Considering school districts.. Central Bucks the best? (Philadelphia, Springfield: for sale, houses) - City-Data Forum

lela33 · 02-09-2010, 06:59 PM

We're re-locating to the Bucks County area from Rhode Island in June. I have 3 kids ages 6,4, and 8 months. My oldest will almost definitely require gifted services. We have a great deal of flexibility in which district we move. I keep hearing that Central Bucks is "the school district", but I don't want to eliminate neighboring towns which may be just as good. Lansdale, in particular, seems to have several houses that meet our criteria. We are looking for a suburban/rural area that is not too far from a bustling town. Thanks so much for any help!

orrmobl · 02-09-2010, 08:38 PM

If you're moving to Bucks, Central Bucks is the district to be in for sure...top 10 or so in the state...

lela33 · 02-10-2010, 04:58 AM

My husband's work will likely be near Doylestown. We'd like to be within a 20 minute commute.

Hillrunner · 02-10-2010, 05:49 AM

There are others that are just as good like Springfield Montgomery County, Council Rock in Bucks etc.

orrmobl · 02-10-2010, 06:54 AM

You can search for Philly school rankings by the Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine to see rankings. Springfield Montco isn't comparable to Central Bucks; Council Rock and New Hope-Solesbury are much more comparable choices.

slippypeople9 · 02-10-2010, 12:17 PM

you are from rhode island? hmmm, move in to buckingham and you should fit right in.

RE4me · 03-11-2010, 03:12 PM

I live in Solebury and work in Doylestown. Moved from Newtown (Council Rock). Born and raised here.

Currently I'm in the New Hope Solebury and do most of my work in Central Bucks District.

I'm sure Buckingham, Doylestown, New Hope / Solebury etc may be to your liking. Do plenty of research on gifted services as that seems to be the "weak points" in many school systems. Getting better year by year though.

I can't say that I have a substantial amount of experience in that particular aspect but, I have worked with clients that have also required similar services. The local townships also have information on special services.

They would be:

Doylestown Township
Buckingham Township
Solebury Township
New Hope Boro.

A google search will bring up their websites and contact info.

From doing corporate relo I understand that many areas of the country do not use "Township" to descibe their areas. Here, many small towns can often be "incorporated" in to larger "townships" that all utilize the same schools, emergency medical services etc. (just incase you're seeing that word and wondering what all of "us strange" PA people are referring to

Good luck with your move. I know you'll love it here.

Brian

ooodsie · 03-11-2010, 08:11 PM

Council Rock and Central Bucks tend to be much larger school districts than New Hope/Solebury.. I would imagine for a gifted program, Solebury may have more personal attention to offer - Also you'd be close to New Hope which has a very fun downtown feel to it and is also very cultural. Only problem is that there are not a lot of homes for sale in this area, and the ones that are for sale are pretty pricey - without knowing your price range, to get a home in Solebury/New Hope you'd need to be ready to spend a min of 400k if not a bit higher.

lela33 · 03-12-2010, 04:32 AM

Thanks so much! It's looking as though my husband's worksite will be in Quakertown which still makes Central Bucks accessible. We're looking to stay under 400K, if possible. I'm leaning towards Doyelstown at the moment, but I still have some research to do. Thanks for the tip about checking out the Townships for gifted info.

I actually grew up in PA, so I remember "Townships" fondly. But, I was in the Poconos. Can't wait to come back home to PA!

SandraDW · 03-23-2010, 11:29 AM

Since your husband will be working in Quakertown, you should look into the Souderton area school district (Montgomery county). Souderton is 10-15 minutes south of Quakertown. We have had 4 kids grow up in Souderton and are very pleased with the schools. One child is in middle school, one in high school and two are in college. Souderton has a great central location. Easy access to the turnpike so you can be in center city Philly for a show in an hour if you choose or one hour drive to the poconos if you want to get away. Lansdale (North Penn school district) also has a good reputation but it is a huge district. We like the individual attention our kids get in the Souderton schools.