Royal Palm BEach (Coral Springs, Davie, Boca Raton: low income, best towns, to rent)

[AJ1972]

I'm just curious why (other than the reasons listed in the Family magazine article) this city was voted in the top 10 places to raise a family. Just because of good schools and the decision to open a park can't be the "only" reason.
Are there a lot of extra-curricular activities for kids, etc.?

[compelled to reply]

I still can't find the newest link from the actual website, all I found was this...

10 Best Towns for Families: And the Winners Are: Castle Rock, CO

I cant help for the town but if I can find the methodology I will post it up immediately.

Well, I looked up the schools in Royal Palm compared to Cooper City which was a South FL city that made the list last year and, well, here you go...

http://www.greatschools.net/city/Royal_Palm_Beach/FL
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Cooper_City/FL

For comparison purposes here are some other South FL cities that generally have a good reputation.
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Wellington/FL
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Boca_Raton/FL
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Davie/FL
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Weston/FL
http://www.greatschools.net/city/Coral_Springs/FL

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I still can't find the newest link from the actual website, all I found was this...

10 Best Towns for Families: And the Winners Are: Castle Rock, CO

I cant help for the town but if I can find the methodology I will post it up immediately.

Well, I looked up the schools in Royal Palm compared to Cooper City which was a South FL city that made the list last year and, well, here you go...

Royal Palm Beach schools - Royal Palm Beach public schools - Royal Palm Beach school ratings - Best Royal Palm Beach schools
Cooper City schools - Cooper City public schools - Cooper City school ratings - Best Cooper City schools

For comparison purposes here are some other South FL cities that generally have a good reputation.
Wellington schools - Wellington public schools - Wellington school ratings - Best Wellington schools
Boca Raton schools - Boca Raton public schools - Boca Raton school ratings - Best Boca Raton schools
Davie schools - Davie public schools - Davie school ratings - Best Davie schools
Weston schools - Weston public schools - Weston school ratings - Best Weston schools
Coral Springs schools - Coral Springs public schools - Coral Springs school ratings - Best Coral Springs schools

Wow! Looking at the median incomes for Cooper City, and especially Weston, it looks like we're talking some high dollar areas to live!

[TriMT7]

Oh, and to address the original poster's, question, I believe "affordability" was one of the factors that went into the ranking. I started a thread with a link to the article here:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/west-...-top-10-a.html

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Wow! Looking at the median incomes for Cooper City, and especially Weston, it looks like we're talking some high dollar areas to live!

I think people in Cooper City actually live within their means compared to some of the other cities on that list. Median housing cost in Cooper City is around 280k vs over 400k in Boca where the median income is less. You can buy a nice, decent sized well maintained 70s style house in Cooper City with no HOA for around 280k and falling. If you want one of those newer style homes 325k and falling. Granted not cheap but not anywhere near the worst in the area for the high quality of life in that area. The median income is high but if you actually go there, it's pretty much "Middle America", not a ritzy high-dollar feeling area by any stretch of the word. I have to visit Royal Palm for myself however before I speak for that area. I see that the "cost of living" index on my link is much lower.

I have a question while we are on this topic though; why is Royal Palm Beach High ranked so low? There are some inner city schools that are ranked that bad. Is it zoned for "ghetto" areas that aren't anywhere near the school?

I really want to hear a bit more. I know a lot about Wellington because I have family up there and they have been out there since it was a cow/polo town but not a lot about Royal Palm. I just never had any reason to go there or ask about it, and I thought I knew every nook and cranny of Broward and Palm Beach County...

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

T

I have a question while we are on this topic though; why is Royal Palm Beach High ranked so low? There are some inner city schools that are ranked that bad. Is it zoned for "ghetto" areas that aren't anywhere near the school?

Look at the school bus route

Palm Beach School District

.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Look at the school bus route

Palm Beach School District

.

I don't know the streets so I can't figure that out. I'm trying to find a district map.

http://cms.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/cms/u...le/High_07.pdf

tri- How are those areas that the school is zoned for? As far as I know most of it is west of Jog and not Belle Glade so I don't see where any lower income areas would be but most of that area in the zone is like a foreign land to me.

Also, I want to make it clear that I am not bashing low income students at all but a lot of challenges form in that kind of envrionment which can detract from a high school aged kid achieving their full potential and thus lower test scores.

[runswithscissors]

More:

http://www.city-data.com/school/roya...school-fl.html

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

I don't know the streets so I can't figure that out. I'm trying to find a district map.

The bus appears to go east about 10 miles to downtown WPB..at Australian Av at 15th....by Mangonia Amtrak....a couple short blocks from Dunbar Village. But I don't know if Dunbar is supposed to use that bus...regardless....the last time I was there I made the wrong turn at the Amtrak and one block down I knew I was off course. The very first (sad looking) house had a big old cardboard sign in chalk rooms to rent no ss needed.



Cool Map board of ed:

http://gis.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/addresslocator/

[Desdemona25]

I know the roads a little better. As soon as I saw that Australian and Broadway were listed as part of the route, that would have answered the ghetto area question.

There are also kids from Belle Glade that attend. I knew that as soon as I saw "West Compound" as the originating spot for the route.

So, it's a bit of a mix. I've also heard the same about Palm Beach Central High.

I looked at the boundary map for RPB High and the bus pickup areas that are way east by the Mangonia Park station and way west in Belle Glade are not listed. Perhaps they have some sort of academy type programs that allow for those who live outside the assigned boundaries to attend.