WS/GSO area middle school and high school (Winston-Salem, Davidson: buying a home, buying)

[abgilliam]

Hi. We are relocating to NC and would appreciate advice. We have aging parents north of WS in Pinnacle, and will need to be in GSO 2 days per week. We will have a child in middle school and one in high school, and would like top rated schools for both. The only area we have found is the Northwest Guilford school district (Oak Ridge/Summerfield) but maybe someone local has more insight? Urban or suburb would be fine, schools are the important factor. Thanks in advance.

[emelvee]

We came close to buying a home in the Oak Ridge district; the quality schools were a major reason we strongly considered that area. We ended up buying in northeast Davidson County. Daughter went to Wallburg Elementary and is at the brand-new Oak Grove Middle now. She'll attend the soon-to-be-built high school (likely to be called Oak Grove High) when it is complete. We love the area.

[DSS94]

The top high schools in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County are generally considered to be Mt. Tabor, Reagan, Reynolds, or West Forsyth. Reynolds is the place to go if your child is interested in performing arts. Any high school student in Forsyth County has the opportunity to take some classes at the Career Center, which has both AP and vocational classes not offered at the high schools.

For Middle Schools you want to look at Jefferson or Meadowlark. Paisley has an IB program and Hanes has an Academically Gifted program, but do not consider those schools if you aren't going to put your child in those programs. The problem with IB is that it continues at the high school level at Parkland High, which is not a very good school.