My sister went to River Hill and by the time I went to high school, we were redistricted to Atholton. Pretty much what everyone else has said is true: there are the top top schools, but it’s all about wealth and those schools tend not to be very diverse. Comparing academic rigor, extra curriculars, etc, my sister and I had super similar experiences. HCPSS is great overall, so I wouldn’t focus too much on each school’s ranking tbh. I think the major differences were in our social experiences. There was less of an academic competitive environment at AHS and there were more walks of life represented in the student body and staff. All HoCo schools do a good job of setting up high school kids for success, but a healthy environment really helps kids take advantage of that better.

Wow, this is quite an extensive list! I’ll definitely take a look at everything you’ve suggested and talk with my neighbors about these issues too. Not sure how widely known they are, but it’s important to stay informed! Thanks so much!!!

Thank you so much for documenting this! Im not as aware of local issues as I would like, but the lack of transparency and use of HOA funds is quite concerning. Is there any further reading that you’d recommend to better understand the situation? And is there anything Columbia residents can do to encourage transparency??