[windfarmer]

Hi, I'm relocating my family to AA from the metro area this summer. Can anyone tell me how good or bad the public schools are there?

[Coldjensens]

Most of them are very very good. They are fairly large schools and have the advantages (offering lots of stuff) and disadvantages (control, safety) that come with very large schools. You can find school data online. This includes test scores, percentage graduating, percentage continuing to college/university, etc. You really have to visit any school to have any chance of getting a feel for what it is like. If you decide to talk to parents or students, about the school, talk to a lot of them. Often you will find people with jaded or rose colored viewpoints. It is hard to get a neutral evaluation. We looked very seriously at Ann Arbor schools because we were considering moving there. We ended up not because we did not want to live in a city and you get nicer properties for your money outside of cities, but you cannot beat Ann Arbor if you want to live in a City.

[Softballfan]

AA public schools are building a new high school (Skyline)...should be done in a year or so.

[dotdash]

How does the Ann Arbor school system decide which kids go where? i.e. are all schools neighborhood, are there magnet schools, is there a lottery, etc.

We are maybe moving to AA in June 09, need to find good elementary and middle schools for Sept. 09. Do we have to plan ahead, or just buy a home in an area with a good school?

Thanks!

[Westbury]

Skyline high school is already open. If your kids are near high school age and are into sports, they are being phased in. For example, there is no varsity football team yet but I believe they had a freshman team...varsity will come along in another couple years. It will alleviate some of the crowding at the existing schools.

[sweetiris03]

I know that Ann Arbor has the one of the best high schools in Michigan - Pioneer and Huron. I met a lot of people from both those high schools and it seemed like they had good experiences - there were challenging course and a lot of extra curricular activities to choose from.

Michigan Public School Rankings
This websites gives the grades for elementary, middle, and high schools for whichever you choose. It's based on reading, math scores, etc. You might want to check this out. I don't personally know people in the AA middle schools/elementary schools but if the hs are indications then it should be good.

I think the schools in AA are basic public schools - if you live in the district then you go to the school kinda thing. I'm thinking they probably have some kind of school of choice, but again I'm not sure. With school of choice though, you have to plan ahead and apply before due dates and such. You can probably google Ann Arbor public schools and find a contact information. i'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you and answer all your questions.