[grasspack]

Hello, my family and I are relocating to the East Granby area. Any advice on towns and schools would be much appreciated. We want the best public schools and we are also looking for a GREAT small private school for our youngest that has a lot of medical issues and public schools are not the answer for her. Thanks in advance.
Grasspack

[JayCT]

Simsbury is considered one of the best school systems in the state. It consistantly scores near the top of schools in the state on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance tests. Class sizes are reasonable (around 20 students per class) and the services are great. You might consider checking into what the public schools there offer for your youngest child. It might be as good or better than private. Certainly a lot cheaper. Simsbury is an upscale somewhat rural suburb with a lot of shopping, entertainment and restaurant options as well as a lot of great fmaily activities. It very convenient to East Granby as well.

Another option to consider would be Granby. Not quite as upscale as Simsbury and has less shopping and entertainment options but it is a very pretty and friendly town that is directly west of East Granby. Hope this helps, Jay

[grasspack]

Thanks for the quick reply. I will give Simsbury a look. We are coming from NH, so we know about high taxes and housing prices. Just want the best for the kids. Our youngest is currently going through Chemotherapy and has to miss quite a few days so we find the public school(at least in NH) aren't very tolerant of her condition. She is currently in a very small private school with only 6 in her kindergarten class. They have been great. Our older two go to public though.

[jad2000]

Originally Posted by grasspack

Thanks for the quick reply. I will give Simsbury a look. We are coming from NH, so we know about high taxes and housing prices. Just want the best for the kids. Our youngest is currently going through Chemotherapy and has to miss quite a few days so we find the public school(at least in NH) aren't very tolerant of her condition. She is currently in a very small private school with only 6 in her kindergarten class. They have been great. Our older two go to public though.

Best of luck to you. Welcome to CT

[hopland]

While in the area, I would also seriously recommend checking out the town of Granby and it's excellent school system. Granby is directly north of Simsbury, and what we especially appreciate (having 3 kids of our own) is that the schools are of equally high caliber without any element of pretentiousness. Our schools focus on academics without neglecting the ever-so-important values of honesty, integrity, and family values. With so much agriculture in town, Granby has one of the strongest 4H programs in Hartford County. Your youngest child may find our elementary schools much more able & willing to accomodate her special needs than some of the neighboring towns (should you choose to not go private). We have actually now met 2-3 families in Simsbury who have chosen to send their kids to school in Granby to avoid peer pressure and excessive expectations. There is a lot of pressure to perform & conform in the Simsbury schools (similar story in Avon). Not saying that's all bad, but I really think we have a more balanced approach in Granby without sacrificing the quality of the education.

Either way, Simsbury is a great town - yes, more shopping (but only a 10-15 minute drive from Granby, so not sure that matters much), with numerous restaurants to choose from. We go there a lot...and again, also go to other nearby towns for dinner and entertainment. That is, when we're not busy enjoying the simple and many outdoor pleasures of Granby itself. This is a beautiful town, with caring, friendly people. Having moved here from the well-to-do western suburbs of Boston 3 years ago, Granby has been a breath of fresh air for our family....and we would encourage anybody considering a move to this area to give Granby serious consideration.

[safeandsound819]

Holland, you took the words out of my mouth. Granby is a wonderful balance.

I wish your family and your youngest the best of luck.