Palatine High School.. is it really that bad? (Chicago, Buffalo Grove: property taxes, homes)

[Schnooks]

Everyone I talk to say, oh no, get in the Fremd district.. which makes me want to run as fast as I can to Palatine High District.

Anybody have opinions?

[Tex?Il?]

It all depends on what you're comparing to.

Palatine High School only might seem like a "bad" high school, compared to Fremd, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, etc.

So yes from a NW Chicago suburb viewpoint it may not seem like the best, but from an overall national perspective I'm sure its still very good.

[middle-aged mom]

There is an old saying. All schools are great. It's the kids that make or break them. There is truth in this.

The reports cards/test scores for each school make clear that more children perform better at Fremd than PHS. But what does this really mean?

PHS has 2 students versus Fremd had 1 student with perfect ACT scores, in 2007. This could flip in 2008.

PHS has a more diverse student population than Fremd. ESL is a bigger issue at PHS than at Fremd. There are more lower income students at PHS than Fremd.

If one's child is focused on education, chances are they will do well at either school. If your child is not, chances are they will struggle at either school.

Drugs are in both schools. Drugs are in every school.

Both schools have too many kids obsessed with this gangsta hip hop rap thing.

Organized gangs are present in District 211, which covers both PHS and FREMD. I think it fair to say that gangs do not control either school.

Home values are linked to the perception of the school system, especially the high school. Homes in the Fremd school district tend to appreciate better and sell for more than PHS. Property taxes for homes in Fremd tend to be higher than PHS. And there are exceptions to this rule.

You know your kids better than I do and only you can decide which is the right school for your child.