Comparing elementary schools in SJUSD (Sacramento, Orange: 2009, transfer to, neighborhood)

[MamaToThree]

I was hoping to get some real parent information on certain schools in the SJUSD. Open enrollment is approaching fast (1/9/09) and my daughter will be entering kindergarten in 2009.

Right now she attends a private Montessori school that does offer lower elementary and I'd love to keep here there. However, I'd like to ditch the tuition payments. It might be an option if we don't get our first choice. My first choice is California Montessori - either the AR or Carmichael campus. That is a separate lottery not held within the SJUSD, so for open enrollment I need to pick a back up school. Here are the choices:

Mission Open
Orangevale Open
Cambridge Heights Open
Green Oaks

I like Orangevale because it's K-8. I think a lot of children in her current preschool will attend this school, so that's also a plus. Mission and Cambridge are only K-6 and then we'd have to transfer to yet another middle school, which I'd prefer not to have to do.

It looks as if the week of Dec. 8-12 the schools offer tours, so I will be attending as many as I can (even schools that I don't think are in the running).

I think at some point we will get into a CMP campus, but do any of you have students in the above schools that can give me the positives and the negatives? I've already looked on GreatSchools and a few other sites like that. I'm more confused now after comparing them. Thanks so much.

[zen_klown]

Since no parents from any of these schools have responded, I will.

Attached is a list of Schools in Sacramento County by API score. Looking over the 4 schools you listed, they all seemed fairly comparable and all seem like pretty good schools.

County List of Schools

I think test scores are most helpful when their is a wide disparity among schools. The Schools in the 900's are much better than the schools in the 600's. But when test scores scores are pretty close like among these schools, what I think becomes most important is the level of parental involvement in a specfic school.

Absent better indicators, of involvement, I tend to go with average parental education as a proxy of parental involvement. Generally people with lots of education put a lot of value on education themselves. The Parent Teacher Organization will be stronger, there will be more parents volunteering at the school.

2007 API Growth School Report

2007 API Growth School Report

2007 API Growth School Report

2007 API Growth School Report

But you said you had some time before you have to make a decision and that you will be able to visit these schools. What I would look at is the budget of the PTO at these various schools and make a lot of my decisions based upon that.

I am assuming that the local schools will be facing budget cutbacks at the local schools because the state's budget is severely unbalanced. During budget cutbacks, its rare for school districts to actually cut teaching positions. Instead its the classified positions that get cut or eliminated. That means the hours of school librarian might get cut from 6 hours a day to 4 hours a day or the computer teacher, the art teacher or the science teacher all of whom teach while the primary teacher is on prep might have there hours cut or eliminated.

What strong PTO's can do is use their fundraising to make up for those shortfalls. Its not unheard of for the PTO to replace some or all of that funding that was lost. Also in these schools with strong PTO's often you will have parents volunteering in the schools to take over that position. If aids were cut in the reading or math programs, parent volunteers will step up to replace them. The mom who is the engineer volunteers to take over the science classes that were dropped by the district - that type of stuff happens too.

You said you will be able to visit these schools, when you do ask about the budget of the PTO's and ask if they are keeping track of how many hours have been donated by the parents to the local schools. My hunch is that the school with the biggest PTO budget and most number of parental volunteers will be the best school for your kid.

[MamaToThree]

I can't thank you ENOuGH for your response!! That is not even something I had considered. I will definitely be bringing that up. Thank you SO much!!!!

Would still love to hear any feedback from parents of these schools.

[CityGirl72]

All those are feeder schools and not regular neighborhood San Juan SD schools

I can't give you feedback for those though, I am looking around Earl LEgette or Twin Lake

but you can see other parents comments on greatschools.net

[Beth26]

I student taught at LeGette and loved it there.

[MamaToThree]

Originally Posted by Beth26

I student taught at LeGette and loved it there.

We have a neighbor and a cousin that goes to this school. I think I'm going to add it to my list of schools to tour. Thanks!!

[CityGirl72]

Just to add - we just got my son into Earl Legette - here's crossing our fingers to a good school year

[CaAppraiser]

Congrats! I think you will be very happy with the school. ;-)