Newark DE - good schools for young kids??

[whereshome]

Originally Posted by queenofbavaria

I think, with limited budget or not wanting to spend money for private education at a very young age, I would look into the surrounding areas like pike creek e.g. that's in the red clay district and for example linden hill elementary must be a wonderful school and there are smaller and older homes available up there.
So I would rather give up on the wish being able to ride my bike to work every day than paying for private schools.

So, we went to DE this weekend and did alot of driving around. We drove around Christiana, the northern part of Appo and Red Clay school districts. We really liked the Red Clay district. I think we will focus our search around Linden Hill elementary.

I was very confused, though, why you guys said the area was not bike friendly. There are bike lanes EVERYWHERE!!!! It is much more bike friendly than where we live now. The Pike Creek area was very nice and seemed very bike friendly and there is that big shopping area right there with the Acme and RiteAid. My husband currently bikes on the equivalent of what is 72 down there - a highway with a big wide shoulder.

It looks like we will be moving down there. My husband has not officially accepted the position but it would be a very good career move.

[James420]

Originally Posted by whereshome

So, we went to DE this weekend and did alot of driving around. We drove around Christiana, the northern part of Appo and Red Clay school districts. We really liked the Red Clay district. I think we will focus our search around Linden Hill elementary.

I was very confused, though, why you guys said the area was not bike friendly. There are bike lanes EVERYWHERE!!!! It is much more bike friendly than where we live now. The Pike Creek area was very nice and seemed very bike friendly and there is that big shopping area right there with the Acme and RiteAid. My husband currently bikes on the equivalent of what is 72 down there - a highway with a big wide shoulder.

It looks like we will be moving down there. My husband has not officially accepted the position but it would be a very good career move.

Thats good news for your husband and Pike Creek is a nice area, Linden Hill is also a nice elementary. I think Red Clay is like most of northern DE school districts, the problems are usually at the high school level. I think A.I Dupont High school, which is in Red Clay, is still the most choiced school in the state, plus Red Clay has Wilmington Charter which may be the best school in the state.

[Sandee1213]

My daughter is starting Middle School next year and we went to visit. We are part of the Appo School District. I was so impressed with the school. It is so new and modern. The teachers were great and the programs sound phenomenal. I was the most nervous about middle school moving to De., but after last night my fears are mostly gone. (I still think it is a rough age, where ever you live)

[whereshome]

Does anyone have any experience with Brandywine Springs School? And how do I know which elementary school feeds into which middle school and which high school? I know there is school choice, but how hard is it to get another school? And are you then responsible for transportation?

We are getting excited about the move, but this school thing has me stressed out. Does anyone have any preschool recommendations that are close to the Pike Creek area?

[James420]

Originally Posted by whereshome

Does anyone have any experience with Brandywine Springs School? And how do I know which elementary school feeds into which middle school and which high school? I know there is school choice, but how hard is it to get another school? And are you then responsible for transportation?

We are getting excited about the move, but this school thing has me stressed out. Does anyone have any preschool recommendations that are close to the Pike Creek area?

Have you looked on Red Clays website? It should have the feeder patterns. Usually you can drop off your child at a bus stop for that particular school, if you choose to choice him or her.

Some school districts changed bus stops after the disaster winter of 2010, they don't always go into neighborhoods and only pick up students on busy roads. Some of these changes have been a safety concern for parents. Again, the Red Clay website should have this information.

[whereshome]

I just wanted to give one last update. We officially move to Delaware in a week. We found a great house, in our price range in Red Clay. My husband should be able to bike to work from the house. The kids can walk to elementary and middle school, the pool and the park. The playground is almost across the street. Shopping is very convenient and my son's preschool will either be a long walk or an extremely short drive away.

My husband did a lot of digging into the school test scores and we were surprised at what we found. The test scores at a lot of Red Clay schools are fine and when you break out low-income vs. not low income, the test scores are just as good as Appo!

So, to those looking to move into the area, please take what some say here with a grain of salt. The schools seem to be fine and there are so many options! You can have the lifestyle where you drive everywhere, but if you choose, you could have a more walkable community as well.

[James420]

Most of the schools in Red Clay are good, but I'd like to see 100s of parents trying to get their kids into Dickinson and McKean instead of A.I Dupont high school before saying how great those two are.