Andover/North Andover/Reading/Lynnfield public schools (Boston, Wakefield: real estate, neighborhoods)

[Joel418]

Hey everybody,

We've been living in MA for about five years, and this coming summer we'll be making our "for the long haul" move to a town somewhere in the north shore area. Our oldest will be starting school in the fall as well, so of course we're also looking at the public schools. Balancing the desire for quality schools with housing affordability and a reasonable commute, we've narrowed it down to four towns, namely Andover, North Andover, Reading, and Lynnfield.

I've done my research on the school ranking websites, which are based on test scores and student improvement on these scores. While these factors are important, I'd appreciate any thoughts on any/all of the following questions:

1. Which school(s)' administrators are most effective in communicating with students/parents, and in dealing with difficult situations regarding students/teachers/parents/etc.? Also, which have the strongest atmosphere of collegiality between administration and teachers?

2. Which school(s) most effectively challenge the students without "stealing" the enjoyment of their school years (e.g., by assigning 4+ hours of homework a night)?

3. Which school(s) most effectively balance the goal of scoring well on high-stakes tests (MCAS, SAT, etc.) and creative engagement with the subject material?

4. Which school(s) offer the best variety and quality of extra-curriculars?

Thanks so much!

[gf2020]

I live in Lynnfield. My wife is a teacher in Lynnfield. I don't know enough about individual schools in those other communities to make meaningful comparisons. Frankly, I'm not sure anyone can. Our sons are in college now. They received a good education in Lynnfield.

I will say that I don't think North Andover is as strong a school system overall as the 3 other towns. Depending on where you commute to, North Andover can present some challenges as well.

Finally, I'll point out that Lynnfield, at around 12,000 people, is a much smaller community than the others. Lynnfield High School has right around 600 students. Andover High School has almost 2000 students. That can make a big difference in the kind of educational experience your child has.

[Joel418]

Fair point! I guess it would be better just to ask if folks could address any/all of those questions as it relates to any of the schools.

[sal1181]

profiles.doe.mass.edu
I would just check the state site for statistics instead of Great schools, school digger and etc.

[sal1181]

Reading is a level 3 school district. Out of all 4 towns mentioned I would say Lynnfield is at the top

[alidmc]

Originally Posted by Joel418

Hey everybody,

We've been living in MA for about five years, and this coming summer we'll be making our "for the long haul" move to a town somewhere in the north shore area. Our oldest will be starting school in the fall as well, so of course we're also looking at the public schools. Balancing the desire for quality schools with housing affordability and a reasonable commute, we've narrowed it down to four towns, namely Andover, North Andover, Reading, and Lynnfield.

I've done my research on the school ranking websites, which are based on test scores and student improvement on these scores. While these factors are important, I'd appreciate any thoughts on any/all of the following questions:

1. Which school(s)' administrators are most effective in communicating with students/parents, and in dealing with difficult situations regarding students/teachers/parents/etc.? Also, which have the strongest atmosphere of collegiality between administration and teachers?

2. Which school(s) most effectively challenge the students without "stealing" the enjoyment of their school years (e.g., by assigning 4+ hours of homework a night)?

3. Which school(s) most effectively balance the goal of scoring well on high-stakes tests (MCAS, SAT, etc.) and creative engagement with the subject material?

4. Which school(s) offer the best variety and quality of extra-curriculars?

Thanks so much!

Of all of the towns you mention, Lynnfield and Andover have the strongest schools ratings and test-wise. Reading has slipped a bit in recent years. This does not mean your kids won't get a great education in any of these towns, however.

A lot of the answers to your questions are going to depend on the teacher(s) your children end up with. You can visit the school websites to get a sense for all 4 of your questions. Most elementary schools post their mission and teaching philosophies on their sites. You can also get an idea of what extra-curricular activities are offered (music, art, etc.)

I know that Essex elementary, although not on your list, recently eliminated homework in elementary school. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...cOO/story.html I only mention this because it seems to be a trend that is gathering momentum, particularly in the more progressive schools.

How familiar are you with these towns other than the specific of the schools? I am pretty familiar with all of them and happy to share my thoughts if there are other things aside from education on your wish list for towns (ease of commute, town amenities, etc.).

[Joel418]

Thanks so much, everyone, for the responses and the additional web resources!

alidmc: we lived in North Andover for three years (2011-14), and I filled in for a friend at a part-time/interim position in Andover for six months this past year (we haven't had any direct interaction with the school system, though). My wife and I both like the Merrimack Valley area, including the general friendliness and sense of community, as well as the fact that you get a little more real estate "bang for your buck" than in town. We've been living in Wakefield for the past year-and-a-half, so we feel like we're getting to know Reading some, though we haven't spent any significant time in Lynnfield. Any thoughts or information you could give on resource, opportunity, friendliness, community, etc. in Lynnfield would be particularly appreciated.

[alidmc]

As gf2020 mentioned, Lynnfield is much smaller than Andover (33K) or North Andover (28K). It's no surprise that you have not spend significant time there, as there is not much there other than Market Street! However, it is easy to get almost anywhere from Lynnfield. There are several commuter rail stations in Wakefield that are pretty close and you have the option of driving route 1 vs. 93 for getting into Boston.

We have a few friends that live in Lynnfield and love it. They are very happy with the schools and people seem to be friendly in general. You will find the average lot size in Lynnfield to be larger than Andover or Reading and the housing stock is a bit older, as Lynnfield was built out long ago. There seem to be several tear downs as of late as land is getting pretty scarce there.

Overall, it is a great community that blends a quieter suburb with easy access to a lot of amenities.

[tysmith95]

All four towns that you mentioned have great public schools. You should just choose the town that has the easiest commute to your workplace and gives you the best vibe. Andover and Reading are the only towns that you mentioned that have a quaint downtown if you're into that. Lynnfield has Market Street.

I'd also take a look at Middleton.

[Joel418]

Thanks again, everybody! We're leaning toward Lynnfield, especially after reading some of the older threads that discuss it. Mostly, I think it's my midwestern background that resonates with what I've read and hear. Aside from having some friendly and *quiet* neighborhoods, I like the idea of a town that offers great schools, but has a lot of folks in town that made their money in non-white-collar businesses, so that my kids won't be surrounded by the attitude that getting into a prestigious university is the *only* way to consider yourself "successful." Also, I like the fact that it is majority Republican, not because I am one myself (I'm an indy, my wife is Dem-leaning), but having grown up in a deep red area, I really hope that my kids won't be surrounded by attitudes of political intolerance that tend to develop in areas that are deep red or deep blue.