Neighborhoods w/ good high schools in denver (home, title)

[sheralyn0109]

I am sooo appreciative of all the info everyone. Thank you so much! keep it comin'

[ms ball]

Don't read too much into standardized test results.

I personally disagree with this statement. My kids were attending a school that was not achieving/meeting AYP standards and they were not happy. The students they went to school with came from families who did not value the importance of education. My kids were teased, bullied and beat-up because they showed interest in wanting to learn. I decided which HS I wanted them to attend(based on test scores/AYP/etc) and moved into that area. They are now attending Jeffco schools and are so much happier with the classes they are in.
We are in the Jefferson County part of Littleton and absolutely love the area. We have access to parks/trails. Our neighborhood has sidewalks/greenbelts everywhere!!

[formercalifornian]

I'm going to chime in here with a recommendation that you take a look at the current budget issues affecting both Douglas and Jefferson County schools. Both districts are now making deep cuts after their bonds and levies failed in the November elections. One idea being floated in DougCo. is a four-day week for high school students. For up-to-date information about the steps they are taking to meet their budgets and how it will affect your kids' educational experiences, I suggest perusing each district's website.

[sheralyn0109]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

I'm going to chime in here with a recommendation that you take a look at the current budget issues affecting both Douglas and Jefferson County schools. Both districts are now making deep cuts after their bonds and levies failed in the November elections. One idea being floated in DougCo. is a four-day week for high school students. For up-to-date information about the steps they are taking to meet their budgets and how it will affect your kids' educational experiences, I suggest perusing each district's website.

thank you formercalifornian...i will do that research. and btw...im a former californian too

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by sheralyn0109

I am sooo appreciative of all the info everyone. Thank you so much! keep it comin'

I just sent you a direct message with links from 2 of the homes in my area. There were others but they are asking WAY too much for them.

[WilliamPacker]

Originally Posted by ms ball

I personally disagree with this statement. My kids were attending a school that was not achieving/meeting AYP standards and they were not happy. The students they went to school with came from families who did not value the importance of education. My kids were teased, bullied and beat-up because they showed interest in wanting to learn. I decided which HS I wanted them to attend(based on test scores/AYP/etc) and moved into that area. They are now attending Jeffco schools and are so much happier with the classes they are in.
We are in the Jefferson County part of Littleton and absolutely love the area. We have access to parks/trails. Our neighborhood has sidewalks/greenbelts everywhere!!

What school were your kids attending? There are definitely some very bad schools where the culture within the school does not promote learning.

Some people obsess over their school being good/great/excellent. I wouldn't. I would be concerned if your school was ranked too far below that or decreasing rapidly. I work at a school that recently elevated their rating. The kids did not get any smarter or get any better of an education. The school just decided they needed to make their students focus harder on scoring high on the test. More incentive programs were put in place, they made sure their kids all were in attendance and the teachers prepared the kids for the test that last week prior to the test.

[formercalifornian]

That's an interesting point, William. I recently ran into a friend whose fourth-grader attends a highly-regarded Douglas County elementary. I was shocked to learn that her child brought home a packet of daily CSAP-prep worksheets at the beginning of the year, which she had to complete every night in addition to her regular homework! Our CCSD elementary did very little specific CSAP prep, other than some in-class writing prompts during the month prior to the test, and the school certainly didn't send home any packets for the kids to complete. Even without the drilling, our elementary has some of the highest scores in the front range.

[sjst1000]

Another area you might want to consider: the Five Parks neighborhood in Arvada. This is a quaint residential area with a mix of single family homes and condos/townhomes. I don't know how easy it is to find one to rent, but I'm sure one comes up every so often. If I'm not mistaken, this neighborhood is in the Ralston Valley High School district, a wonderful school. This area is a little more rural than you may find in other parts of the metro area (open space, horses, etc.)
Good Luck!!! :C)

[Anniki]

I checked out this thread because I'm also looking at relocating to the Denver area with my son (currently in 4th grade), but I'll be moving with a friend who wants to be closer to downtown. Is there such a thing as a good elementary school in the city proper, or closer to downtown than the SE suburbs? I agree those suburbs look nice, but being close to town is a priority for the roommate, so some compromise might be in order - depending.

Thanks in advance!

[WilliamPacker]

I don't know much about the elementary school but I know East H.S. is considered to be quite good. I am assuming that at least some of their feeder schools would have similar reputations.