Possibly Moving To St. Marys (Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach: for sale, real estate, 2014)

[Mama of 3]

Hey All! My family and I might be relocating to St. Marys, for my husband to take a new job in Jacksonville. We have a 2nd grader and Kindergarten. We have the option to rent a house from a family member, and it is zoned for St. Marys Elementary School. Can anyone give me details of St. Marys Elementary. I have looked on greatschools.org and schooldigger.com, and it is lower than other schools. However, the data for St. Marys Elem and other schools in the area is about the same with the economically disadvantaged being a little higher, but not soaring like other places where we live. Does anyone have any insight on why they scored an 81 on their CCRPI score for the state? Or what might contribute to greatschools and school digger giving it a lower rating. I am a former teacher staying home with my children at the moment, so I have looked up all data pertaining to the score, but it doesn't really clear up my reservations.

I am not looking for info on where to move. We hope to be in the Fernandina Beach area in the future, but can move into the St. Marys house with no lease or deposit. Strictly looking for info on St. Marys Elementary, and if the downsides are important enough to skip the family rental house and look for something else that is zoned for Crooked River, Sugarmill Elementary, possibly Kingsland, or opt for private school. Thank you in advance for any advice that you might be able to provide!

[JBtwinz]

We lived in St. Mary's from 89-2000...... No children during that time. That being said many of my friends had opted St Mary's over Fernandina at that time as the schools were supposed to be a lot better and I still believe the school system is pretty good. We have an awfully large military and civilian community working at the base and I would not think that a subpar school system would be an option.

Housing in this area still has not improved and unlike Fernandina and Yulee where we are having a housing boom rents are quite low and many from Florida are renting in Camdem County and doing the commute to Jacksonville.


Our two have just entered the Fernandina school system and so far so good and they are rated 14 th in the state out of 50 some counties.

I would not hesitate to stay in Saint Mary's while you are getting a feel for the area. Word of caution though, Amelia Island real estate has come back with a vengeance and rentals are extremely hard to come by and entry level homes for sale are approaching 250k quickly with several new developments at mid 300k to 400k at entry level. Off island is experiencing a housing boom also.

Good luck and welcome

[mawipafl]

I spend time in St. Marys (don't live there), and the new school is gorgeous - looks can be deceiving of course, BUT JBtwinz makes a great point. With the demographics, a subpar school system wouldn't be an option.

I have no idea how greatschools et al create their ratings, but they can be deceiving, too, IMHO. Personally I like the vibes of dedication and caring and enthusiasm that I see and feel on the SMES website and Facebook page. There are quite a few fun and educational extracurricular activities.

It's been my experience that when there is all of the above, a child also receives a solid education in the 3 Rs.

Looks what's happening at school!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...762832&fref=ts

[Florida2014]

Have you taken into consideration state income taxes? Would seem you'd have a good benefit by living just across the border here in FL vs. GA, all other things being somewhat equal.

[JBtwinz]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

Have you taken into consideration state income taxes? Would seem you'd have a good benefit by living just across the border here in FL vs. GA, all other things being somewhat equal.

Good point, the amount you pay to Georgia would supplement some of your rent in Florida, and to be the devils advocate I notice there are a lot more options for children's sports in Camden County overall versus Nassau County..............my opinion.

[C&KsMom]

We moved to the area in 2013. We rented a house in St Mary's and our kids went to St Mary's Elementary for a few months.
Because Great Schools rated Matilda Harris Elementary (Kingsland) higher than SMES, we chose to buy in the MHES area. Big mistake!
I have now realized that we should have stayed in the SMES boundaries. The overall sense of community and care from the teachers and staff there was awesome. One of my children has an IEP, and they made it a priority to have an IEP meeting the day I turned in the school paperwork and get him started IMMEDIATELY with his goals and specialists. Also, they had their original classrooms for most subjects, but each child went to other classrooms for reading and math based on their academic level. That allowed children either more help on challenging subjects or to advance quickly if they were ready. I love that concept! The school building is also newer. They take pride in their school.
This is just my opinion, but I really think St Mary's Elementary is a good school.

[Saint Mary's 2016]

Hi there, did you already move to Saint Mary's GA?
I am planing to move there too with my husband and our 8 years old.
We have no clue how is the life and Schools there....
Our child also has IEP, so it's a little harder to make that big move ....