The Best Private Schools in Washington Grove, Maryland
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Washington Grove. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
The Woods Academy
Independent Catholic School
The Woods Academy is a highly-regarded independent Catholic school serving families throughout Montgomery County, including Washington Grove. Founded in 1976, the school offers a comprehensive education from preschool through 8th grade with a strong emphasis on academic excellence, character development, and community service. The school features small class sizes, dedicated faculty with advanced degrees, and a curriculum that integrates technology, arts, and foreign language from early grades. Facilities include modern classrooms, science labs, art studios, and athletic spaces. The school is known for its welcoming community and strong parent involvement, with many families from Washington Grove choosing this option for its balanced approach to education and moral development.
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St. Martin's Catholic School
Archdiocese of Washington
St. Martin's Catholic School is a highly-rated parochial school conveniently located to serve Washington Grove families in central Montgomery County. Established in 1962, the school provides a strong academic foundation rooted in Catholic values for students in pre-K through 8th grade. The school features a comprehensive curriculum that includes advanced mathematics, science labs, technology integration, and extensive arts programming. Recent campus improvements include updated STEM facilities and enhanced security systems. Parents consistently praise the school's dedicated teachers, strong community atmosphere, and excellent preparation for high school. The school offers bus service from surrounding areas and maintains active partnerships with local parishes and community organizations.
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Barrie School
Independent Progressive School
Barrie School is a respected independent school with a long history of serving Montgomery County families, including those from Washington Grove. The school offers a progressive education model that combines Montessori principles for younger students with an International Baccalaureate program for older students. With a 15-acre campus featuring extensive outdoor learning spaces, the school emphasizes experiential education and environmental stewardship. Barrie is known for its diverse community, innovative teaching approaches, and strong college preparatory program. The school maintains small student-teacher ratios and offers robust arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs that attract families seeking a well-rounded, progressive education alternative.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Washington Grove, Maryland
What are the primary private school options available for families residing in Washington Grove, Maryland?
Washington Grove itself is a small, residential town, so most private schools serving its residents are located in the surrounding Montgomery County area. The most prominent and proximate options include The Woods Academy (Bethesda), Barrie School (Silver Spring), and St. Martin's Catholic School (Gaithersburg). These schools offer varied educational philosophies—from Montessori (Barrie) to Catholic independent (St. Martin's) to independent college-prep (The Woods). Families in Washington Grove also frequently consider other esteemed institutions in the broader Bethesda, Potomac, and Rockville areas, benefiting from the county's dense concentration of high-quality private education.
How does the tuition for private schools near Washington Grove, MD, compare to state averages, and what financial aid options exist?
Tuition for the top private schools near Washington Grove is generally at or above the Maryland state average for private education, reflecting the high cost of living and competitive academic offerings in Montgomery County. For the 2024-2025 academic year, expect ranges from approximately $25,000 to over $40,000 for K-8, with upper schools often higher. However, these schools are committed to socioeconomic diversity and offer robust financial aid programs. For instance, Barrie School and The Woods Academy have significant need-based aid budgets. Maryland also offers the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) program, which provides K-12 scholarships for eligible families to use at participating private schools, including some in this area.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs are offered by private schools in the Washington Grove vicinity that leverage the local environment?
Private schools near Washington Grove capitalize on their proximity to Washington, D.C., and the region's rich cultural and scientific resources. Barrie School's Montessori and progressive model emphasizes experiential learning, with its 45-acre campus serving as an outdoor classroom. The Woods Academy integrates a strong global studies program with Spanish instruction starting in Pre-K and utilizes D.C. museums and institutions for frequent educational trips. St. Martin's, while having a traditional Catholic foundation, often incorporates environmental science projects connected to local ecosystems like the nearby Rachel Carson Conservation Park. This access to urban and natural resources is a hallmark of the area's private education.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for competitive private schools in the Washington Grove, Maryland area?
The enrollment process for sought-after private schools in Montgomery County is highly structured and begins early. For fall admission, the timeline typically starts in the late summer or early fall (September-October) with open houses and tours. Application deadlines are often in early to mid-January. Key steps include submitting an application, required standardized assessments (like the ISEE or school-specific evaluations), school records, teacher recommendations, and a family interview. For schools like The Woods Academy and Barrie, applying by the priority deadline is crucial due to limited space. Admissions decisions are usually communicated in March. It is highly advisable for Washington Grove families to begin research and visits at least a year in advance.
How do the class sizes and community environments of private schools near Washington Grove compare to the highly-rated Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)?
The most distinct difference is class size. While MCPS schools, including those in the Richard Montgomery or Wootton clusters that serve Washington Grove, are excellent but often have classes of 25-30+ students, private schools in the area typically maintain ratios of 10:1 to 15:1. This allows for highly individualized attention. Furthermore, the community environment is often more tightly knit due to smaller overall school sizes and a mission-driven approach. For example, St. Martin's fosters a close-knit parish community, while Barrie promotes a collaborative, child-centered culture. The trade-off for Washington Grove parents involves weighing the tailored, consistent private school environment against the no-cost, diverse, and resource-rich MCPS system, which is one of the nation's best.
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