Brunswick area schools? (St. Simons, Oglethorpe, Harrison: low income, neighborhood, buyer)

[Dagmar Harrison]

We will be relocating to the Brunswick area. I have two girls a 5th grader and a 8th grader so I pretty much have to look at elementary thru high school. What I have read so far makes me pretty nervous , since we will not be able to afford private school. Are there any good schools near affordable housing?

Thanks

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by Dagmar Harrison

We will be relocating to the Brunswick area. I have two girls a 5th grader and a 8th grader so I pretty much have to look at elementary thru high school. What I have read so far makes me pretty nervous , since we will not be able to afford private school. Are there any good schools near affordable housing?

Thanks

Here's their website>>>
http://helpdesk.glynn.k12.ga.us/newhome/

I would think there are some very good schools in this area and some that are not. Well-educated people living around St. Simon's and Jekyll-- Brunswick. The cost of housing could be expensive in those areas--you would probably be able to live in a good school district if you searched thoroughly.

sls

[Navigatrix]

Originally Posted by bhs119

Here's their website>>>
http://helpdesk.glynn.k12.ga.us/newhome/

I would think there are some very good schools in this area and some that are not. Well-educated people living around St. Simon's and Jekyll-- Brunswick. The cost of housing could be expensive in those areas--you would probably be able to live in a good school district if you searched thoroughly.

sls

I lived on Jekyll Island for 13 years and know the few children living there go to Brunswick schools. I believe St. Simon's has a couple of elementary schools but no high school so the higher grades also go to Brunswick.

I didn't have children in school but knew two families that moved to Camden County (next county south) because they believed the schools were better.

[pinkmartini]

Unfortunately, you have good reason to be nervous. We moved here a year ago and have struggled with the school situation.

Here's my best recommendations for public schools:

High School: Glynn Academy

Middle School: Needwood Middle
There is a new middle school going up in the west Glynn Co. (Sterling Middle) and in the next few years there will be a new one in the Satilla Marsh Elem. area.

Elementary:
Satilla Marsh
C.B. Greer
(and on SSI: Oglethorpe Point Elem)

The problem is that you can't find a neighborhood that's zoned for 3 good schools right now. We're zoned for a good elem and high school but the WORST middle school in the county.

Good luck....it's a tough one.

Oh....I did discover this week that Marshes of Mackay is zoned for C.B. Greer, Needwood Middle, and Glynn Academy. It's an older neighborhood, but has a good reputation.

Good luck with the housing market as well. It's a buyer's market right now, but the prices are still significantly more than we were expecting.

[Dagmar Harrison]

Thanks so much for the info pinkmartini.
When I did research on greatschools.net the two schools that jumped out at me were Needwood and Glynn Academy also, but when I checked out realestate, all areas that listed Needwood as middle school listed Brunswick High as high school and the reviews for Brunswick High were not very good. I will definately be looking into the Marshes of Mackay.

Dagmar

[pinkmartini]

You're welcome.

I have a couple other tidbits that might be of interest to you:

1) Just announced in the Brunswick News yesterday (5.10.07). Children from Burroughs-Molette Elem. will be bused to the St. Simons elementary schools (Oglethorpe Point and St. Simons Elem) beginning this fall. These children are from a VERY low income area of Brunswick. As you can imagine, many residents of SSI are having a fit. The school board is doing this because of declining attendance at the SSI schools (families with children that age can't afford to live on the island anymore) and to meet state standards for diversity. Burroughs-Molette is 90+% black and the SSI schools are 90+% white.

2) Glynn County is transitioning to a magnet school system. So, within the next couple of years you can go to the magnet school of your choice rather than the school that you're zoned for.

HTH.