Which is Better...Cherry Creek or Douglas County School District? (Denver: rental, credit)

[pje192]

I am moving to the Denver Metro area from the burbs north of NYC with my wife and two kids (12 & 15). Currently we live in one of the top rated school districts in the country. I've heard good things about Cherry Creek High. I don't know much about the Douglas County schools. I would like to hear from residents about how the two areas compare (beyond the size of the HS),both in terms of schools and lifestyle. We're looking for quality schools, established neighborhood. I would appreciate any and all info and opinions

[2bindenver]

What type of lifestyle are you looking for? Urban? Suburban? Rural?

[pje192]

suburban, but with mature landscaping. Trees are important. Not as important as very good schools, but important

[2bindenver]

Cherry Creek schools are older and some suburban areas would have bigger trees. Douglas county schools are in a more affluent area overall and tend to be newer, although parts Parker Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch can be older than parts of the CCSD.

Cherry Creek SD covers SE Denver, Englewood, Greenwood Village, parts of Centennial and southern Aurora.

Douglas County covers Highlands Ranch, Roxborough, Parker, Castle Rock, Larkspur.

Both CCHS & DCHS have the IB program, high academic test scores, good athletic and music programs...the other school system high schools are highly rated...

It is hard choice to make. Sometimes, I suggest you talk to the principals to get a better feel of what they think about their schools.

You may want to look at housing in both school disctricts and then decide which community feels like "home."

[the3Ds]

My family and I are going to be searching for a house to buy in the next few months (we are currently in a 1-year rental agreement in Green Valley Ranch). We have been doing a lot of driving around and have narrowed our search between Southeast Aurora (near the Southlands shopping mall) and Parker. We have a daughter who will be starting kindergarten this next school year and another on the way and want to put them in a great school district.

I have done plenty of research on this, including greatschools.net and haven't found much difference on paper between the two school districts. So, I am putting this question out there to those in "the know."

I want my kids to be challenged academically, but I don't want them to go to a school full of Lexus and BMW SUV-driving mothers who dress up to drop their kids off. I also don't want them thinking that a Dooney and Burke purse in the 7th grade is a "right of passage". My husband and I are certainly not poor but having gone to a good school in a wealthy area growing up, I don't want my children to be singled out because they don't have $100 jeans or a brand new car when they turn 16 (which, even if we could afford it, we wouldn't). Sometimes I get the impression that Cherry Creek Schools are pretty snotty.

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. There are plenty of houses in our price range in both areas and so we are now starting to go through the other criteria (school districts, crime, sexual predators, etc). Thank you in advance.

[HighlandsGal]

I teach at a middle school in Douglas County and I think it is great! There is not much ethnic diversity at my school, but there is a lot of diversity in terms of income. I have students with horses and tons of land and students that live in low-income housing. Yet, all my students get along and I don't sense any snobbery at all.

[pdth]

Both school districts are excellent and probably equivalent in quality. You'll also find an equal number of "Lexus and BMW SUV-driving mothers who dress up to drop their kids off" in both districts, except that they rarely dress up.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you want to have your daughter challenged academically, I recommend The Challenge School in the Cherry Creek District. It is a K-8 magent school, and the kids do exceptionally well. The students have to be either ranked in the top 1/2 of the District on either a language or math test or, in the case of kindergarten, have to pass a test in order to be admitted.

I'm biased because my husband teaches middle school math there, but then they do rank consistently #1 or #2 in the CSAPs, so I have a right to be proud. The school is located at Mississippi and Dayton and all of the students are parent-driven since there is no bus service.

The school is very diverse ethnically and economically. There are six high schools in the District, so you will find lots of diversity. Even Cherry Creek High, where John Elway's kids go, is not all Lexus' and D&G.

[the3Ds]

Thank you for your replies. I kind of got the impression that both school districts were similar, but wanted to hear it from you. Also glad to hear there is some diversity as far as income levels go at both school districts.

[2bindenver]

2007 ONE REPORT NOW AVAILABLE
The 2007 ONE REPORT, containing educational information for the 2006-2007 school year in Douglas County School District, is available. This comprehensive document contains a broad cross-section of information on student achievement, as well as the District’s goals for improvement. The report merges state and federal public reporting requirements of accountability, accreditation and the No Child Left Behind Act.
With more than 70 schools and more than 51,000 students in kindergarten through grade 12, Douglas County School District remains the third largest district in Colorado. “As we continue to grow and change, our focus remains the same – seek out education’s best practices in order to provide a well-rounded education that will enable each one of our students to learn responsibility and make a contribution to society,” says Superintendent Jim Christensen.
The 72-page report includes student demographic information, CSAP achievement data, School Accountability Report ratings, District student assessment results, Advanced Placement information, ACT scores, graduation and dropout rates, activity and career participation data, attendance rates, behavior data, teacher qualifications, English as a Second Language program evaluation details and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data. CSAP and AYP data are provided by student groups, for the District overall and for each individual school. In addition, information on District improvement, safe learning environments and coordination of resources is included.
To access the report, visit DCSD Home Page and select “2007 ONE REPORT” under District Publications. For a printed copy, contact District Communications Office at 303-387-0033.