Need feedback on *these* elementary schools in Issaquah & Lake Washington school districts (Sammamish: apartment complex)

[AceShopper]

After looking up information on schools in the Issaquah & Lake Washington school districts, for my first pass, I narrowed it down to following elementary schools and would like some feedback:

Issaquah SD:
- Endeavour Elementary
- Discovery Elementary

Lake Washington SD:
- Mann Elementary
- Rockwell Elementary
- Wilder Elementary
- Alcott Elementary
- Blackwell Elementary

If you or anyone you know has experience with children going to these schools, please post your comments/observations/experiences. If you have any specific comments about any teachers, that would be helpful as well.

As a side question: If anyone can suggest some rental properties in the neighborhood of these schools, it would be great. We have 3 very "active" boys - so, proximity to some sort of playground, park, biking trails etc would be top of the list.

[usernametaken]

I teach one class a week at Discovery. I like it a lot. Friendly teachers, lots of space, diverse group of kids, volunteers guiding pedestrians when the numerous buses come by and more. If you want to learn anything specific, I can ask when I go there this week.

[AddyLaddy]

My daughter started 1st Grade @ Discovery last October. She seems to be very happy there.
If you want more info, send us a PM and I'll get my wife to reply.

We're renting just up the road from Discovery so we can walk her to school and back. Our development has a little play park and there is another behind the Sammamish library.

Pine Lake park is one of my favourites with play frames and the beautiful lake, but we've only been in the country since October, so we're still finding out where to go.

There are mountain bike trails at Soaring Eagle and Duthie Hill which are over towards Beaver Lake.

[AceShopper]

Thanks AddyLaddy! That sounds really nice !

Walking to school & back - wish we could do it here but it's just too cold. Whatever info you can send my way would be good - I will send you a PM as well.

So far in all my searches, I have not seen an apartment complex that is near any of the above schools. There are lots of homes around the schools, but the apartments are a little ways off.

That is exactly what I would look for in a neighborhood - Easy walking access to schools .. parks .. a library nearby .. biking trails not too far off ... and a lake ?? That is so cool!

[Hemlock140]

We have 3 lakes within a few miles, Sammamish, Pine and Beaver.

This area grew fast with a lot of single family residential developments in the 80s and 90s. Developers were required to provide land for schools to support those homes. Not a lot of apartments were built, and those went in the commercial areas, not near schools.

We're in the Mead school area, and the apartments feeding to it are over a mile away, with bus service to bring in the kids.

You really can't go wrong with any of the Lake WA or Issaquah schools.

[texastrigirl]

You will be happy at any of the Issaquah schools you listed and likely Lake WA too though I don't have personal experience with that SD. We are at Creekside (the newest elem school in Issaquah SD, just opened this year) and prior to that were at Sunny Hills. Creekside is comprised of kids from Sunny Hills and Discovery, is green built, has all the latest technology and pulled a fabulous pool of teachers from schools all over the Issq SD. The experience has been terrific for us at both schools and I don't think the experience will be any different at Discovery or Endeavor. I have friends with kids at both and they are happy. Here's another report that gives some school info.

Washington | School performance | Fraser Institute

[AddyLaddy]

There are apartments off the 228th near the Pine Lake Medical centre and also near to Sunny Hills elementary next to the QFC (Madison). And there are some in Klahanie called Summer walk?

Otherwise you can expect to pay about $1 per sq ft to rent a SFH. A house in our neighbourhood was just posted on Craigslist (avail 1 May);

Single family home for rent & great location

But as you can see you don't get much of a yard with this development, but there is a very nice play park around the corner.

[jenlion]

Rockwell an Horace Mann are both overcrowded. I don't know about the other schools; these are the two in my neighborhood, so those are the two I hear lot of moaning about. My son is three now, and I'm concerned about it; the levy to relieve elementary overcrowding failed awhile back.

My friends with kids in these schools say that they're still "really good schools", it's just sad when they see special things like art or science rooms dismantled for more classroom space. These are hardly the worst problems a school could have, but there really are far too many kids for the buildings. Again, no idea if this applies to the other schools in question, or not.

I know a family that is divorcing a few blocks from me that's in a somewhat older SFH that was renting for either 1600 or 1800 a month. They'd love to get out from under their lease. :-D There's room for three active kids in that house.