Relocating with Children (Minneapolis, Eagan, Burnsville: to rent, home, job transfer)

[pinktulip16]

Due to a recent job transfer to the Eden Prairie area we are looking for a home in the area. We really like the Prior Lake/Savage area, but our primary concerns are our children and schooling. Can anyone help me out with the schools up there...is there anything bad about the Prior Lake/Savage district? Any suggestions about schooling or housing would be great. We would love to rent a home in a quieter area.

[golfgal]

The Prior Lake schools are very good. It is a nice area, growing and a not too bad commute to EP. The Savage schools in the Burnsville district I would avoid. That district is having problems and there are much better choices in the area. Eden Prairie also has very good schools so that area is worth a look too, bigger and busier then Prior Lake though.

Chaska would also be an area similar to Prior Lake to look into. Good schools, smaller towns yet close to EP.

[pinktulip16]

What kind of problems is that district having? We have a home in that district that we were interested in. Thanks.

[golfgal]

They have some pretty big budget cuts coming, they are having some issues with their integration plans with Minneapolis schools and just generally overall have some discipline problems. I think the schools are mostly ok now but the problems are growing with each year. They are in our athletic conference and everyone HATES going to games over in Burnsville and then when their students come here they are incredibly misbehaved. I know that many, many parents sent emails to the principal after one football game that was particularly bad and NO one got a reply. This goes beyond normal high school student stuff at games. I don't really know much about their elementary schools but the middle and high schools are getting pretty bad. Burnsville used to be one of the elite districts in the state too.

[Sarah Maske]

I'm really just curious - what were these students doing!? Sounds REALLY bad! Were the police called or anything!?

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by golfgal

They have some pretty big budget cuts coming, they are having some issues with their integration plans with Minneapolis schools and just generally overall have some discipline problems. I think the schools are mostly ok now but the problems are growing with each year. They are in our athletic conference and everyone HATES going to games over in Burnsville and then when their students come here they are incredibly misbehaved. I know that many, many parents sent emails to the principal after one football game that was particularly bad and NO one got a reply. This goes beyond normal high school student stuff at games. I don't really know much about their elementary schools but the middle and high schools are getting pretty bad. Burnsville used to be one of the elite districts in the state too.

Integration plans with Mpls schools? I know Burnsville has been told to integrate with Lakeville to make Lakeville more diverse, hence the reason they're developing magnet schools. Magnet schools decisions ahead for Burnsville-Eagan-Savage

My daughter just finished kindergarten in 196 and I did a lot of work with the school/pto and on an elementary school level I would recommend Sioux Trail in a heart beat --I can't comment on the other elementary schools--(though we are leaving but not by fault of the district for sure!). I also have heard that the district has gone down over the years...they are appointing a new Superintendent (due to retirement) as well as others, so who knows what changes might be made. They did just pass their levy but it's a tough district for that and it's no secret they will be struggling with finances for some reason or another (they really do a good job with their budget, just not enough to work with I guess).

I don't know what to say about the unruly kids at sporting events...I'd say it's more of a parental/demographic thing than it is the school districts fault. I've never been to a sporting event here to comment.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Sarah Maske

I'm really just curious - what were these students doing!? Sounds REALLY bad! Were the police called or anything!?

It wasn't illegal, just downright rude. The comments they were yelling through out the game (at basketball games as well) are not appropriate for anyone to hear, especially the young children at the games. They were yelling so loud and obnoxiously you couldn't hear the band, at 185 piece marching band, at all. There have been incidences of kids being removed from gyms around the conference as well. Again, NONE of the other schools in the conference act like this at all.

MNNative--the 196 schools are not the Burnsville District, that is the Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan district. Parts of Burnsville attend the 196 schools. The Burnsville High school has had students bused from Minneapolis as part of an integration plan for a few years now. I don't know anything about the district integrating with Lakeville though.

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by golfgal

It wasn't illegal, just downright rude. The comments they were yelling through out the game (at basketball games as well) are not appropriate for anyone to hear, especially the young children at the games. They were yelling so loud and obnoxiously you couldn't hear the band, at 185 piece marching band, at all. There have been incidences of kids being removed from gyms around the conference as well. Again, NONE of the other schools in the conference act like this at all.

MNNative--the 196 schools are not the Burnsville District, that is the Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan district. Parts of Burnsville attend the 196 schools. The Burnsville High school has had students bused from Minneapolis as part of an integration plan for a few years now. I don't know anything about the district integrating with Lakeville though.

I'm sorry. That was a typo on my part. I was thinking about your district, 196, playing against our's --191. Sorry about that.

Anyhow, I didn't know about the Mpls thing, interesting. I completely agree with you that the behavior you explain is unacceptable. Too bad that some people have to ruin things for others.