How are schools in Reno? Should we move there? (Las Vegas: transplants, crimes)

[handitak]

Originally Posted by momof3inreno

Hello, I am from Chicago as well....my advice...DON'T move here. First of all, there is NO PRESCHOOL here. What they call preschool is actually day care. The prices reflect this. The cheapest I could find for my 4 year old was $70 per WEEK for 2 half days. This is because it is actually day care where you can drop your child off as early as 6 am and the facitlity is open until 6 pm. The people here will swear it is preschool!!! I lived in Naperville, IL when my oldest was in preschool. I could not bring her in at 6am because they were not a DAYCARE and were not open. Traditional preschool (3 to 4 half days per week) is non existent here. We are moving back soon. This is a very lame, boring place with no culture whatsoever, and as the above poster stated--schools are rated the bottom in the country. I would NEVER recommend leaving Chicago for Reno. Chicago is better in every way (except for the weather).

I still cant get over the fact they still only do 1/2 day kindergarten here!

Talk about being in the dark ages!

My 14 yr old went to full day kindergarten in Maine, waaaaaay back when (age of 5) and Reno STILL has the 1/2 day process in place in 2008! Its pathetic!

Here are some things that have happened to us:

This week my 14 yr old was harassed and threatened at school repeatedly by the same girl. The girl threatened to hit her, got in her face for several days in a row, called her unthinkable names, along with derogatory comments. Thankfully, my kid is level headed and walks away, but I wrote to her counselor after the 2nd day of it happening and explained the situation. It's been 4 days today since I sent the email (THEIR preferred method of contact) and I havent heard a word back!

I had an instance last yr where I contacted a teacher, who wrote back and said, "what do you expect from ******, look at how her parents behave! She learns it all from them!" When the situation continued, and I stopped asking the teacher for help and went to the administration, the teacher denied me EVER talking to him about it and tried to throw me under the bus to save his own backside! I, however, save emails.

It's not a good place for kids education wise, I hate saying that, but its the truth.

BTW, there was a news report on TV 2 weeks ago that stated Washoe county schools are not permitted to serve food containg nuts or peanuts or things manufactured on nut machinary. This is a blatant lie, I have seen it with my own eyes.

Schools here tell you what they THINK you want to hear, not always what is the truth.

[verynicebecky]

My now 20 yr old daughter went to ALL DAY kindergarten in small-town, rural Oklahoma. My now 14 yr old son attended a pre-k program (held at his elementary school) in Oklahoma. When we moved to Reno almost 2 yrs ago he was appalled with what students get away with in and out of the classroom but joyful that there was very little homework! Now we live in the small town of Yerington. A few weeks ago John F. Kennedy was mentioned in class. The girl sitting behind my son asked, "Who is JFK?"

[handitak]

Originally Posted by verynicebecky

My now 20 yr old daughter went to ALL DAY kindergarten in small-town, rural Oklahoma. My now 14 yr old son attended a pre-k program (held at his elementary school) in Oklahoma. When we moved to Reno almost 2 yrs ago he was appalled with what students get away with in and out of the classroom but joyful that there was very little homework! Now we live in the small town of Yerington. A few weeks ago John F. Kennedy was mentioned in class. The girl sitting behind my son asked, "Who is JFK?"

This really hi-lights the issues NV has with education, there is a reason it is ranked 47th in the nation !

[chicagofamily]

Thank you all so much for your posts. I'm glad to hear the drug problem isn't a huge issue, but it sure sounds like the schools need to be improved. I'm really surprised about the lack of education options at an early age.

[MEfree30]

Reno is not the only place in the country that has little/no public pre-school and half day kindergarden...this seems to be standard for many places out West that we have lived or looked at including Davis, CA & Boulder, CO.

[schizrade]

Originally Posted by momof3inreno

Hello, I am from Chicago as well....my advice...DON'T move here. First of all, there is NO PRESCHOOL here. What they call preschool is actually day care. The prices reflect this. The cheapest I could find for my 4 year old was $70 per WEEK for 2 half days. This is because it is actually day care where you can drop your child off as early as 6 am and the facitlity is open until 6 pm. The people here will swear it is preschool!!! I lived in Naperville, IL when my oldest was in preschool. I could not bring her in at 6am because they were not a DAYCARE and were not open. Traditional preschool (3 to 4 half days per week) is non existent here. We are moving back soon. This is a very lame, boring place with no culture whatsoever, and as the above poster stated--schools are rated the bottom in the country. I would NEVER recommend leaving Chicago for Reno. Chicago is better in every way (except for the weather).

