Fox Chapel Schools Enrollment Areas (Pittsburgh, Fairview: 2014, home, purchase)

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by duplo

With talk of "River Rats," the fact that they don't publish official enrollment area maps (presumably due to gerrymandering?), and from reading a few other threads it seems like Fox Chapel might be snobbish?

Yes. I'm somewhat biased, but Mt Lebo has always struck me as a friendlier suburb with equally affluent schools. Not sure why Fox Chapel gives me the willies, but it does. Sewickley might also suit your needs...

I do say all this as a proud Pittsburgh Public School parent who really does believe that school district performance stats largely reflect the resources of the families who live there, and don't actually make a huge difference in the end.

Still, I realize some people believe otherwise, so... do look at Mt Lebanon if you're not feeling welcome in Fox Chapel. Shaler is also perfectly good if you like the North hills, or Sewickley if you like the river valleys.

[MountainDewGuy]

This makes me want to acquire the address data and throw it on a map for all to see. If the data is available somebody get it to me.

[gg]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

This makes me want to acquire the address data and throw it on a map for all to see. If the data is available somebody get it to me.

It is very odd that there is no map. I know Aspinwall to Blawnox and everything in-between is O'Hara Sharpsburg up through Kittanning Pike, Sharps Hill, Collinwood, Parkview up around Dorseyville Road. I am not sure about Hunt Road, which a is pretty wealthy are. if the kids near Maurers Road go to Kerr or not? Fairview is Fairview Road and Fox Chapel Road area out that way, but I am not sure what the cutoff is. Harwood is pretty big and you can have a Cheswick address and your child goes to Hartwood.

Looking at my response it is pretty ridiculous there isn't a map that would show the boundaries and that map should be on line AND if necessary they could adjust the map if needed. I don't think the boundaries have changed in a long time and probably this district is set with enough elementary schools. I can't imagine anyone in the district not telling you what elementary school a certain home is in, but if the home is for sale, clearly the real estate agent would have to know. If it is a FSBO, then ask the owner. If they don't know, that would be pretty rare.

[MamieRose]

Agree that it is pretty odd, to say the least. And since someone brought up Mt. Lebanon, it should be noted that they share the attendance area map (admittedly hard to read) and a street listing to show what addresses attend what schools. What is up with Fox Chapel?

[Rocket88]

Mauers Lane and Hunt Road all the way to Buckingham Road go to Kerr. Buckingham Road and everything off of it and Guyasuta Road go to O'Hara.

[Merge]

I don't know about attacking FCSD for this issue... to me what's snobbish is the original poster basing his/her purchase decision on the elementary school the kids would attend in Fox Chapel. That's pretty over-the-top.

[caroline2]

Originally Posted by duplo

With talk of "River Rats," the fact that they don't publish official enrollment area maps (presumably due to gerrymandering?), and from reading a few other threads it seems like Fox Chapel might be snobbish?

I don't think snobbish is the right word. Even O'Hara, the most in-demand elementary school, has *wide* socioeconomic disparity and everyone gets along. The district gets incredibly high "value add" scores because it does a good job of educating all students, and isn't uniformly wealthy to begin with.

It's better described as cronyish, I'd say, just like all of SWPA. There are certain people who are going to get whatever it is that they want from the district -- exceptions to feeder patterns for their homes, the teachers they request, etc -- whereas most other people don't have a shot in hell.

[Joe Magarac]

Originally Posted by caroline2

The district gets incredibly high "value add" scores because it does a good job of educating all students, and isn't uniformly wealthy to begin with.

Do you have a source for this? The only school rankings that I know about compare kids' performance on standardized tests, which don't really measure the value that a district adds. If you know of anything or anyone that measures the value that a particular district or school adds to students' performance, I'd be grateful if you could share it.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by duplo

If school quality is a top criteria for buying a house, isn't it normal to research schools and their boundaries first and then look for houses specifically in those areas? It seems backwards to pick a house first and then find out what school it's in.

In particular, I'm researching the boundaries for O'Hara and Fairview elementary.

The boundary is pretty much Fox Chapel Road to Powers Run and then Fox Chapel Road to Squaw Run East. Not sure where it stops in the Forest but the new development, with streets like Woodvalley and Woodstream feed to O'Hara.

Good luck. Pros and Cons to both O'Hara and Fairview.

For what is is worth we are very happy with O'Hara.

And you should get a local realtor. That would help out a lot.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by Joe Magarac

Do you have a source for this? The only school rankings that I know about compare kids' performance on standardized tests, which don't really measure the value that a district adds. If you know of anything or anyone that measures the value that a particular district or school adds to students' performance, I'd be grateful if you could share it.

I don't know if you could call it value add, but the report from the Pittsburgh Business Times has an overachiever ranking. It takes into account the economic situation in the district. Specifically, the percentage of students identified as economically disadvantaged — those who qualify for free or reduced lunch — is included in the formula for calculating this ranking. See Pittsburgh-region school districts overachiever rankings - Pittsburgh Business Times

I don't think there is any other way to effectively measure the value added that a school provides, and compare it to other schools.