West Valley schools questions (Phoenix, Scottsdale: school district, live in, moving to)

[skyrain30]

I have heard a lot of negative comments about the schools in Arizona. We are thinking about moving to the Buckeye area and would like to find out more about those schools. Can anyone give me specifics on what is bad about them? Is it the teachers or what is taught? I was also wondering if anyone has any experience with the special education departments in these schools. My son is blind and autistic and I am wondering what programs they may have implemented there.

[skyrain30]

Anyone?

[lyzzard]

Buckeye is a place most people would avoid moving to. You certainly couldn't pay me to move there.

As to what is bad with Arizona schools, it's generally the public schools inundated with kids who barely speak English and don't read or write in their own language that hampers most. Administration also pushing these kids on with passing grades when they deserve a huge F doesn't help either.

The Madison school district is the best in Phoenix (in AZ?). I've heard good things about Chandlers Kyrene district, and have yet to hear either way for Surprise. Scottsdales are suppose to be good as well, but I don't know much about them.

There are specialized schools that you could certainly enroll your child in that would be much above the local ones.

[roundball]

Originally Posted by lyzzard

There are specialized schools that you could certainly enroll your child in that would be much above the local ones.

Agree on this point. Do a google map search for "charter school" and you will find plenty. I know people that have autistic kids and they love the charter school that they go to. Not sure about the blind/autistic. I'm sure that with a few phone calls someone could point you in the right direction.

Originally Posted by lyzzard

Buckeye is a place most people would avoid moving to. You certainly couldn't pay me to move there.

It may be a bit far out for the type of school that you are looking for. I don't want to say its a dying city but, the housing bust isn't doing it any favors.

Originally Posted by lyzzard

As to what is bad with Arizona schools, it's generally the public schools inundated with kids who barely speak English and don't read or write in their own language that hampers most. Administration also pushing these kids on with passing grades when they deserve a huge F doesn't help either.

This is generally true for the less affluent areas but not necessarily. There are some very good schools in the valley. Unfortunately rthere are a lot of p*s* poor schools(in the valley and state) that bring the average down.

[heat seekers]

I live in Goodyear (EMR) the schools here are really good and I have read that other schools in the Litchfield dist. are pretty good too. You should check out greatschool.com. I have been to the school in Buckeye for my sons baseball practices and it does not "look" like a great school but I do not know personally if it is or not. It looks pretty run down and dirty. There were pigeons everywhere in the trees making a mess on the ground and over the play equipment, which needed to be cleaned very badly. We had planned on moving there from Oregon last year but after reading many posts about the area we chose Goodyear and i am glad we did. I've heard Surprise is a nice area and has a few good schools there too.

[observer53]

Is Verrado covered by the Buckeye School District? There's the old part of Buckeye, and then there's areas like the planned community of Verrado, (and there may be others I'm forgetting) which could loosely be called "Buckeye area" but are hardly the "dying town" that someone referred to earlier.

[CG4]

Verrado Middle & Verrado Elementary are both part of the Litchfield Elem. District.

www.lesd.k12.az.us