Fairfax county vs Loudon county for a transplant (Alexandria, Reston: transplants, apartments)

[aythan]

Soon to be new transplant here and I just want to confirm a few things. "I have heard" that to send my children to school in Fairfax/Loudon county... I have to be a resident of VA or the specific county itself? If I wanted to keep my out-of-state plates/license... does that mean I have to go to another school system?

Next question is everyones "not from here" question is where should I look? I have 2 young children 5 and 3 and Im looking for a good elementary. By the time they get here... I am hoping to obtain a nice townhome for rental/purchase but can I drive my children to a better school system that is out of the district?

There is a greatschools.com thread going on and sometimes all people are doing are looking for advice on those school systems. Us transplants dont know... does anyone really want to be transplanted to another state or area when it has to deal with work? Especially, when we have kids... of course not. But, I will agree that I have to take those websites and these forums and the very limited time I have, with a grain of salt, to make a decision that can make the wife and children happy versus miserable.

I specifically ask fairfax vs loudon mainly to find the opinions of the pros and cons of both. Loudon is further away from DC while Fairfax is closer? Are the school systems better than the other? More crime in one or is Loudon toted as the "old rich" while Fairfax is known for the "business/poor" communities?

All information is appreciated.

-A

[CaliTerp07]

Where is your job? That is going to determine where you want to live. Traffic is a nightmare here, and a short commute is at a premium.

School districts are by county (or city, in a few instances--Alexandria, Manassas)You will have to send your children to the school system where you live. If you want to send them to another county, you will need to pay the per-pupil spending rate for that county (I believe it's around $15k per child, but you can look it up). No one does that, except in extreme circumstances (moving before senior year of high school, maybe).

Both FFX and Loudoun are well regarded. Neither is full of crime or significantly better schools as a whole. Your budget and your commute will determine where you want to be.

[pcity]

For a transplant, there's really no point in comparing Fairfax as a whole to Loudoun as a whole. The differences within Fairfax, between say, Vienna and Groveton, are much greater than the differences between Fairfax and Loudoun.

[jillybean720]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Where is your job? That is going to determine where you want to live. Traffic is a nightmare here, and a short commute is at a premium.

Bingo. Both Loudoun and Fairfax have some great schools and some less great schools. And I truly mean "less great," as, overall, I believe both counties have good schools to the point that a "bad" school in either is still better than some "good" schools in other parts of the country, if that makes sense.

You can't really say Loudoun is better (or worse) than Fairfax overall, as within each, there are peaks and valleys. For example, just within Loudoun, comparing Ashburn to Round Hill will likely show some pretty drastic differences. Your best bet is to narrow your focus down by focusing on where you want to commute from and what you can afford.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by aythan

Soon to be new transplant here and I just want to confirm a few things. "I have heard" that to send my children to school in Fairfax/Loudon county... I have to be a resident of VA or the specific county itself? If I wanted to keep my out-of-state plates/license... does that mean I have to go to another school system?

No. They don't look at the plates on your car when determining residency. You have to prove residency. There are different kinds of proof. Your kids go to the school based on where you live, so, yes you have to be a resident of whichever county you want your kids school to be.

[aythan]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Where is your job? That is going to determine where you want to live.

Im more of a traveling consultant. 90% travel which I translate to closer to an airport than the city itself. I am a United 1k member so I would typically want to stay near/next to a United hub and I believe that to be IAD? I find that DCA to be smaller which usually means less early morning/late night flights and a bit more money than IAD. Im not 100% sure about my information but that is what I have found for the limited amount of times flying into DC.

Originally Posted by pcity

For a transplant, there's really no point in comparing Fairfax as a whole to Loudoun as a whole. The differences within Fairfax, between say, Vienna and Groveton, are much greater than the differences between Fairfax and Loudoun.

Unfortunately, that is primarily my question or reason for posting. I really dont know what city. But, if I were to choose two or four... Ashburn/Leesburg for Loudoun and Herndon/Falls Church for Fairfax. I am "more familiar" to an asian community but the only Asian community I am aware of is Rockville, MD.

Originally Posted by dkf747

No. They don't look at the plates on your car when determining residency. You have to prove residency. There are different kinds of proof. Your kids go to the school based on where you live, so, yes you have to be a resident of whichever county you want your kids school to be.

From what I read or understood... (Im trying to find the forum post in regards to this specific subject but Ill edit again later when I do...) if I moved to Reston/Herndon and kept my CA license plate and DMV license, the school system would not allow me to enroll my children into the public school system unless I am a VA licensed person.

Also, let me ask a similar question in a different way. Lets say I am in Reston/Herndon (FFX county) for my first year but I find that I like the school systems in Ashburn (Loudoun county). Can I drive my kids to the Loudoun county school without penalty? Or would I need to move to that specific district.

[mdcrim]

You can get a waiver for your kids to go to school outside of your district but you'll have to pay a fee- I think it's around $10,000 per kid per year. And you have to transport the kid to and from school.

Your license and car registration are not proof of residency so the schools will not look at those. You'll need a lease or closing papers and maybe utility bills (check the school websites) to prove residency.

On a side note, every jurisdiction in Northern Virginia requires that you switch your car registration over within a certain time period. And they have been known to actively go out looking for people to ticket that haven't. There are personal property taxes owed on vehicles so it is a tax base for the localities. I believe Virginia also has a law you have a certain amount of time to switch your license over too.

Not sure what part of Asia you're from, but there are a ton of South Asians in Broadlands, Brambleton and a few of the smaller communities in Ashburn.

[airjay75]

Somewhat of an aside, but is there a reason why you wouldn't be obtaining a Virginia driver's license and license plates for your vehicle? If you're residing here and keeping a car, you are legally required to do both unless you are in the military or a full-time student.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by mdcrim

Not sure what part of Asia you're from, but there are a ton of South Asians in Broadlands, Brambleton and a few of the smaller communities in Ashburn.

Yes, if you are looking for a specific ethnic community, you may want to consider this area. My kids' school (one of the three elementary schools that enroll children from Brambleton) is 31% Asian; another nearby school (that enrolls children from Loudoun Valley Estates) is 63% Asian; a new school that opened up this year (Moorefield Station Elementary, right behind the Moorefield Village apartments that I recommended in one of your other threads) is 44% Asian, and draws from Loudoun Valley Estates, Brambleton, and other neighboring developments. Per the 2010 Census, the Asian population in this area is about 2/3 South Asian.

School districts are county-based in Virginia. If you want your children to attend LCPS, you will need to live in Loudoun County.

[aythan]

Originally Posted by mdcrim

On a side note, every jurisdiction in Northern Virginia requires that you switch your car registration over within a certain time period. And they have been known to actively go out looking for people to ticket that haven't. There are personal property taxes owed on vehicles so it is a tax base for the localities. I believe Virginia also has a law you have a certain amount of time to switch your license over too.

Not sure what part of Asia you're from, but there are a ton of South Asians in Broadlands, Brambleton and a few of the smaller communities in Ashburn.

Ah... didnt know that in regards to the ticketing. I guess that forces me to change my DL and plates. And, in regards to Asia... im looking for Southeast Asia (chinese) markets not South Asia (India) markets.