It always amazes me how people move to smaller cities and then Kvetch about how provincial it is compared to X. What did you expect? This is an area of 400,000 people, many of which have vastly different interests than people in Chicago or New York. Why you would move here and expect it to be what you left confuses me. The fact that you see the local culture and cultural aspects of Northern Nevada as non-existent shows that you have a very narrow definition of what is "cultural". It is sad that you are here bad mouthing a great area because it does not imitate Chicago. I have a feeling many people moved here BECAUSE it is nothing like NYC, Chicago or SF. If you need world class Opera on a weekly basis, don't move west of the Mississippi unless you go directly to Los Angeles.

Nevada is about freedom and open spaces, not stamped in iron societal rungs and forced standards. Some people cannot acclimate to that.

[MommaOf4Boys]

Originally Posted by schizrade

It always amazes me how people move to smaller cities and then Kvetch about how provincial it is compared to X. What did you expect? This is an area of 400,000 people, many of which have vastly different interests than people in Chicago or New York. Why you would move here and expect it to be what you left confuses me. The fact that you see the local culture and cultural aspects of Northern Nevada as non-existent shows that you have a very narrow definition of what is "cultural". It is sad that you are here bad mouthing a great area because it does not imitate Chicago. I have a feeling many people moved here BECAUSE it is nothing like NYC, Chicago or SF. If you need world class Opera on a weekly basis, don't move west of the Mississippi unless you go directly to Los Angeles.

Nevada is about freedom and open spaces, not stamped in iron societal rungs and forced standards. Some people cannot acclimate to that.

Moving here in 1994 from Washington state... I have been here a while. It used to be a nice place to live (before kids) although I did notice that people are not that friendly here (anyone who doesnt know what I mean by that needs to go to TX, NM, OK KS and they will understand right away...its a day and night difference), but now I wish I could leave here everyday. With the times, the job is what keeps us here for now. We moved to the North Valleys because we wanted a safe place for our kids and someplace out with nature. We live out by Redrock and what was a beautiful quiet family neighborhood has now turned into grafitti central. Im tired of seeing it every day, reading hispanic (grafitti reads ABC, Brown Pride and such) and other gang logos. My son and I witnessed a gun fired next to Silver lake school after school, which the media did a very good job of changing the entire street filled with cars and 80-100 hispanics (and yes, everyone was) gathered next to the school, to what they wrote 5-6 teenagers in the intersection? I was happy when they built the new middle school out in Cold Springs, so my son would not have to go to obrien (which I have heard a lot of things from our friends with students there) Last year was ok, this year is bad. My sons are constantly afraid. They are constantly ganged up on at school by gangs of kids. My son bought some pizza at school for 225 a slice, he bought a whole pizza (I know, not the best purchase he could have made, but pulled weeds and moved the neighbors lawn for that money. He wanted to share it with his friends, he offered his friend a slice and a "gang" came over and took every single piece. He didnt even get a slice. They also bully them for their money and threaten them. I asked him why didnt he talk to a teacher or someone and he said they will get beat up if they do. We also have had more bikes stolen than I can even count. They are locked at the school and these punks actually cut the locks, and if they dont do that, they steal the seats and parts. Our friends son just got suspended 2 weeks ago for hitting back after being punched in the face. When his dad asked him why he got suspended for protecting himself, they told him that if they hit back, they get the same punishment as the one who hit first. She then told him that if someone punches you in the face, you are supposed to drop the the ground and curl up into a ball??? My oldest starts high school next year...North Valleys...now the worst school in the district. I want my kids to learn and not live in fear. I dont think that the education is "that bad" here. Its the enviroment. Granted, For Gods Sake!!! we needed that train trench more than we needed more art and music classes in school. Lord knows, you dont want the casino customers to wait to go from casino to casino. A lot of people say that the education here is pretty bad...all I have to say to that is...If we have a top quality education, who will they have to work in the casinos (everyone knows they pay crap) Go into the peppermill and look at the places that the peppermill is bringing some of thier employees from croatia, chech (sp?) They dont have to pay benefits/taxes etc that way. Dig a little deeper into that one...they (the peppermill) has a contract to bring them here)

Do what we did and go down and sit in a class and just observe. The kids have no respect for the teachers and the teachers hands are tied. Every year is getting worse. We decided that we are going to put them in private school 9-12. I want to give them the best education possible and the greatest likelyhood of leaving this heartless place some day.

