Also considering move (Miami, Sebastian: low income, real estate, rentals)

[Cryinsham30]

My family is also considering a move to the PSl area, the schools are our biggest concern, we have 1 going into her Junior Year, 1 starting freshman next year and 1 that will be in elementary in a year. Right now they are in great schools, A/B students, junior is in majority AP classes and is 1st chair baritone horn/marching as well and looking to go to FSU. They have been to schools in 4-5 different states as well as Germany (DoD school) so we are not as concerned about culture shock as we are about them just having a clear safe path to graduation, because they will seek out the opportunities if they exist. Which brings us back to the problem and question:

Is PSl or Treasure coast so bad that the teachers spend more time with disciplinary issues or safety issues etc. or that the student body is more aligned with a vocational path than college path that the opportunities don't even exist? Is the gaitlin/becker or the areas just east of I-95/california blvd unsafe or just unsavory?

We are coming from Central Oklahoma were while I was active duty we also ran a dairy goat farm, but due to health complications we have to shutdown and move back to a "city life" and wife is a Miami native and I am a Jax native. Work is not a concern for us, and I feel as though PSL is still in a rebound stage from the crash, so there is hope for improvement, but I just hate seeing that much in taxes on properties and schools like they are. We are really torn over this, we would love to buy into better, but it is not a reality for us, but we could choose merrit island/cocoa or Vero beach etc. if the schools really are that bad. I see people say they are bad, or that they won't send their children there, but they won't say why.

[runswithscissors]

Nothing like insulting 165,000 people. AND the entire "Treasure Coast"? Also interesting work is not a concern but you can't afford "better".

If you go to Great Schools website you can see ratings and read reviews about all 93 schools.

With such overachievers in your family I'm surprised you didn't know that.

[Cryinsham30]

Nothing in my post was an insult, but honest questions. Work is not a concern because I am disabled and we have enough saved up to buy a small house after the money we make from selling our farm. How was anything I said insulting? because there may be more vocational push at PSl and treasure coast high schools? that is not a bad thing, just a different thing and the schools may not be what I want for my children based on their desires/current path, if they are as bad as some on THIS forum make them out to be. I am actually apologetic if you think my post was insulting, if I felt negatively about PSl I wouldn't consider moving there, but it is a fact that other areas with a higher cost of living in south Florida have better rated schools both on great schools and using other/better metrics such as grad and post secondary ed rates, AP test pass rates etc. Those areas are also often mentioned on here such as Martin county etc.

Thanks for trying to derail my thread, which is weird because so often your one of the few on here who seem to provide helpful information, maybe its just in the way I communicate, I dunno.

My question still stands however, are the schools really as bad as people on this forum make them out to be? if your one of the ones that won't send your kid to Treasure coast or decided against a move to Port st lucie because of the schools, WHY?

[Cryinsham30]

Ahh I see what the mix up may be, by Treasure coast and PSL, I meant specifically the High schools of the same name, not the areas. You see great schools has TCHS as a 5 and PSL as a 4, florida has TC as a B and PSL as a C, but those are based mostly on test scores, and with the higher ethnic population and large economically challenged percentage of students, standardized testing is not the most telling of a way to measure a school (based on even GS's own admission). I do not feel they are "bad" schools, but others who live or who have spent time in the area say they are, so I am asking what makes them bad? is there violence? drugs? etc. Even using the schools own website many of the programs offered are more in line with vocational based education, and they may not have the same opportunities or paths that they are all ready on here, such as my oldest is slated to start trig in her junior year, TCHS does not have a trig course, so she would have to take calc I believe. That is a small example, my middle child may learn better in TCHS or in a k-12 program/vocational or even my youngest may.

What is known, is based on a fixed income from the VA and our savings, it is hard to beat the housing/overall environment PSL has to offer, but there are concerns.

[newred5]

Do not have school age children but do have a 2 yr old grandson in the area . I think it would be safe to say one of the reasons the housing prices in PSL are less than say Martin County is the school ratings . I've always been a believer in the school ratings are kind of not a true indication of students performances but rather how much the students want to learn and parents are involved in the students and schools life per say . Many choose PSL for the housing prices and wonderful features but choose private schools, home schooling and I see where St Lucie County has online and virtual schools as well which seem intresting .
I'm pretty sure you can't have Florida weather, super rated schools , the best of shopping and dining and very low priced housing stock ...in a real world sense you get what you pay for , most of the time anyway

[Cryinsham30]

Originally Posted by newred5

Do not have school age children but do have a 2 yr old grandson in the area . I think it would be safe to say one of the reasons the housing prices in PSL are less than say Martin County is the school ratings . I've always been a believer in the school ratings are kind of not a true indication of students performances but rather how much the students want to learn and parents are involved in the students and schools life per say . Many choose PSL for the housing prices and wonderful features but choose private schools, home schooling and I see where St Lucie County has online and virtual schools as well which seem intresting .
I'm pretty sure you can't have Florida weather, super rated schools , the best of shopping and dining and very low priced housing stock ...in a real world sense you get what you pay for , most of the time anyway

Most of the time that is true yes, but I am hoping/researching if the rating is crap because of poor test takers, poor educators or discipline problems. I get the sense it is mostly great kids in lower cost of living area and if the kids (any or mine) want the education, it is there for them.

[HarryWho?]

I would like to add that Sebastian would be a good choice. It's just north of Vero. Small city of 20k. Sebastian River High has an IB program and one of the best music programs in the state. Housing is affordable and varied. There's a very nice small charter middle school and an choice of several elementary schools.

[FlaLadyB]

the reason prices in PSL are less than Martin Co is not because of the schools. Its because PSL was able to build new homes and thereby needed more schools - Martin Co refused to allow building at all. Less homes = higher prices. Now it means higher prices and old houses.

The Gatlin area is far from an "unsavory" area by any means. You can't fault an entire area because one person doesn't like it or someones child had problems in their school. It is not a low income area either. A lot of the new construction that happend in the building boom was west of the turnpike to I95. That's where the land was available.

[newred5]

Originally Posted by FlaLadyB

the reason prices in PSL are less than Martin Co is not because of the schools. Its because PSL was able to build new homes and thereby needed more schools - Martin Co refused to allow building at all. Less homes = higher prices. Now it means higher prices and old houses.

The Gatlin area is far from an "unsavory" area by any means. You can't fault an entire area because one person doesn't like it or someones child had problems in their school. It is not a low income area either. A lot of the new construction that happend in the building boom was west of the turnpike to I95. That's where the land was available.

That's for you insight in this , do you not think that the school system has a say in the pricing as well ? I have heard lots of persons say they would t live in PSL because of the schools( unfounded mainly IMO) and they move to martin county . As a layperson in the real estate game but an interested party I always assumed the the schools was the bigger factor but I do remember you mentioning before about martin Counties building ban

[FlaLadyB]

If you look at rentals... you can get a pool home here, at the moment, for $1495. If you were to look at the same house in Martin County you would see a price tag over $2000.

If you look at a house in Martin Co for say $150 -- specific $147,900 1296 sq ft built in 1977 1 car garage 3/2

If you look at a house in PSL - $147,340 2078 sq ft built in 2005 2 car gar 4/2
(there are a lot more homes avail in the price range to pick from-this is just one) also West of the turnpike.


If people were able to AFFORD to go to Martin Co for the schools, I guess they would, if that is the importance in their life. But... affordability is NOT a word I would use for Martin Co. Unless you want a much older home or have a lot more money to spend -and this was just at appro $150.