Is Pine Forest School of the Arts a good school? (Jacksonville: house, magnet school)

[BacktoJax]

Hi everyone!

We moved to Jacksonville 6 months ago and thanks to the people that post here, it was a smooth transition from California. We found a nice home in the Southside that is great for us. As much as we miss the West Coast, we are very happy here and hope to stay for many years to come.

Here is our dilemma. Our daughter currently attends Mandarin Oaks Elementary. We are very happy with their curriculum, diversity and discipline. However she shows great interest in the arts and we are considering applying to Pine Forest School of the Arts (a magnet school). We think it would make her really happy and be good for her.

However, this would be her third school in 3 years which makes this decision very hard. (Kindergarden in CA, 1st grade in Mandarin Oaks and potentially Pine Forest for the rest of her elementary years) She has adapted very well, but we don't want to push our luck and need to get it right.

I have researched it online and it is an "A" school with a lower ranking than Mandarin Oaks. We plan to attend their open house and take a tour of the school, but I would really love to hear someones personal experiences. Does the school have a great diverse environment that will enrich our daughters life or is it chaotic and rowdy? Is the arts program really good that would make the move worth it? Basically anything that is hard to find out at a typical open house. The inside scoop please. Thanks again!

[mawipafl]

I wish I knew something about the school! What I can suggest is be very, very observant -- are the classrooms neat and orderly? (and of course they may have done quick clean-ups for the Open House, but you can still tell if neatness is the usual or not); do you "feel" warm fuzzies or do you feel an underlying frenetic feeling?; look at bulletin boards - what's on them?; assess other parents around you and observe how they talk and behave.

As for three schools in three years, some kids are absolutely fine with it, especially if Pine Forest is what you think it is and is a good fit for your daughter.