Average income in Portland?

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by PeacePlease

Checkout this article:

OregonLive.com: Everything Oregon

I've learned about school transfers by accident few months ago, and I think it is an interesting idea. However the article shows that it is not as simple as a transfer or an application..

That article has to do with transfering from one district to another. I'm talking about transfering to another school within the PPS district. I realize not everyone gets their first choice, but like I said, we got into three different schools as options during the lottery this year. Transferring to another district is completely different and involves tuition. Here's a link for school choice: PPS Welcome -- Enrollment and Transfer Center - Welcome

[Lillietta]

In the lottery this year I got into three different schools-

Isn't that just good luck? One shouldn't have to be in a city where one chooses by lottery or has to live in an expensive area. Good schools should be available to all students and if that is unrealistic, I guess I would move to the suburbs in order to have my children get a better education (Beaverton) if I could not afford private schools. Schools which are rated highly are always in the more expensive areas where referenda are passed, where parents make a strong investment in them and from property tax increases as it does here in Minnesota. Maybe that is not the case in Portland.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by PeacePlease

Nancy... don't mean to be difficult, but can you please give me two examples where I can get a 3 bedroom house in a school district that has an exceptional elementary and an exceptional or strong middle for $350k or less? MLS numbers are ok. Thanks.

Look into David Douglas School District's boundaries.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by Lillietta

In the lottery this year I got into three different schools-

Isn't that just good luck? One shouldn't have to be in a city where one chooses by lottery or has to live in an expensive area. Good schools should be available to all students and if that is unrealistic, I guess I would move to the suburbs in order to have my children get a better education (Beaverton) if I could not afford private schools. Schools which are rated highly are always in the more expensive areas where referenda are passed, where parents make a strong investment in them and from property tax increases as it does here in Minnesota. Maybe that is not the case in Portland.

That's if you really buy into the ratings system which really doesn't tell the entire story. Was it luck? I don't know--I didn't get into several, but again, I got into the others easily. Just depends I guess but that's also why you put more than one choice.

There are plenty of schools with satisfactory ratings that aren't bad schools. Typically the "exceptional" schools tend to be in the most expensive areas because those are the parents who push their kids and have the money/time to put a lot of emphasis on learning PRIOR to entering school and push during school. That doesn't mean that a school with a broader range of incomes and more diversity is BAD just because everyone doesn't get perfect test scores. Forest Park Elementary is an exceptional school and you couldn't pay me to send my child there! I've heard horror stories about the pressure on the kids socially, academically and with extra curricular activities. There is no time to just be a kid--it's all academics, all the time.
There's a big difference between a failing school and a satisfactory one. So yes, if you have to have an exceptional school in terms of ratings, then you'll need to live in an expensive area. If you realize that a school with a satisfactory rating can be just as good then you have more choices. It all comes down to parental involvement anyway. If you're involved in your child's school and home life your child will do well anyway. I also think the whole "PPS=bad schools" thing is totally overblown.

[PeacePlease]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

There's a big difference between a failing school and a satisfactory one. So yes, if you have to have an exceptional school in terms of ratings, then you'll need to live in an expensive area. If you realize that a school with a satisfactory rating can be just as good then you have more choices. It all comes down to parental involvement anyway. If you're involved in your child's school and home life your child will do well anyway. I also think the whole "PPS=bad schools" thing is totally overblown.

This is exactly the struggle I've been having in the past few months looking for a home in Portland