Best/Worst Boise or Meridian Elem. Schools (Eagle, Hope: homes, neighborhoods)

[sbobst]

We're moving to Boise/Meridian next month. I've got three kids elem. age and want to know if there are any schools out there that you love or hate? I've heard Meridian/Eagle have the best schools in the area so we've been looking for homes there, but would be greatful for some feedback.

Thanks!!

[BOItoMSN]

Somebody correct me if I am wrong but I believe Boise High School is the top rated high school in the area, with Timberline (SE Boise) second. My old neighbor is an elementary teacher in the Meridian district and told me the Boise district had smaller and more manageable class sizes due to all the growth in Meridian/Eagle.

[jfbd6805]

You might want to try greatschools.net and schooldigger.com for ratings and reviews.

You could try a realtor but from what I understand they can't give out too many specifics about schools. Our realtor was really noncommittal about which area was better for schools saying that you really can't go wrong in either district but if you look at the reviews you will see some real standouts for elementary.

Another way to narrow it down (b/c there are so many good ones) is to decide if you want a year round program or not. Some schools have these types of programs which I think mean that your kids go to school but don't have long breaks, but only 3 week breaks throughout the year rather than one long break over the summer (correct me if i am wrong on this!).

What I ended up doing was choosing all the elementary schools that got an 8 or higher on greatschools and then researching them more deeply (e.g. going onto the schools website, looking at surrounding neighborhoods, seeing which middle and high school they fed into, etc., and types of programs offered). I really wanted to find an elem school where I could walk or ride bikes to school when the weather is good.

Hope this helps some!

I am assuming you are doing this remotely rather than locally in Boise?

[gimme it]

I research the same way. I rule out all the schools that are not 8 and above at greatschools.org. I also compare test scores and look to see what percentage of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch. It's politically incorrect, but the best performing schools have fewer kids who need free lunch. My feeling is that when there is more economic stablity in the school, parents are more involved and able to raise funds for extras that are not in the school budget.. Sad, but true in my experience.

Elementary school is important, but I think even more important is finding the best middle and high schools. How bad can elementary school be, as long as the teachers are good and the children do not fight or are allowed to be disruptive. In Boise there are tons of elementary schools scoring 8 or higher. The best middle schools are North JH, East JH and Hillside JH. The best HighSchools in order are:Boise, Timberline, Capital and then Borah. By best, I mean best scores. Scores don't always tell you the whole story. Centennial HS in West Boise/Meridian is a high scorer, but I read that a large percentage of the population is Mormon. Eagle seems to have a great HS in terms of scores.

[kristinl5]

there is a brand new school in Meridian, it is a magnet school, the magnet is that the school is K-8 grade..the school is called Siena K-8 and is absolutely wonderful! Lots of great neighborhoods around here also..highly recommend it! also the high school is not too far away from Siena, its a perfect setup!

[sbobst]

Thanks everyone!!!