School District Recommendations - Moving to Westchester (White Plains: daycare, how much)

[rachel6992]

Hi everyone,
I've done a fair bit of research online but would love to hear from the locals here...

We are moving in the summer to the Westchester area. I have a daughter entering the 2nd grade next year and our younger one will be entering kindergarten in a couple years. It's been a bit daunting trying to find a school district that would fit our needs. Right now, she's enrolled in the inner-city school district in Dallas, which quite frankly only have a handful of decent schools in it. We lucked out and live in an area with a great little local school. On paper, it doesn't look so great. It's got a 75% poverty rate and about half the kids are ESL students. However, the teachers are wonderful and the principal is really an amazing woman and it's a dual-language school, which we really love. So we're quite happy there. We really like the diversity in terms of ethnicity and various income levels - from quite low-income to middle class to upper-middle class, and her little circle of friends are as diverse as the school itself.

I've been on Niche and GreatSchools, so I know how the schools rate from a data perspective, but local insight from parents would be incredibly helpful too. My job will be in White Plains so I'd like to be within 30 minutes, if we end up going outside of WP. Daycare will also be a consideration for the little one, so we'd need a bit of choice in that aspect as well. Also for the record, I just about fell out of my chair when I saw how much daycare costs up there

Appreciate the help and insight!

[987ABC]

White Plains SD would work for you, and of course, you will then be able to live and work in the same city. And based on Westchester standards, housing in White Plains is fairly inexpensive, in large part because aspects of the SD which you find to be positive are viewed as being negative by many other people, especially those that can spend a lot on housing.

Also note that in Westchester you pay a huge premium for access to Manhattan. Since you don't need it, you shouldn't pay for it. Therefore, if you don't wind up living in White Plains, I would instead find something 30 minutes north, although many of those districts won't meet your diversity of ethnicity and income requirements.

In any event, very few districts in all of suburban NY would meet your criteria and not be horrible. White Plains might be one of the few that does meet your criteria and would be quite good.

[lisanicole1]

Originally Posted by rachel6992

Hi everyone,
I've done a fair bit of research online but would love to hear from the locals here...

We are moving in the summer to the Westchester area. I have a daughter entering the 2nd grade next year and our younger one will be entering kindergarten in a couple years. It's been a bit daunting trying to find a school district that would fit our needs. Right now, she's enrolled in the inner-city school district in Dallas, which quite frankly only have a handful of decent schools in it. We lucked out and live in an area with a great little local school. On paper, it doesn't look so great. It's got a 75% poverty rate and about half the kids are ESL students. However, the teachers are wonderful and the principal is really an amazing woman and it's a dual-language school, which we really love. So we're quite happy there. We really like the diversity in terms of ethnicity and various income levels - from quite low-income to middle class to upper-middle class, and her little circle of friends are as diverse as the school itself.

I've been on Niche and GreatSchools, so I know how the schools rate from a data perspective, but local insight from parents would be incredibly helpful too. My job will be in White Plains so I'd like to be within 30 minutes, if we end up going outside of WP. Daycare will also be a consideration for the little one, so we'd need a bit of choice in that aspect as well. Also for the record, I just about fell out of my chair when I saw how much daycare costs up there

Appreciate the help and insight!

For Daycare, I send my daughter to Bright Horizons in White Plains. We also sent my older son there from when he was 11 weeks through Kindergarten Prep (he is now in 1st grade). We have had a very positive experience. Both learned so much and were VERY ready for Kindergarten. It is a little pricey, but as you mentioned, most are. I believe if your child is under 2 the rate is 2400 per month (includes healthy hot breakfast and lunch plus afternoon snack). If your child is over 2 the rate is 2090 per month. Good luck in your search!