has a right to free public schools, but you are free to chose where to live & you should pay attention to WHERE that is. A friend's child got re-districted into a Title 1 school and he was one of only 2 native English speakers in his class; he also got beat up, twice, by the end of October his 1st year of kindergarten (no exaggeration). That was in Falls Church.  

You should also check out the 10-pt. rating system even for elementary schools (I don't recall which site does the ratings) but you are ideally looking for an individual school that is at least an 8.  

You should spend some time on a site known as the "mommy-fight site" (according to the city paper):  Google "DC Urban Moms" for the web address - it has a LOT of school info (just be ready for the overwhelmingly liberal bias there - which is balanced against people's concern for their kids best interest).

Keep in mind Prince william County is a large and diverse county. Schools in Manasass and Gainesville are gonna be different than schools off Rt. 1.

My daughter is going into grade 2 (not much help, forgive me). So far we've been pleased with her school. We live in Lake Ridge. I know PW has at least one IB school (i think it's Gar-field, ironically enough). I think overall it's pretty solid, with some schools below the curve and others above. But admittedly, I have one young child in the system.

Well they (PWC) are building the most expensive high school in the state of Va.

It's gonna have 2 swimming pools.

yeah, we want to keep it as far West of 95 as possible.

As a parent, I would look into Loudoun or Fairfax County.  Welcome to VA.  I lived in MD for 10 years due to a job promotion...never again.

I am a product of 6 years of the PWC school system (grades 5-6 and 9-12) , and look how I turned out






That was more then 20 years ago ....

Well, as long as you resemble your Avatar.....we're there!

Ha!.................I did 7.5-12 in PWC schools. Graham Park middle in Dumfries was a hole but, Potomac SHS in the early 90's wasn't too bad.

Now live west of Lakeridge off the Pwky. Schools seem ok and the kids aren't troubled yet.  We are districted for OP in Manassas but, that may change before my kids are old enough.

raised in manassas park. good school system, I did above average in school (As ad a few Bs) and did not get wait listed on any colleges I applied to. Had many friends in ff. and loudon make straight As and get wait listed. Different district, less competition.

My "minions" go to PWC schools and my wife unit and I like them alot so far.  The elementary school experience was great.  We had a little trepidation with the Middle School because of busing-demographic issues but it has a single gender program which is nothing short of phenomenal.  

Fairfax schools may have a better reputation....but it's politics are horrendous.  Maryland would never be an option.

I find it weird though that great schools, rates the schools around Mt. Vernon so horribly. Are they really that bad? I mean we go to Mt. Vernon regularly and it looks like a freakin' Shangri-La, I find it weird that the schools would be that bad....like GreatSchools gives them a "3"

That Rt. 1 corridor / Hybla Valley near there is a cesspool . I used to live right off Rt 1 near Huntington metro , hookers hung out on the corner by my house .