which school district is good (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills: chapel, house, top schools)

[anybody]

we about to move to pittsburgh , the good school district is the biggest concern of my family, i heard from some people talk about the Franklin Park,
is anybody know about this area?

[guylocke]

OH NO not school district!! hahaha j/k - a little inside joke on the forum!

here are some of the very best around the city

Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, North Hills, Seneca Valley, Upper St Claire, Mt. Lebanon, Quaker Valley, and Pine-Richland

Franklin Park is part of North Allegheny School District where Christina Aguilera went! LOL

And yes it has a VERY good reputation.

North Allegheny is a VERY large school district. A few cities that are part of the school district include Marshall Township, McCandleness, Bradford Woods, and Frankling Park. Together this entire area is known as "Wexford" a thriving town that has plenty of room to continue to grow. This is about a 25 minute commute from downtown Pittsburgh.

[claremarie]

Top school districts (measured by the usual test scores, college placements, advanced course offerings, etc.) are almost always found in the areas with the highest socioeconomic standing. Generally, if you want a good school district, find the areas with the most expensive housing. Mount Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, North Allegheny have longstanding reputations for good schools, because they have lots of affluent, educated parents who demand them.
Pittsburgh has some strange school districts (Fox Chapel,for example) in which affluent boroughs team up with less affluent neighbors, so the rule doesn't always apply, but it's a pretty good guideline. In the case of Fox Chapel, keep in mind that many of its affluent residents send their children to private schools.
Most school districts have websites with the relevant information regarding test scores, numbers of low-income students, graduation rates, etc. You can also compare schools online on various websites -- one is greatschools.com.
You might also consider the size of the district. Some families are happier in a smaller district (Avonworth, for example, has ONE elementary school, ONE middle school and ONE high school) that a huge one like North Allegheny, even though NA might have better stats. If you live in the outer parts of the NA district, it's a long bus ride to the high school.

[kiggis13]

I'm suprised no one ever talks about West Jefferson Hills school district. It has an average size (about 250/class) and I believe it is ranked 8th in Allegheny County. The boroughs that make up the district are Pleasant Hills, Jefferson Hills, and West Elizabeth. The thing I liked about it (sorry if I sound like i'm tooting my own horn) is that despite its mixed socio-economic nature (middle class in Pleasant Hills and the older parts of Jefferson, upper-middle/upper class in parts of Jefferson, and lower/working class in West E. and other parts) everybody gets along and mixes well. There is relatively little of the snobish rich kid attitude (although there is some) you sometimes hear about in some of the more affluent districts.

[guylocke]

You're right, I did forget West Jefferson and it does indeed have an excellent reputation!

[PghREA]

Log on to Pine-Richland's website and check out the data.

Not all people with Wexford mailing addresses go to North Allegheny Schools.
The town of Wexford is in Pine Township and the kids go to Pine-Richland schools.

McCandless, Franklin Park, Marshall and Bradford Woods go to North Allegheny.

[Hopes]

Here's a link to the actual high school rankings in Allegheny County:

1 Mt Lebanon
2 Upper Saint
3 Moon
4 Hampton
5 Quaker Valley
6 Bethel Park
7 North Hills
8 Fox Chapel
9 Pine-Richland
10 Baldwin
11 Deer Lakes
12 South Fayette
13 North Allegheny
14 West Allegheny
15 Riverview
16 Thomas Jefferson
17 Carlynton
18 South Park
19 Plum
20 Gateway
21 Northgate
22 Shaler Area
23 Montour
24 Avonworth
25 Elizabeth
26 Pittsburgh Hs Creat & Per Arts
27 Allderdice Pittsburgh
28 Brentwood
29 Steel Valley
30 West Mifflin Area
31 Chartiers Valley
32 Keystone Oaks
33 Schenley Pittsburgh
34 South Allegheny
35 Woodland Hills
36 Springdale
37 Langley Pittsburgh
38 McKeesport Area
39 Highlands
40 Cornell
41 Perry Traditional Academy Pittsburgh
42 East Allegheny
43 Sto-Rox
44 Carrick Pittsburgh
45 Brashear Pittsburgh
46 Penn Hills
47 Northside Urban Pathways
48 Clairton
49 Letsche Ed Ctr Pittsburgh
50 Peabody Pittsburgh
51 Oliver Pittsburgh
52 Westinghouse Pittsburgh
53 South Vo-Tech Pittsburgh
54 Duquesne
55 Pressley Ridge
56 Wilkinsburg
57 Craig House
58 Wesley Highland
59 Holy Family Institute
60 Children's Inst Day
61 Western Pa Sch For The Deaf
62 Katharine Dean Tillotso
63 McNaugher Sp Ed Ctr Pittsburgh
64 Pioneer Ed Ctr Pittsburgh

http://www.psk12.com/rating/USthreeR...untyID_20.html

[SueJ999]

Wow, thanks Hopes!

I just KNEW West Allegheny had to be fairly high up there on the list! (OK... I did my horn-tootin' for the day!)

[Hopes]

0987654321, you've simply described today's society, not just East Allegheny.

My son encountered drug users in honors and advanced placement classes and all sports teams at one of the areas top schools.

It's the 'good' kids who do drugs these days. Sad, but true.

And the districts that have the most wealth have kids who have more money to spend on drugs.

No school district is going to prevent a child from being exposed to drugs.

Parents just needs to work very hard at keeping their children off drugs regardless of the environment.

[BMH47]

Pittsburghs suburban area is made up of the North Hills and beyond the South Hills and beyond, East Pittsburgh and beyond, and West with the city in the middle. You may also consider Peters township it is just beyond the County limits and south of the city. The schools are first class but it wasnt mentioned in the below list because it is just outside county lines. 11 miles south of Pitts. and one of the most beautiful townships near the city. The average home price is rather high but the taxes are low compared to Mt. Lebo and Upper Saint Clair. South Hills is the way to go. It has the best public transportation as well.