Oakleaf Plantation (Orange Park, Pace: HOA fees, condo, townhome)

[sand-n-surf]

There is nothing wrong with Oakleaf...If the schools were a bit better the homes in Oakleaf would be competitve with the likes of Eagle Harbor and Fleming Island Plantation. If you are looking for better schools I would suggest Eagle Harbor or Fleming Island Plantation. The Schools in this area from Elementary to High School are Highly Rated (all A's).

Moderator cut: soliciting

[BetuliaJ]

Hi there, I've lived in Oakleaf Plantation for a little more than a year now, and I really like it. I think it's beautiful and I feel pretty safe. Plus I love my neighbors. And yes the pools are great fun for the kids!!! And the YMCA sports dept. is awesome. We're in the middle of soccer right now and everyone is just great (real sence of community) We have practices Almost everyday of the week (4 kids) but we're there in 2 minutes!! I love that. I also love going bike riding on Sunday mornings and walking in the evenings. It's a very enjoyable neighborhood. There is lots of traffic on Argyle though, and there probably will be more when the new town center is complete. ( Although, maybe it's because I think they're still finishing up with the construction.)But the good news is that we won't have to drive to Blanding Blvd anymore( now that's crazy traffic!) because everything we'll have everything we need right here. But the best part of living here is Oakleaf School. I really love our school. I have an 8th grade honor student. He's in the Academic team , he is a member of the Honor Roll society.... the teachers are great!!!!!!they motivate and challange him to do his best.....Plus he's making so many friends and he comes home happy and full of stories everyday.I also have a 6th grader who is looking forward to the advanced classed in 7th and 8th grade. Mr. Davis (the principle) has done a terrific job with the school. It just opened last year, very much ahead of schedule. It is a huge school, with so many kids! It's unbelievalbe !! But they have everything under control with discipline and safety and academacly. Next year we'll have a new elementry school and I think the High school is planned for 2010. My son will be a sophmore and I don't want him to go to Orange Park High . So I'm looking into Ridgeview HS. Although It's supposingly a C school. I've heard good thing about it ,plus it has a great IB program. Good Luck!!!!!

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by sand-n-surf

There is nothing wrong with Oakleaf...If the schools were a bit better the homes in Oakleaf would be competitve with the likes of Eagle Harbor and Fleming Island Plantation. If you are looking for better schools I would suggest Eagle Harbor or Fleming Island Plantation. The Schools in this area from Elementary to High School are Highly Rated (all A's).

Moderator cut: soliciting

Unfortunately, Thunderbolt Elem dropped to a B. Hopefully, it will change back this year.

[joninclay]

Originally Posted by titaniummd

Unfortunately, Thunderbolt Elem dropped to a B. Hopefully, it will change back this year.

It will. They missed an A rating by just a hair.

Oakleaf is nice, and it is booming. However, the CDD fees can range $1600 - $2000 a year. If that doesn't bother you, great! It bothers me, which is a shame, since I work at Cecil Field (so my commute would be about 5 - 10 minutes if I lived at Oakleaf). Different strokes for different folks.

I like the Fleming Island/Eagle Harbor. All schools out there (elem, middle, high) are wonderful. You're close to pretty much everything you need (groceries, stores, gyms, restaurants, YMCA, etc.). There's not much to dislike about it, in my humble opinion.

[BetuliaJ]

Originally Posted by BetuliaJ

. But the best part of living here is Oakleaf School. I really love our school. I have an 8th grade honor student. He's in the Academic team , he is a member of the Honor Roll society....

OOps, that was the "National Junior Honor Society" Anyways, we are very happy with the school.

[titaniummd]

No movie theaters here in Fleming Island. Hopefully, one will be here soon.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by titaniummd

Unfortunately, Thunderbolt Elem dropped to a B. Hopefully, it will change back this year.

That seems to be happening all over, unfortunately .

I was looking at the new high school stats for 2007 year, and it was suprising to see how much worse all the high schools in the region are doing:

CLAY:

Both Fleming Island and Keystone Heights High Schools went from "A" to "B"; Ridgeview went from "B" to "C" and the other 2 - Middleburg and Orange Park remain as "C"'s. No "A-rated" High Schools at the moment in Clay county (though I suspect too that they will pick back up).

ST. JOHNS:

Both Nease and Bartram Trail dropped from "A" to "B", though Pedro Menendez and St. Augustine picked up - a "C" to a "B" and a "D" to a "C", respectively. No "A-rated" High Schools at the moment in St. John's county.

NASSAU:

Hilliard went from an "A" to a "B" and West Nassau went from a "C" to a "D".....Yulee is still a "C" and Fernandina Beach remains a "B".....nothing "A-rated" here either .

DUVAL:

Too many high schools here to list, but it's the very same trend. Schools that were"C-rated" have dropped to "D" and worse . We still have few solid "B" high schools (Mandarin and Fletcher) and we have the same three high schools that consistently score "A"'s (Douglas Anderson, Paxon, and Stanton).

What is going on with the schools where the only county in the region with "A-rated" High Schools is Duval? Something is definitely strange .

[joninclay]

Originally Posted by riveree

That seems to be happening all over, unfortunately .

I was looking at the new high school stats for 2007 year, and it was suprising to see how much worse all the high schools in the region are doing:

CLAY:

Both Fleming Island and Keystone Heights High Schools went from "A" to "B"; Ridgeview went from "B" to "C" and the other 2 - Middleburg and Orange Park remain as "C"'s. No "A-rated" High Schools at the moment in Clay county (though I suspect too that they will pick back up).

ST. JOHNS:

Both Nease and Bartram Trail dropped from "A" to "B", though Pedro Menendez and St. Augustine picked up - a "C" to a "B" and a "D" to a "C", respectively. No "A-rated" High Schools at the moment in St. John's county.

NASSAU:

Hilliard went from an "A" to a "B" and West Nassau went from a "C" to a "D".....Yulee is still a "C" and Fernandina Beach remains a "B".....nothing "A-rated" here either .

DUVAL:

Too many high schools here to list, but it's the very same trend. Schools that were"C-rated" have dropped to "D" and worse . We still have few solid "B" high schools (Mandarin and Fletcher) and we have the same three high schools that consistently score "A"'s (Douglas Anderson, Paxon, and Stanton).

What is going on with the schools where the only county in the region with "A-rated" High Schools is Duval? Something is definitely strange .

I have a family member who works at Thunderbolt Elementary in Fleming Island, and she's friends with the principal there. The principal said that the criteria for "rating" grades changed this past school year, and that as a result, many A schools dropped to B schools. Thunderbolt barely missed the cut, and I suspect they're not the only ones.

[Zinnyhost]

If you go just past Oakleaf on Argyle Forest Blvd (past the new Super Target)and take a left on Brannon Field. Head out a few miles and about a mile before reaching Old Jennings Road are some quiet paved roads on your right. Hidden about a 1/4 mile back in is a MASSIVE housing subdivision already paved with no homes yet that looks like it will make Oakleaf a poor mans sanctuary in a couple years. It looks GIGANTIC like 10000 (Best guess) acres or something of what is to be homes. The clubhouse is going in now. We got lost on the cleared roads back their two days ago. Check it out.

[vpdianne]

If you live in a house 2 years and then sell it, you do not have to pay taxes on your profit. Having said that with todays market, don't think profit is going to be an issue with most sellers.