Troy ischools n 10 years? (New York, Albany: real estate, credit, daycare)

[piroska]

My husband and I are debating about whether to relocate to the Schenectady area from the southeast. My husband's brother lives in Niskayuna and we'd like to be close to him. We would like to live in a waterfront community with a walkable neighborhood. Both of us are sick to death of sprawling suburbs and want to live someplace with some personality. Troy has piqued my interest, partly because we'd be able to afford a larger home there, and also because of all the good things I've read on here about it and the attempt to revitalize it. I am a novelist/playwright and would like to live in an up-and-coming artsy community.

The thing is, we are also parents to a 7-month-old and a two year old, and part of our rationale for moving north would be to take advantage of a better school system. I have not read a lot of good things about the schools in Troy, but obviously, we wouldn't be enrolling either child anywhere for a while.

To those of you familiar with Troy, would you say the schools are on the upswing? Have they begun to improve since the revitalization effort got underway? Would I be out of my mind insane to raise children there? Or is there a future for families in Troy within the next 10 years?

Thanks!

[ckhthankgod]

Actually, Troy has two school districts, Troy City and Lansingburgh, which is North Troy and includes some of the surrounding area. You might like Lansingburgh better.

Here's information on both school districts:
https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Di...t=490601060000

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Di...t=491700010000

Lansingburgh Central School District

Troy School District

Troy also has a bunch of elementary private schools that are mainly Catholic too. Here are some of them:
Our Lady of Victory School of Troy, New York

Sacred Heart Catholic Church & School

Welcome to St. Augustine School-Lansingburgh, New York

Susan Odell Taylor School for Children

Northeast Health: Medical Care: Samaritan Hospital: Children's DayCare

Here's a list of the school districts in Rensselaer County too:
https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...nty=Rensselaer

and other counties in the area:
https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...ty=Schenectady

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...&county=Albany

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...ounty=Saratoga

[ss20ts]

There is no amount of money you could gve me to send my kid to school in Troy. There's a reason the real estate is cheap! Troy has several bad areas. Some are dealing with drugs and gangs. There's sections where there's a lot of boarded up houses. Parts of Lansingburgh aren't as bad, but it's not the best place either.

Some areas near RPI and Emma Willard are ok. But then you're stuck with the Troy City School District unless you can afford private school. My own mother graduated from there and refused to send any of her own children there so I grew up in the country.

You definitely get what you pay for. And before moving ANYWHERE, check the area out in person first! Don't just go by what people on boards tell you. You need to actually see it for yourself. Whether you don't want to live in an area where you can't walk down the street, want to be able to walk to a grocery store, not live near certain races (some people do have issues with this!), don't want to live on a crack dealers street, be able to park your car and have all of your windows in tact when returning, not live near a school because of the noise, like the developments in the South (ours are not like PUDs at all! - no Birkdale Village here unfortunately), etc.

[ss20ts]

Originally Posted by piroska

The thing is, we are also parents to a 7-month-old and a two year old, and part of our rationale for moving north would be to take advantage of a better school system.

Part of that "better" school system is MUCH higher taxes! Not all school districts are better just because they're in the North. There are some out there who believe that they are no matter what because they're not Southern. But with education you get out of it what you put into it. You can send your kid to Harvard and still fail.

I'm going through a lot of this myself as my hubby and I are looking to move to NC near family. We both were born and raised here and want out. Between the weather and the taxes, it can make a person go mad. There's a snowstorm right now as I type this....another 7-10 inches of snow is due before early morning.....oh joy!

Oh there's plenty of suburban sprawl here, too! You can't escape it anywhere in the US unless you go the middle of nowhere.

[Zyll]

There are some bad and good areas of Troy. East Troy is nice, got a house here 5 years ago, don't regret it at all. Carroll Hill is a great elementary school from what I heard, could walk there from my house. I was raised in Clifton Park, sheltered from every thing. It would have been nice to have met some other types of people (or exposed to) when I was in school. Hope you find what your looking for.

[infoseeker36]

I grew up in Troy and went to the Troy public schools, and I went to an Ivy League school. If you choose a good area as far as the elementary school goes, then you're in much better shape. In high school there is little intermingling between the kids in honors/college track and the kids in remedial/votech--or at least that's how it was when I went there.
Also, kids who are college-track can take advantage of the proximity of RPI and Russell Sage to take real college courses (free!) during high school through an arrangement with the public schools and the universities. It is much better than AP credit--early exposure to a real college course AND the credit is transferable.
I agree with the poster who advised checking out the area, and also the nice areas around RPI and Emma Willard (called Sycaway/Brunswick and Albia, respectively)

[cleo25]

I taught in Troy last year-middle school. I would NEVER send my kids there. Yes, some of the elementary schools are very good, but others are HORRIBLE. Eventually, they all go to the middle and high school!! There is very little learning that goes on because of the behavior of the majority of the kids there. I'm sorry to say, but it is true. I have worked in a lot of schools, so Troy folks- don't beat me up... I know what I'm talking about. (But, I'd go to Troy before Albany or Schen. ANYDAY!) Oh, and stay away from Lansingburgh- its just the ghetto of Troy.
There are some great private schools. Emma is BEAUTIFUL.
I went to college in Troy several years ago so I'm thrilled to see the revitalization. I would live there as a single person---esp if you are into the arts/ cultural scene. But to raise a family... no go!!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by cleo25

I taught in Troy last year-middle school. I would NEVER send my kids there. Yes, some of the elementary schools are very good, but others are HORRIBLE. Eventually, they all go to the middle and high school!! There is very little learning that goes on because of the behavior of the majority of the kids there. I'm sorry to say, but it is true. I have worked in a lot of schools, so Troy folks- don't beat me up... I know what I'm talking about. (But, I'd go to Troy before Albany or Schen. ANYDAY!) Oh, and stay away from Lansingburgh- its just the ghetto of Troy.
There are some great private schools. Emma is BEAUTIFUL.
I went to college in Troy several years ago so I'm thrilled to see the revitalization. I would live there as a single person---esp if you are into the arts/ cultural scene. But to raise a family... no go!!

Lansingburgh is ghetto? Really?

[cleo25]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Lansingburgh is ghetto? Really?

Unfortunately it is. Yes, I'm sure there probably are some nice areas- as EVERY town has. However... the 'Burgh used to be a nice working class area with a lot of the little ethnic areas- Italians, Polish, Ukranians, etc.--back in the day. How, most of the burgh is run down with "trash" living there. NO not everyone there is, and NO not all of the burgh is.. but like I said, unfortunately it's a very run down area. And hey.. we had a workshop last year in Troy run by the Gang Prevention Cop from the 'Burgh. He had plenty of photos to show us of the gang activity in the burgh. So, if you think it is a safe area... think again. It really is a shame... the historic homes and along the river are beautiful.

[paulyt23]

Lansingburgh is not the ghetto of Troy. It actually has higher per-capita incomes and higher housing values than the "original" part of Troy, or the part of Troy before it annexed Lansingburgh.