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Old 02-29-2016, 09:56 PM
 
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I've been lurking around this forum for some time now, especially since we're planning to move into New York (Specifically Rockland County) in the next month for my dad's job (located in Stony Point). I've got two sisters who are freshmen in high school and I will be transferring to the community college there when the semester rolls around. I've heard that school districts and not towns are the things to look at. Some advice on which school district to be looking into would be wonderful. I don't think we're too picky when it comes to schools, but I've seen a couple from houses we are looking to rent. North Rockland SD, Nyack SD, Clarkstown SD...any opinions between the three, since I've found most homes are within these districts.

Also...we've never moved or even lived east of Utah, haha. We are moving from little Kitsap County (Across the Sound from Seattle, WA) and I'm sure this is an entirely different atmosphere. So, being this, I have very little if any experience about the area, and from the good or the bad. Mainly we are focused on Rockland County as it would be the easiest commute, but might be open to New Jersey. If anyone had any advice on these areas it would be most appreciated.

Last edited by K Name; 02-29-2016 at 10:06 PM..
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Old 02-29-2016, 11:21 PM
 
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Clarkstown seems to have the best reputation out of the 3 districts. All have a good degree of cultural/racial diversity, as well as some economic diversity. Nyack will have more nightlife than the other 2, if I'm not mistaken.

Nanuet, South Orangetown and Pearl River may be worth a look as well. Hopefully, others will chime in.
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Old 03-01-2016, 10:40 AM
 
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Puget Sound is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. You must have mixed feelings about moving.

Your parents should also consider towns in Putnam County, which is just across the Bear Mountain Bridge from Stony Point.

Right on the border with New York State are Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus and Allendale. This is a wealthy area and students living there attend the Northern Highlands Regional High School, one of the top rated schools in NJ. This area does not have too many rentals.
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Old 03-01-2016, 08:25 PM
 
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Clarkstown is the best district of those three. I disagree with a poster above who says that all 3 have a good degree of cultural/racial diversity. North rockland and nyack are much more diverse than clarkstown. North rockland has a lot of Spanish students from Caribbean backgrounds, as opposed to Mexico etc. North Rockland HS is huge - one of the biggest in the state. North Rockland has a working class vibe mixed with a lot of Spanish and black minorities. Nyack is diverse as well with the white population being more upscale, artsy, and liberal. Clarkstown is more of your typical suburban NY white upper class district, although it is a regional district and that does add to its economic and cultural diversity component. It also has a lot of secular Jews. If this helps, clarkstown would have a lot less renters. Your sisters would be one of the very few who are living in a rental. In the other two districts the fact that they are renting would stand out less.
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Old 03-01-2016, 08:57 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 987ABC View Post
Clarkstown is the best district of those three. I disagree with a poster above who says that all 3 have a good degree of cultural/racial diversity. North rockland and nyack are much more diverse than clarkstown. North rockland has a lot of Spanish students from Caribbean backgrounds, as opposed to Mexico etc. North Rockland HS is huge - one of the biggest in the state. North Rockland has a working class vibe mixed with a lot of Spanish and black minorities. Nyack is diverse as well with the white population being more upscale, artsy, and liberal. Clarkstown is more of your typical suburban NY white upper class district, although it is a regional district and that does add to its economic and cultural diversity component. It also has a lot of secular Jews. If this helps, clarkstown would have a lot less renters. Your sisters would be one of the very few who are living in a rental. In the other two districts the fact that they are renting would stand out less.
Yes, Clarkstown is mostly White, but it does have decent sized Asian and Hispanic student populations, with a few/some Black students. It is probably roughly 66-70% White non Hispanic/30-33% non White. Search for Public Schools - Search Results

This is more specific and states that Clarkstown Central SD is 66.7% White: CLARKSTOWN CSD | NYSED Data Site

So, essentially 1 out of every 3 students in that district are "of color".
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Old 03-01-2016, 09:21 PM
 
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[quote=ckhthankgod;43209373]Yes, Clarkstown is mostly White, but it does have decent sized Asian and Hispanic student populations, with a few/some Black students. It is probably roughly 66-70% White non Hispanic/30-33% non White. Search for Public Schools - Search Results

This is more specific and states that Clarkstown Central SD is 66.7% White: CLARKSTOWN CSD | NYSED Data Site

So, essentially 1 out of every 3 students in that district are "of color".[/QUOTE

This is the problem with blindly relying on statistics. No one who lives in or near this district would tell you that 1 out of 3 students are "of color". Shows you that those stats are contrived in some way - intentionally or not.
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Old 03-01-2016, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Where my bills arrive
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
Clarkstown seems to have the best reputation out of the 3 districts. All have a good degree of cultural/racial diversity, as well as some economic diversity. Nyack will have more nightlife than the other 2, if I'm not mistaken.

Nanuet, South Orangetown and Pearl River may be worth a look as well. Hopefully, others will chime in.
For the record Clarkstown which is mostly New City is a rich loaf of white bread with little to no diversity either racially or financially.
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Old 03-01-2016, 09:39 PM
 
Location: Where my bills arrive
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OP Clarkstown is historically the strongest school district of the 3 but the least diversified and is not far from your dads place of employment. Being central in the county you will have the best access for shopping areas, the community college etc. The east coast is definitely different from the left coast world you are used to; for many it seems confining and restrained in mind and action than you are probably used to and the NY Metro personality is a very distinctive individual. On the plus side there are no paper mills and none of the areas except maybe downtown Haverstraw looks like Bremerton.

So good luck with whatever your family decides.
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Old 03-01-2016, 10:18 PM
 
92,097 posts, read 122,294,404 times
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[quote=987ABC;43209588]
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod View Post
Yes, Clarkstown is mostly White, but it does have decent sized Asian and Hispanic student populations, with a few/some Black students. It is probably roughly 66-70% White non Hispanic/30-33% non White. Search for Public Schools - Search Results

This is more specific and states that Clarkstown Central SD is 66.7% White: CLARKSTOWN CSD | NYSED Data Site

So, essentially 1 out of every 3 students in that district are "of color".[/QUOTE

This is the problem with blindly relying on statistics. No one who lives in or near this district would tell you that 1 out of 3 students are "of color". Shows you that those stats are contrived in some way - intentionally or not.
I'm actually been to West Nyack a couple of times. So, it isn't just relying on statistics. It is just that the diversity is different, from what I saw in terms of more Asians and Hispanics, with less Black people. I was visiting a college friend and most or a good portion of her HS friends she went to Clarkstown South with were Filipino.

Her parents house wasn't too far from Felix Festa Middle School and the Palisades Mall was down the hill towards Nyack from their house.

I'm also familiar with the slang term for New City based upon the ethnic/religious term it rhymes with. Areas of New City in the western end closer to Spring Valley/the East Ramapo SD(parts even within that SD) tend to be more diverse than other parts of that community.

Last edited by ckhthankgod; 03-01-2016 at 10:43 PM..
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Old 03-02-2016, 08:08 AM
 
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I also wonder if southern Orange County is an option, OP? Monroe-Woodbury, Highland Falls and Cornwall may be SD's in that county to look into.
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