where to buy? Elgin/Barrington/Crystal Lake or other?

[MP RES]

What about Arlington Heights address but district 59 and 214 schools? Any advice?

[cubssoxfan]

This is my PERCEPTION: Dist 59 is not as good as Dist 25 or Dist 23. Dist 214 is, overall, very good and US News and World report lists all but 2 of it's schools among best in state. I believe the 2 NOT listed are Elk Grove and Buffalo Grove. Doesn't mean the 2 excluded are bad schools-take the rankings with a grain of salt. Surprisingly (to some) Rolling Meadows and Wheeling were included among best in state. How Dist 59 and Elk Grove HS compare with Dist 300 and Jacobs-Not sure. Look farther north in Arlington Heights in Dist 25 or Dist 23. Dist 23 also serves most of Prospect Heights. PH will provide a more rural feel with larger lots. Dist 23 goes to Hersey and Wheeling HS. I believe Dist 25 goes to following HS: Rolling Meadows, Prospect, Hersey and Buffalo Grove.

Again, district 57 and Prospect HS in Mt. Prospect is quite good! Why the move?

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

And the crux of the problem: Nicer house, lesser school district OR Better school district, lesser house. I'm not so keen on U-46 and District 300. Too many stories of over-crowding, inadequate funding, too much growth and at times, improper use of funds.

And better school district/lesser house usually means better house appreciation... So perhaps the extra tax you pay is worth it...

Interesting that the poster wants to move from Mt. Prospect to Sleepy Hollow... I have known quite a few families who want to do the opposite. IMO, Prospect HS is a top school that offers so much more than Dundee-Crown and your child will reap the academic benefits.

However, if you have a talented/hard-working student and a strong parent/teacher advocate, a child in U46 schools can excel because there are, as BlueRibbonEvents noted, several excellent programs/specialized High Schools (Gifted, Science/Math, etc.). In this respect, Elgin U46 reminds me of the city of Chicago as it has poor-performing schools as well as some of the top performers in the state.

U46 has programs that can identify/ability group the higher-achievers/college bound (I believe it starts in 3rd grade?). Unfortunately, I have seen very little of this type of differentiation in D300 schools. I think the higher achievers in this district are often left behind.

[GoCUBS1]

One ranking of Top IL. H.S. lists Prospect in the Top 10...

Illinois Honor Roll - Academic Excellence Awards 2008 Home

Academic Excellence High Schools

(Number indicates consecutive awards.)

Adlai E Stevenson, Lincolnshire (5)New Trier Township, Winnetka (4)Deerfield High School, Deerfield (5)Northside College Prep, Chicago (5)Glenbrook North, Northbrook (5)Payton College Prep, Chicago (4)Jones College Prep, Chicago (4)Prospect, Mt. Prospect (2)Lane Technical High School, Chicago (1)Young Magnet, Chicago (3)

[middle-aged mom]

Originally Posted by MP RES

What about Arlington Heights address but district 59 and 214 schools? Any advice?

AH is huge. District 214 includes many high schools:

Buffalo Grove ( BG)
Elk Grove ( EG)
Hersey ( AH)
Prospect ( MP)
Rolling Meadows ( RM)
Wheeling ( Wheeling)
Vanguard ( Alternative Education)
Forest View ( Alternative Education)