Moving to Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Centreville: apartment, for rent, condo)

[Khsal2011]

I'm moving with my family of 3 childern to Fairfax, VA. Our main priority is the quality of schools for our 4th grade, 6th grade and my 11th grade IB-1 student - my elder son. We are looking for rent a 3 bed with 2+ bath apartment, Condo,...etc. We are looking for an IB school which offers the same IB courses my son (which offers Economics, Physics, & Chemist. as HL Ib course) in Fairfax school district area. Can advise us on good schools [/font] and good neighbourhood for our IB high school , 4th grade (Elementary) & for 6th grade (Middle School) in and around the School district area in Fairfax county area with . Many thanks for your support and help.

[michgc]

I assume you mean Fairfax County (versus the specific City of Fairfax). If so, then your first order of business is to check out www.FCPS.edu. You can check out which high schools have IB and the test scores and profiles of every elem., middle, and, high school in the county.

There are many, many good elementary schools. Lots of good middle schools. One good IB school is Marshall High School (not sure of the others), which has a Falls Church mailing address, but some students from Vienna also feed into it. Also, what you should know is that if you feed into a different high school that doesn't have IB, you can still "pupil place" your student into a corresponding high school that does have IB, if that's what you want. (For example, if my child feeds into Madison High School which has an AP program, but not IB, but I want IB for her, I can look on the website and find out which school she would go to if she wants the IB program - I don't get to pick any IB program in the county; there is a specific school that students in Madison high school would be assigned to. In this case it is Marshall High School, which I mentioned earlier).

As for your 6th grader, most elementary schools in FCPS actually go up to 6th grade, so he will most likely be in elementary school rather than middle school. (I believe there are still a handful of schools within the county, however that have 6th graders at the middle school.)

Lastly, I know you said schooling is your MOST important consideration. But equally as important for us to give advice is where you will be working and how much money you have to spend for your 3 bed/2 bath apartment. If you are working in Alexandria, I'd be hesitant to suggest you live in Centreville, for example. And having s $5K budget for said apartment verus a $2K budget would make a huge differrence as well. So more information would help!