Best Collierville elementary school ? (Bartlett, Germantown: apartment, to rent, home)

[midwest girl]

Help, someone please who knows the Collierville area well......I have to rent an apartment in Collierville before I can move into my house. I have a child in kindergarten and don't want to have to switch his elementary school if I move to a different school zone when I get into my house. Generally speaking, which elementary school has the best reputation among the locals as being the best. On greatschools.net they all look comparable but usually there is one that stands out in small towns as being the best. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

[tennreb]

All of them in the Collierville and Germantown city limits are good. Some of the newer ones in the southern part of town like Estanuala Trails haven't been around long enough to establish a reputation either way. The best elementary schools in the area are probably Farmington and Dogwood in Germantown, but I don't think they are signiicantly superior to the Collierville ones. However, a large portion of Collierville students attend those schools (the Houston Levee area).

[ColliervilleMom]

According to my friend that lives there, the best are Crosswinds and Dogwood, but I think you have to be in Germantown for Dogwood.

You can tell a lot about the schools by visiting their web sites.

http://www.scsk12.org/SCS/schools/schools.html

Good luck!

[memtndude77]

Sycamore Elementary, CrossWind Elememtary,and Tara Oaks are very good. My nephew attended. Sycamore Elementary is excellent.

[kipper]

I have two children attending Crosswinds Elementary. It is a great school academically but lacks balance. (gym time only once per week, not much for after school activities, lacks field trips and other types of learning opportunities). Has a very strong PTA and parental involvement but compared to the schools my son went to in the mid-west it just lacks creativity and balance. It is a school that is very test-driven for high test scores. I have friends whose kids attend the newest school in town : Baily Station and love the Principal and the school. (they seem to offer more). Dogwood Elementary has a very good reputation as well. Personally, I would tour each school and meet with each Principal and talk to parents milling about and form your opinion from there. We have only been here for a year and a half but might have picked a different school had we had more time to explore the options. The school hours here are very different for elementary kids too: on the bus at 8:30 for a 9 am start and home around 4:20 (school ends at 4pm). It makes life very hard for homework, sports (which are during the school year versus in the summertime) and then dinner/bed. I think the schools in Germantown have a different schedule. This has been a very difficult adjustment for our son.....doesn't leave much time to just be a kid. A great website to check for the school info is GreatSchools.net. (has posts from parents along with commentary. Good Luck!

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by midwest girl

Help, someone please who knows the Collierville area well......I have to rent an apartment in Collierville before I can move into my house. I have a child in kindergarten and don't want to have to switch his elementary school if I move to a different school zone when I get into my house. Generally speaking, which elementary school has the best reputation among the locals as being the best. On greatschools.net they all look comparable but usually there is one that stands out in small towns as being the best. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

The county school districts are in the process of being redrawn to meet US Federal court desegregation requirements. Accordingly, the school district you buy into now may likely not be your school district by next year. While you would most likely remain in the Collierville area for schools, you can't guarantee the school your child would be assigned to. Moreover, there is some discussion amongst the county school officials about busing to meet the court order.

[the4pits]

I have heard of this possibility of the schools being re-zoned. Like many others, I have been researching the area and in the process of relocating. People on this board say the wouldnt consider Desoto schools, and people on the MS board say they wouldnt recommend Shelby because of the decline in the district and the possibility of "busing". Unfortunately, I cant afford to send 2 children to private schools, and finding the best public schools seem to be my top priority. Aside from Gtown(too $$), what areas would be the least affected by these potential changed in zoning? The areas I am considering are Collierville,Bartlett,Lakland,and Arlinton. Any suggestions?

[tigergal]

Originally Posted by the4pits

I have heard of this possibility of the schools being re-zoned. Like many others, I have been researching the area and in the process of relocating. People on this board say the wouldnt consider Desoto schools, and people on the MS board say they wouldnt recommend Shelby because of the decline in the district and the possibility of "busing". Unfortunately, I cant afford to send 2 children to private schools, and finding the best public schools seem to be my top priority. Aside from Gtown(too $$), what areas would be the least affected by these potential changed in zoning? The areas I am considering are Collierville,Bartlett,Lakland,and Arlinton. Any suggestions?

Actually, any part of Shelby County would be affected by the decisions on zoning. The schools in Germantown, Arlington, Lakeland, and Bartlett are all Shelby County schools and not city schools (although the references made here to "Bartlett" and "Germantown" schools and the like might lead one to believe that the cities operate these schools. Any of these could be affected by redrawing the districts. However, the ones mentioned most in the lawsuits are the suburbs of SE Shelby County (Germantown and Collierville).

If I were moving here and concerned about schools (and considering that there's no predicting what the school zones will be next year), I'd likely go Desoto County (if I weren't going the private route) or the Lakeland/Arlington area. Unless the county decides to go with busing across the district, it seems that those areas are the safest. They're surrounded by city school districts (which won't affect them in the least) and by Fayette County which has no impact on our schools whatsoever.

[kingburrows]

We are relocating very quickly to the area. We chose Collierville. I have spoken to our top 2 picks of schools, which were Crosswinds and Bailey Station. After speaking with a couple of staff members at each school, I am more inclined toward Bailey Station. They seemed much warmer and friendlier, and they showed genuine concern for my anxiety. We are moving from excellent schools in San Francisco, but my daughter only goes half-day to Kindergarten. I am very concerned about her transition. The folks at Bailey Station did much to ease that anxiety and continue to offer any assistance they may. Crosswinds practically snorted out loud about my concerns, although they are a very good school - academically, anyway.

[Bowyer]

My kids attend Sycamore Elementary and I have had nothing but good experiences there. Any of the schools you mentioned are fine, IMHO.