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Old 09-23-2007, 05:16 PM
 
2 posts, read 5,558 times
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Does anyone have experience with sending their kids to the High School in Stillwater? How is the academic performance of this school? Do they have much in the way of music/arts/theater? Also, what is the crime rate like in Stillwater? Any first hand advice about Stillwater for a family of 5 with three teenagers would be appreciated. Considering moving there in about a year.
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Old 09-23-2007, 05:59 PM
 
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Excellent school, HUGE auditorium with a great fine arts department. Crime rate in Stillwater is about zero--you will get the occasional stolen bike though. It is a smallish town along the river, lovely setting, great town. I grew up in Stillwater.
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Old 09-24-2007, 06:43 PM
 
Location: Maple Grove
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We got to hear their choir sing at a choir festival at St. Olaf this year. It was the best choir there - blew everyone away. The kids seemed to be really responding to the director and the director was having a great time. The parents sitting next to us had a daughter in that choir and they confirmed to us that the students there adore the director and that the school has an excellent music department.
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Old 09-26-2007, 06:38 AM
 
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Thanks so much, Homeguy and Golfgal. I am really trying to find out as much as I can about Stillwater. We will visit in November. My family is composed of me, my husband a 19 yo daughter (who will likely stay at her college), a 15 yo son (who is a cellist and has done alot of plays, and a 13 yo (who also has interest in fine arts). My son in daughter will be a freshman and sophmore in high school. My husband will be able to work from home. I too am self employed. Any tips or things I should know? How well does the town accept total newcomers? What is the size of the high school? Thanks all.
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Old 09-26-2007, 07:03 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,303,679 times
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The high school is very large, 800+/class but I think they are broken into 'wings' so it doesn't seem as large. Stillwater has an EXCELLENT orchestra program. There aren't many left in the state unfortunately. It is also and 'accepted' activity there so no worries about your child being an outsider because he is in orchestra. There is a pretty active dance studio in town and they put on a couple major productions each year. Stillwater is an excellent choice for anyone. It is pretty touristy in the summer but most of the locals just avoid downtown (which is easy to do). It is a very pretty town.

There are a lot of transplants in Stillwater now so it isn't quite as 'old boys network' as it once was. I think you will find that you will be able to fit in fine. The key, as it is anywhere, is to get involved-church, local groups, clubs, etc.

Stillwater is a highly educated community as a whole with a lot of emphasis on education. You see the top students each year graduating and going on to some pretty impressive colleges. Stillwater High school is also a very 'express yourself' type school. When you see the kids at various sporting events they are all pretty down to earth, don't care if my hair is messy type kids. Heck, the boys cross country team ran in HOT PINK fluorescent shorts one season.

We would have seriously considered living in Stillwater if 1. it wasn't so far of a commute for DH and 2. my family wasn't still living there .
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Old 10-16-2007, 11:48 PM
 
Location: North Charleston, SC
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Default Sahs

I will admit that while the high school has some severe shortcomings, the arts program is great compared to most schools. However the rest of the school is terrible. I graduated in 2000, and have been in the Navy ever since, because I was so frustrated with that school that I gave up and graduated with a 2.77 gpa. So even with a 1440 on the SAT, it has taken me until recently to get back into a reasonable college. If you can move the extra few miles, look into Somerset, WI. They are still small enough that they do not have 35-45 kids in a class. Unfortunately, Stillwater is a rich town with a lot of working parents who let their kids go free, and they act out a lot, and there is not much productivity there. Like one person said there are a ton of people at this school. My class was about 700, and that was 7 years ago, and the capacity when it was built was 2300, so I am sure it is already over capacity. The sports program is terrible.
Then again, I might just be a little disgruntled, but I despised that school, and would refuse to ever let my children step foot in that building.
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