[am22reno]

The meth problem is insignificant. I lived and went to highscool there for several years and it is NOT a problem. However: once you start getting into Sun Valley and places like that it does become noticable.

[schizrade]

Originally Posted by MommaOf4Boys

Moving here in 1994 from Washington state... I have been here a while. It used to be a nice place to live (before kids) although I did notice that people are not that friendly here (anyone who doesnt know what I mean by that needs to go to TX, NM, OK KS and they will understand right away...its a day and night difference), but now I wish I could leave here everyday. With the times, the job is what keeps us here for now. We moved to the North Valleys because we wanted a safe place for our kids and someplace out with nature. We live out by Redrock and what was a beautiful quiet family neighborhood has now turned into grafitti central. Im tired of seeing it every day, reading hispanic (grafitti reads ABC, Brown Pride and such) and other gang logos. My son and I witnessed a gun fired next to Silver lake school after school, which the media did a very good job of changing the entire street filled with cars and 80-100 hispanics (and yes, everyone was) gathered next to the school, to what they wrote 5-6 teenagers in the intersection? I was happy when they built the new middle school out in Cold Springs, so my son would not have to go to obrien (which I have heard a lot of things from our friends with students there) Last year was ok, this year is bad. My sons are constantly afraid. They are constantly ganged up on at school by gangs of kids. My son bought some pizza at school for 225 a slice, he bought a whole pizza (I know, not the best purchase he could have made, but pulled weeds and moved the neighbors lawn for that money. He wanted to share it with his friends, he offered his friend a slice and a "gang" came over and took every single piece. He didnt even get a slice. They also bully them for their money and threaten them. I asked him why didnt he talk to a teacher or someone and he said they will get beat up if they do. We also have had more bikes stolen than I can even count. They are locked at the school and these punks actually cut the locks, and if they dont do that, they steal the seats and parts. Our friends son just got suspended 2 weeks ago for hitting back after being punched in the face. When his dad asked him why he got suspended for protecting himself, they told him that if they hit back, they get the same punishment as the one who hit first. She then told him that if someone punches you in the face, you are supposed to drop the the ground and curl up into a ball??? My oldest starts high school next year...North Valleys...now the worst school in the district. I want my kids to learn and not live in fear. I dont think that the education is "that bad" here. Its the enviroment. Granted, For Gods Sake!!! we needed that train trench more than we needed more art and music classes in school. Lord knows, you dont want the casino customers to wait to go from casino to casino. A lot of people say that the education here is pretty bad...all I have to say to that is...If we have a top quality education, who will they have to work in the casinos (everyone knows they pay crap) Go into the peppermill and look at the places that the peppermill is bringing some of thier employees from croatia, chech (sp?) They dont have to pay benefits/taxes etc that way. Dig a little deeper into that one...they (the peppermill) has a contract to bring them here)

Do what we did and go down and sit in a class and just observe. The kids have no respect for the teachers and the teachers hands are tied. Every year is getting worse. We decided that we are going to put them in private school 9-12. I want to give them the best education possible and the greatest likelyhood of leaving this heartless place some day.

Well I am sorry you have had such a negative experience. most of what you are complaining about is the result of Cali, TX and illegals migrating in. I left the area in 1997 to get some education and grow up. Well I did that and let me tell you, the problems here in Reno are SMALL compared to what is going on in California. That place is a wreck, which is sad, but it is true. To top it off, California punishes those that take care of themselves from the crime it helps breed. Reno is a nice corner of heaven. It is NOT the south, where the sugar-sweet "fake nice" is practiced. It is Libertarian, freedom loving and blunt. There are plenty of a-holes, yes. But there are some in every group. People out here are frank and to the point. It is cultural. A coworker of mine is from Alabama, and she has a hard time communicating with locals. I remind her that people are and have always been more forward and direct out here and that they mean no ill will. People aren't all rude, they are different.

Also, I work for a VERY lucrative company. There are some great places to work in the science and tech fields out here.

[SoCiEtY's ReBel]

Bottom line... Reno is just a glorified hick town!