https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:37:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2870026 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:42:33 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2870026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>New school. It has the new building. The principal and some of the teaching staff have previously worked together. </p> <p>You always have the option to change if your needs change like after school activities. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2870002 Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:35:36 +0000 looch 2870002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shabang: That's interesting you wrote that, my experience has been completely opposite. The principal of our school had been a principal in the district before, so he is well versed in what it takes to run a school. I was impressed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869965 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 21:13:02 +0000 shabang 2869965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In my experience, the first year at a brand new school is sometimes a shitshow. I’d lean toward starting at the more established neighborhood school and considering switching once they get a few things ironed out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869930 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 17:58:41 +0000 MrsBeluga 2869930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What kind of after school release do they do? Over here they don’t let the kids out all at once, instead they get dismissed one by one as parents pick up. If it’s not a free for all at the school bell I wouldn’t be worried about the road being so close to the school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869929 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 17:56:22 +0000 MrsBeluga 2869929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You mention the older school is in truely awful condition. For me that would be a big deal. I mean how bad is it?</p> <p>I wonder if the new school will have smaller class sizes? Guessing that families already attending the older school won’t want to pull their kids out?</p> <p>I wouldn’t worry about having to switch schools for middle. Where we are at each of the 5 elementary schools has 5 classes per grade level, even if our kid stays at the same school for K-5 she’s not going to know everyone by the time she gets to middle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869926 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 17:38:55 +0000 Mrsbells 2869926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would stay in the old school. I prefer schools that are older and more established </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869905 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 15:24:54 +0000 merriment 2869905@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @oldschoolmama and I would not want to make my kid switch to a new school for middle school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869894 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 14:15:42 +0000 looch 2869894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>New school , not even a question. I did the exact same thing and I am now the co-president of the PTO in year 3 of the school being open. We managed to already far exceed the fundraising that's done at our sister school because everyone is soooo involved and invested (and we have 4 grades, compared to their 9!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869893 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 14:15:18 +0000 oldschooolmama 2869893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since the middle school is so terrible I’d probably keep my child in the current zoned school. I would hate for her to have to start over in the friend department during middle school. Then again who knows what will happen between now and then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869889 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:59:20 +0000 PurplePeony 2869889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: there will be a small playground in the rear courtyard of the school, which is fenced in. There’s a city park right behind the school grounds that will also be used in some way, I’ve heard conflicting information about how, but this arrangement is common here. There’s no road between the school and the park, and the roads on each side are smaller residential streets. The only busy street is at the front of the school.</p> <p>I should add, the other school is on the other arterial through our neighborhood but the school is set way back so there’s a much bigger buffer. But DD would still have to cross one big street either way when walking to/from school. I don’t anticipate letting her walk alone for a long while yet, so I’m not overly concerned about it... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869886 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:36:43 +0000 Foodnerd81 2869886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If he is concerned about the main road, what’s the playground situation? Behind the school, fully fenced in, or next to the main road and fenced?... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/which-school-would-you-choose-1#post-2869883 Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:33:22 +0000 PurplePeony 2869883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I are trying to decide what to do about Kindergarten for DD next year. Due to overcrowding in our neighborhood schools, anew elementary is opening in the fall, which is when she will start. The attendance area boundaries were just set and we are still zoned for the same school as before, but are very close to the boundary and the schools are almost equidistant from our house (the new one is less than a block further). We can ask to be assigned to the new school instead of our default school if we want, but the application period opens soon so we really need to decide. Here are the pros and cons of each school:</p> <p>Existing (assigned) school:<br /> Pros are that it’s established and well-regarded. A few of our neighbors are teachers there. It’s a K-8 so she would be able to stay there through middle school (assuming we don’t decide to go private for MS). It’s more centrally located to the little business district and thus more after-school programs, but those programs are ALWAYS full with wait lists so I don’t know if that should even matter. The new boundary lines place it firmly in the highest SES part of the neighborhood so there’s lots of PTA money and parental involvement for extras beyond what the school itself can pay for.<br /> Cons are that the building is old and not in good shape, but won’t be getting upgrades anytime soon because so many of the other schools in the district are in truly awful condition. One of the district’s goals in opening the new elementary is to shift young kids out and increase middle school space at the K-8, and I’m concerned about DD being one of a smaller cohort of little kids among an increased number of middle schoolers in the building.</p> <p>New school:<br /> Pros are that it’s newly renovated and totally up to current codes/safety standards. I’ve met the principal-to-be a couple times and liked her. She’s coming from a nearby elementary “option” school with an alternative learning philosophy I kind of like, and even though this won’t be an option school, she’s bringing several teachers from that school with her so I imagine the philosophy will be infused, if not front and center. DD’s best friend and a couple other kids we know will be at this school. It’s likely to be slightly more diverse, though our neighborhood as a whole is fairly well-off and not particularly racially diverse. If we got in but didn’t like it, we could always revert to our assigned school for first grade and beyond.<br /> Cons: it’s on a busier street. The middle school it feeds into is truly terrible, but we could send DD back to our assigned K-8 if we wanted. As a brand-new school, there’s no history of being good, bad, or otherwise. No existing PTA funds at this time (though the other two schools in our neighborhood have promised seed money and the new PTA will be up and running within the next week or two). No idea what aftercare options will be like yet. And we might not get in anyway.</p> <p>Overall, I’m leaning heavily toward trying for the new school, but DH is pretty hung up on the location. It’s not on a highway or anything, but it’s a neighborhood arterial and there isn’t a huge buffer between the front of the school and the road. But it’s not like the kids will be wandering around the front of the school without adults around. Does anyone think I’m missing something, though? I really don’t think we have a bad option here, and we’ll be fine with whichever school we go to, but we really just need to make a decision. </p>