schools in ft lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs: high crime, houses, neighborhood)

[juicy]

Hi there...we are relocating form the panhandle of Florida to Ft Lauderdale and my husband is dead set on a home in Rio Vista...with that said...can someone PLEASE help me with the schools??? My kids are 5th and 10th graders right now, and I am pulling my hair out trying to find a good, safe, school for them. I hear EVERYONE goes to private...are there NO public schools to attend? And do all the private schools have a religious affiliation? I hear in Pompano Beach the public schools are great? Is that too far? Can we cross district lines to attend? HELP!!! Want to get there soon and CANNOT figure out the schools!!! Any and all suggestions will be taken to heart...so thank you. -J

[FLRelo]

Everyone is private because Public schools in Fort Lauderdale are terrible. Pompano Beach isn't much better! The western part of Broward county is a little better. I think, that only the way you can cross district lines is if you're zoned for a failing school. Wouldn't recommend Broward county public schools system to anyone. If you want to find good public schools and live East try the Boca Raton area in Palm Beach beach county. You'd have a 30 min commute from Boca to Fort Lauderdale (much better for families and minus the crime in Ft. lauderdale) and the schools are great.

[compelled to reply]

Commuting into FTL from Boca is kind of straining. The schools are actually safer and similarly rated in Davie which is significantly closer than Boca, more like 15 minutes. Don't totally eliminate Boca as an option, but don't rule out Broward County because of the "Fort Lauderdale crime". It's a total misconception that Palm Beach County is safer, although FTL proper is a high crime area, as is Pompano Beach and most areas east of the Turnpike.

Also that neighborhood (Rio Vista) is zoned for Harbordale Elementary, which there is nothing wrong with at all, but the middle and high schools are a big issue. My suggestion would be to just look in Davie, it's a lot less driving than Boca. The cities of Coral Springs, Parkland, Cooper City and Weston have significantly lower crime than any significantly sized Palm Beach County community (including Boca Raton), and the schools are on the same level as anything up there. Point being, if you are working in Fort Lauderdale, but further north (like towards Cypress Creek Road) than Boca Raton is probably your best option. If you are working towards downtown, Davie is your closest good option and Weston and Cooper City are your best options.

[juicy]

Thank you so much for your helpful input...just wish we could go to one of those public schools out of the district bounds and still live in Rio Vista!!! We will figure it all out, but your ideas are much apprecaited and I will check out the areas you mentioned....so thanks!!

[vcooney]

You will love Rio Vista, the Neiborhood is great, a lot of activities for the kids, you can walk everywhere and the architecture is the best,charming houses and beautifull landscapes and the beach is 10 min away, what else!
Harbordale Elementary ia a A+ school,for middle and high school there is a Charter School in the area that is good.and in Davie & Cooper City there is some Magnet Schools that your kids could go.
visit broward county school web,
If you want me to send you some pictures of houses on the market on Rio Vista, let me know
Vcooney@bellsouth.net

[fauve]

Definitely check out magnet schools! Are your kids gifted? If they test over 130 iq they will slide right into the nearest gifted magnet.

[Momma_bear]

Harbordale Elementary is a nice school, but all the high schools in Broward are bad, even the "good ones". There are some schools with IB magnets that are supposed to be ok. Just remember, there is a reason that there are so many private schools in Broward.