Relocation - Middle Schools (Eden Prairie, Minnetonka: house, to buy, school district)

[IngridNewtoAustin]

Hi everyone,

Please ignore my username. I contacted the admins a week or so ago to get it changed but I never heard back...

We are relocating to the area for my work this summer. My daughter will be going into 7th grade and is in need of a quality, supportive middle school. 6th grade this year was tough for her, not really with academics, but with everything else. Her current school is top rated and has high expectations, which is good and bad. If the kid is not naturally organized and focused and otherwise more responsible, some of the teachers don't have patience and empathy.

One of the areas I'm looking at due to work proximity is St. Louis Park. However, even though I heard good things about the school district, it seems from the little I've read that the middle school/junior high has gone downhill. I'm also considering these areas: Edina, Eden Prairie, Chanhassen/Chaska, Waconia, Mound, Wayzata, Minnetonka, Victoria (in no particular order), so if you have middle school recommendations as well as thoughts on commute times (from the further out areas like Waconia) from 394 & 100, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!

[cgolsen01]

When relocating to Mpls suburbs and looking at schools, one of the best ways to determine quality is to look at Open Enrollment figures. MN has a very generous open enrollment policy compared to other states, and it is much more widely used than in other states in which I've lived. Top tier schools draw students from other districts, and can have upwards of 20% of their students from neighboring towns. Open Enrollment is not limited to lower family income or available only to students attending "low performing districts", as in other states. Typically, you want a school that does not have a "negative" open enrollment number; that is, more students leave the district than come into the district via open enrollment. These figures can be hard to find, but are worth tracking down. For example, the number of Chanhassen students that open enroll into Minnetonka Schools is much higher than the number of Minnetonka students that open enroll into Chaska-Chan.

Because middle school is short, I would strongly look to the high schools, rather focusing solely on middle schools.
Chaska/Chan has two high schools, one of which has a better reputation than the other. I have heard, but cannot confirm, that Chaska has a bad gang problem, at least compared to other near-by schools.

Waconia to SLP is a long communte by MN standards. EP and SLP are going to have the most diversity, whereas Edina, Mtka, Wayzata, are pretty white. Mound/Westonka might be a good bet due to its smaller district size, as is Orono. Its not quite as highly rated as some of the districts you listed, but as you mentioned in your 2nd paragraph, top rating and high expectations are both good and bad. I've moved enough to have learned that top tier isn't always the best fit for some kids. You can also get more house for your money in Mound than you can in Wayzata / Mtka / Edina.

[IngridNewtoAustin]

While I agree that looking at the high school is very important, middle school is where the framework is established for taking notes, being more self-sufficient, and forming good study habits.

[golfgal]

Chaska and Chanhassen are in the same district. Chanhassen is a new high school-3rd year or so. I highly doubt that Chaska has a "bad gang problem" given the size town and location. It's a nice community with a lot of amenities and well worth a look.

You really can't go wrong with any of the schools in the west metro outside of the 494 loop. Housing costs could be an issue however. It's an expensive area. Towns like Waconia and Chaska are more affordable however.

[MichaelItman]

I agree with golfgal - Minnesota schools are great overall, and the western suburbs have some of the best, no matter how you look at it. I don't have enough knowledge to give any advice about the middle schools except to say that those years are awful, and my heart goes out to you and your daughter. No matter how great a school you find, that's a tough time.

Golfgal also makes a great point that a lot of your search will come down to what kind of homes you're looking for, and what you can afford in those communities. This is a great time to buy a home, but it's definitely leaning towards a seller's market, so when you find something great, you need to snap it up, right away. Do you plan to buy something before you move here this summer? Will you be coming here to visit and look around?

I hope this is helpful!

All best,

Michael