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Been lurking on this site for the last week and now am ready to post a question. My husband is considering taking a job in Manhatten. I don't know the city at all (he does) but it is near Union Square if that helps. Trying to figure out where to live. My sister-in-law is a teacher in Westchester so I think I have that area figured out. I just think that maybe (based on knowing nothing about the city) Long Island would be a better commute. We want to live in the area with the absolute best school district we can find so I am starting my search there recognizing that in the end we will have to craft our own equation balancing housing costs, commute, schools, etc.
Any advice on school districts would be greatly appreciated. I am going to post a similar question on the New Jersey page as well as clearly that would another option.
You don't mention how old your children are, but from experience, SD # 23 (Massapequa/Massapequa Park) is consistently one of the best on Long Island. Last year one of the elementary schools (East Lake) earned the Blue Ribbon award for NCLB (one of only two in NYS).
I moved to Garden City b/c it's a great, community oriented town with a top school district. The kids not only do well academically, but are encouraged to play sports, do community service, and other non-acadmic things. Close to many train stations (5 in the village, close to Mineola among others). Very kid friendly.
That being said...Nassau
Great Neck
Manhasset
Roslyn
Jericho
Syosset
Herricks
North Shore (Glen Head and Sea Cliff)
Plainview/Old Bethpage
Suffolk
Northport
Half Hollow Hills
Three Village (Stonybrook, Setauket)
Elwood
I think there are a lot more, but this is what I think of when I think TOP.
I have lived in several different school districts on Long Island. I have a Special Ed and a gifted child so for me looking into what a school district has to offer is a priorty.
I am in the process of moving once again from a town that I have grown to love. The Special Ed is the worst it's in transition but the change is taking to long. The programs for the non-special ed are the best.
I have to say in Manhasset it's a package deal the people are great. The old time feel of the town will bring you back in time. The parents are very involved in the school.
We still light the town Christmas tree, we still hang American flags from every light pole in town, every boy is a boy scout and we all see each other at the childrens mass on Sunday.
It is breaking my heart to leave this place that became our home.
I moved to Garden City b/c it's a great, community oriented town with a top school district. The kids not only do well academically, but are encouraged to play sports, do community service, and other non-acadmic things. Close to many train stations (5 in the village, close to Mineola among others). Very kid friendly.
That being said...Nassau
Great Neck
Manhasset
Roslyn
Jericho
Syosset
Herricks
North Shore (Glen Head and Sea Cliff)
Plainview/Old Bethpage
Suffolk
Northport
Half Hollow Hills
Three Village (Stonybrook, Setauket)
Elwood
I think there are a lot more, but this is what I think of when I think TOP.
You forgot to mention the Wheatly/East Willistoin school district in Nassau County
My in-laws are Long Islanders, and I have had mixed reviews of several school districts in either county (Nassau or Suffolk). Great Neck SD has an excellent reputation, but given its location (north shore/just on the Queens line) keeps the housing prices at the ceiling, if not out the roof.
One in-law and family live in Oyster Bay area, another "supposedly" excellent SD. However, they have all 4 kids in parochial schools, as public schools can't serve various learning disabilities of their kids. All that in spite of the tremendous property/schools taxes feeding into the local schools.
We also have a special needs child, but I would struggle to live on Long Island these days. We did consider it long and hard, as we lived there years ago before our kids started school. And long before our special needs child was born. Ironic how it turned out!
As I understand it, a LOT of public schools are experiencing a LOT of turmoil, for various reasons. Research very carefully, and highly consider renting first to check out an area more closely. This is a good forum to get many points of view!
Many of you really are missing the point on a good school district. The Number 1 school district is right at home. That is 95% of what will determine how well your children do in school. I lived on Long Island for 37 years and lived in what was considered one of the lesser school districts on Long Islanmd (Central Islip) and had friends who lived in Roosevelt, (Nassaus county's worst). I also had friends who lived in Massapequa Park, Roslyn, and Sachem, all districts which were ranked at the top of the lists. These ranking were based on test scores which do not tell the real story all the time. On the street where I lived there were approximately 35 kids who all went to CI High School. 1 dropped out, 1 got pregnant. Of the other 33 who graduated 4 went into the military 28 went to college and 1 got married. Of those 28, 27 graduated from schools such as , Duke, Harvard, Standford Hamptom Institute, NYU, NY Polytec,Howard,Columbia, to name a few. There are now 2 doctors, 2 lawyers, 4 business owners, several educators and 1 politician(heaven help him). This was typical of my neighborhood. However many of my kids friends, in CI and some in the better school districts, many of whom came from well to do homes dropped out at an arlarming rate, becoming addicted to new cars and clothes and the fun life, their parents unaware of what their kids were doing. This is only a testament that it was not really the school system but the home system that failed. If a child has the capacity and the willingness to learn , AND a home support system, it matters very little where he goes to school. Also statiscally the crime rate was fairly close., not enough to weight on determining the better school. If a child does not do the work another school will not make him or her a better student, only MOM and Dad can do that.
Nassau:
1) Jericho
2) Great Neck South
3) Great Neck North
4) Manhasset
5) Roslyn
6) Wheatley
7) Syosset
8) Garden City
9) Bellmore-JFK
10) North Shore
Suffolk:
1) Cold Spring Harbor
2) Hills West
3) Port Jeff
4) Hills East
5) Mattituck
6) Harborfields
7) Northport
8) Elwood
9) Smithtown West
10) Three Village
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