Country Isles Elementary School in Weston (Miami, Sunrise: 2013, house, middle school)

[Shoegal1075]

Originally Posted by BackHomeMIA

Ok, the rezoning does scare me!!

Aventura is nice,but we are tired of living in a condo. Also, both sets of grandparents live in Weston (free babysitting!)

Um hello - move tomorrow LOL! I can't say what put me off without insulting lots of people - I went to a townhome that I wanted to rent and basically just talked to the neighbors and there were reasons they didn't like it luckily for them their kids went to imagination Charter elementary. It borders Sunrise and you can read into that what ever you want . Those areas in Davie that are zoned for that school more often than not send their kids to private or christian/catholic schools - not really to the public. I'm just saying - you have to do what you feel is best but I know I didn't rent there because of the school! I'm be a little sarcastic when I say exclusive, but the Weston schools tend to be just Weston kids and that is a good thing because most of the kids come from upper middle class families and their behavior tends to reflect that. I will say this as tactfully as I can. My boys went to Catholic school in NY and while neither of them wanted for anything there were kids in their school that probably didn't have as much but no one could tell - they were will mannered and clean - (just to be clear, I'm not implying the kids are not this way at CI) - my point is there is definitely a visible difference here with kids and the areas in which they live.

[BackHomeMIA]

I am having second thoughts about CIE, good thing I have options: I found a good rental in the Isles, what I like about the Isles is that all the schools are fairly close (elem, middle, high), so it is a long term possibility for us, a community we may eventually buy in.
We own a house in Savanna that the inlaws live in, so I can always send the kids to gator run I guess, if CIE is a total disaster. I just really really wanted a school I could walk the little ones to, even in the rain, with an umbrella.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by BackHomeMIA

Ok, the rezoning does scare me!!

Aventura is nice,but we are tired of living in a condo. Also, both sets of grandparents live in Weston (free babysitting!)

Rezoning can happen anywhere in Broward. Boundaries are constantly being redrawn.

None of the public schools in Broward are that great, but the schools in Weston are better than the average Broward schools. I never heard parents at Country Isles complain about the school more than any other school. I would put more stock in the opinion of parents than test scores.

I really like the Executive I/II area.

[Shoegal1075]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

Rezoning can happen anywhere in Broward. Boundaries are constantly being redrawn.

None of the public schools in Broward are that great, but the schools in Weston are better than the average Broward schools. I never heard parents at Country Isles complain about the school more than any other school. I would put more stock in the opinion of parents than test scores.

I really like the Executive I/II area.

I agree Momma - but those are the people I spoke to - that is why I didn't go that way. I agree about the school in Broward not being that great either - I'm just not very impressed with Cooper City - it is just ok to me.

[dedemoving]

BackHome
FYI- Are you using a realtor? We found that just because homeowner is asking for a certain rent, if you have solid credit & are signing a lease they will negotiate. There are lots of rentals available, due to housing market I guess.
Anyway, we are getting a 5br in Parkland for 3K (includes hoa, landscaping). I am sure you could get a 3/4br cheaper. Not sure how it works in Weston, but once you find what you like do try to negotiate. I am pretty sure we could have done better, but being new to the area, & we were only a few weeks from school starting so we just ran out of time.

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by namomof3

EXACTLY! I am a self-proclaimed "school snob" and chose Weston. However, is going to Country Isle vs. Gator Run reallly going to make a difference in the long run? What really matters is what we do at home, how parents extend the learning, etc... Now I am the first one to call myself a hypocrite because I have spent countlessss hours on here and other sites obsessing (yes obsessing) over schools. I usually need an outsider to tell me to RELAX- the kids will be fine with a strong home foundation. Walking the kids to school and for treats is truely priceless nowadays (and with more than one child that means years) so I say go for it

Agree 100% .... no matter how "great" a school is ... it means nothing if parents are not involved ... Country Isles is a fine elementary school .

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by fauve

I love that area of Executive 1 & 2 because of how walkable it is - to Town Center, Publix, school, etc.... I visited the gifted program at Country Isles and was impressed - if your kids are bright, it's well worth it to get them tested - lower class size, best teachers, & an academic program less emphasized on FCAT...

Again .. agree 100% .. good post fauve

[Rock Newman]

Originally Posted by BackHomeMIA

Ok, the rezoning does scare me!!

Aventura is nice,but we are tired of living in a condo. Also, both sets of grandparents live in Weston (free babysitting!)

Would much rather live in Weston with its lush green parks and wonderful after school activities for kids including an amazing YMCA & Regional park than in a building in Aventura .....also Aventura although upscale has some rough areas no too far away .. try and go the movies on Friday or Saturday night at the mall .... it is scary ... you are making the right move going to Weston .

[compelled to reply]

Country Isles Elementary is fine. Executive Homes is especially nice and it just so happens to be one of the few areas of single family homes in Weston that aren't gated, in fact it's one of the only non-gated areas outside of Bonaventure. This does not make it any less "prestigious" or upscale, it is just a little older than other parts of Weston outside of Bonaventure. As far as the free/reduced lunch thing coming from outside of the district, I actually think that is coming from a couple of the apartment complexes that are zoned for Country Isles, NOT Davie. Also, less affluence does not make them bad people; these aren't ghettos. I say go for it, as all of Weston is a solid area to live in.

[Shoegal1075]

I agree with everyone's points here however we are not just talking about the area which she is going to live - that is solid but the schools is fed kids that aren't just from the affluent areas of Weston - that is my only point. I never mentioned Davie being less affluent than Weston but I know some people from Davie and they send their kids to private schools and their friends send their kids to private schools - that is all I'm saying -

To the OP - if you like the are that much then go for it and see what the schools are like - you may love the school. I moved to Cooper City and I am not really impressed with the schools so, you just never know.