Best Public School District: between Villanova, Gladwyne, Bryn Mawr, or Haverford? (Chester: colleges, zip codes)

[HeatherNY]

Considering moving to Western half of Lower Merion. Looking for best rated schools. Can anyone comment on Gladwyne, Villanova, Haverford and Bryn Mawr? Which is best? (We have 2 kids ages 3 and 6).
Many thanks in advance.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by HeatherNY

Considering moving to Western half of Lower Merion. Looking for best rated schools. Can anyone comment on Gladwyne, Villanova, Haverford and Bryn Mawr? Which is best? (We have 2 kids ages 3 and 6).
Many thanks in advance.

Lower Merion is a distinct school district and is among the very best in the state.

Note that parts of the Villanova and Bryn Mawr zip codes extend into Radnor, which is essentially just as good (usually ranked slightly higher due to somewhat less socioeconomic diversity).

Parts of the Bryn Mawr and Haverford zip codes extend into Haverford Township. The school district isn't bad, and a bright, motivated student shouldn't have issues succeeding. However, Haverford Township may not be the best choice for you for reasons I've mentioned before.

[pman]

by best you mean least economically diverse presumably. theyre all good schools

[HeatherNY]

My research shows that Radnor (probably due to the fact that it is in Wayne?) has less then 1% Jewish population. It's closest in proximity to West Chester of all the above mentioned, but I want to stick with the 5% and higher poulations.
Yes, I have noted your comment on Haverford, many thanks for that. Villanova and Bryn Mawr also seams to be less than 1%.
I'm guessing Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, and Narberth, Gladwyne, Layfette Hill, Plymoth Meeting are best to consider since the schools are either Lower Merion or Colonial and the Jewish populations seems to be over 5%, yes?

[rotodome]

Your kids would have good options in all of those districts. You know your kids, so maybe visit some schools and see what might be the best fit for them, as "ratings" don't tell the whole story.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by HeatherNY

My research shows that Radnor (probably due to the fact that it is in Wayne?) has less then 1% Jewish population. It's closest in proximity to West Chester of all the above mentioned, but I want to stick with the 5% and higher poulations.
Yes, I have noted your comment on Haverford, many thanks for that. Villanova and Bryn Mawr also seams to be less than 1%.
I'm guessing Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, and Narberth, Gladwyne, Layfette Hill, Plymoth Meeting are best to consider since the schools are either Lower Merion or Colonial and the Jewish populations seems to be over 5%, yes?

You're incorrect about Radnor. I assume you're basing your information on Sperling's BestPlaces, or some similar website, which uses information that's static across individual counties (and information that's often incorrect in the first place). Trust me, Radnor is ~10%; LM is 25-30% (Wynnewood, Villanova and the nice parts of Bryn Mawr/Rosemont being no exception; the borough of Narberth [a separate municipality that feeds into LM schools] is ~10%, while the rest of the 19072 zip code [Penn Valley] is perhaps 40%); and Colonial is a bit more than 10% but not quite 15%, with Whitemarsh Township (Lafayette Hill especially) being the main concentration of the District's Jewish population.

Either would be just fine for a Jewish family looking for good public schools. The rest is up to you.

[HeatherNY]

Actually diversity would be great. By best, I mean best test scores, best percentage moving on to good colleges, best teachers, etc..

[HeatherNY]

@rotodome- yes, I agree about the ratings. A visit is a must. Many thanks.
@Heavenwood - you have been EXTREMELY helpful. Where do you recommend I find the correct percentages without bothering you again?

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by HeatherNY

Actually diversity would be great. By best, I mean best test scores, best percentage moving on to good colleges, best teachers, etc..

All three districts are ~80/20 white/minority, with Radnor having a somewhat heavier Asian population. Socioeconomically speaking, from most diverse to least, it goes Colonial > LM > Radnor.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by HeatherNY

@rotodome- yes, I agree about the ratings. A visit is a must. Many thanks.
@Heavenwood - you have been EXTREMELY helpful. Where do you recommend I find the correct percentages without bothering you again?

There really isn't any place online where reliable %age breakdowns for the Philly Area can be found. My estimates are based on number crunching (reported Russian ancestry correlates extremely closely with an area's Jewish population) tempered slightly by personal knowledge/experience. Feel free to keep asking me questions and I'll continue to try to help you to the best of my ability.