Moving from Las Vegas to Michigan

[Dr.T.]

Originally Posted by chika23

How are the Grand Rapids Public Schools? I found a couple of houses near the Burton/Breton area. Anyone have any info on this side of town?

I sort of disagree to the previous statement. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of the area schools. If presenting a racially diverse environment is important to you or your child would need extra services (eg. special education), GRPS can't be beat. It is possible to get a good education @ GRPS BUT, the parent(s) really need to make an effort to stay involved. In fact, City High School has the highest test scores in the area AND has, I believe, the second highest acceptance rate to Ivy League in Kent County. From my experience working with students from all of the area schools, GRPS can offer an excellent education BUT the parents need to be strong advocates and be somewhat selective concerning peers with whom their student associates.

In agreement with some previous comments, EGR offers a good education but often seems to suffer from a bit of elitism. Forest Hills Public, (the district for Ada) offers a good education but I've heard from more than a few parents that Forest Hills Central can be somewhat elitist in comparison to Forest Hills Northern High School. Grandville Public is excellent as is Hudsonville and Rockford nad most others. I would however, at leats for the present time, avoid Kentwood and Wyoming; not really "bad" schools but they seem to be having more issues dealing with urban issues; issues with which GRPS seems to have more experience. But really, compared to most areas of the country, ALL of the Grand Rapids Area Public Schools do an exceptional job educating students and you really can't go wrong as long as you stay actively involved in the choices that are available.

Good Luck!