Question on first "home"-Osisning, Tuckahoe, etc.

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by quelinda

Hey there beamer . I was wondering why you all tend to find Hartsdale schools "average".. or usually far worse. Why is that? The town seems to be in the general vicinity of all the other places that are supposed to have such wonderful schools. What is it about the place and the schools that is not so great?

For the towns past Yonkers but closest to the Manhattan (30 mile vicinity), which 3 towns have the best schools?

Hartsdale is Greenburgh Central and the Town of Greenburgh is the administrative arm of the schools, not the villages or communities as in the case of other schools in the Town of Greenburgh that have more local control. Greenville or Edgemont is Greenburgh and has a Scarsdale or Hartsdale address, and Irvington is also Greenburgh, as are Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, and Ardsley. Tarrytown is also Greenburgh, and it's district is about average as well.

The town is large and much of the wealth, and tax revenue, is concentrated within a few key districts where they can afford to spend more per student; thus, the results do tend to favor those districts. In Hartsdale, part of it is resources, and part of it is administrative control over a more diverse population than other more achievement-focused parents in other areas of the town.

Another factor in the achievement gap is due to the higher proportion of apartments in the area, that attract people without children, so there does not tend to be the same level of school-related focus as other more residential areas of the town. And, since Hartsdale is unincorporated, there is no village level oversight, focused on schools, as in nearby areas that have top-notch districts. Edgemont is an exception, however, as it, too, is unincorporated, but it is comprised almost exclusively of single family homes that attract an upper middle class population, and it has its own school district and administrative authority.

As a community, there's nothing wrong with Hartsdale at all. Within the area, there are some quaint houses that represent a pretty good value insofar as Westchester real estate prices. It's convenient to White Plains, the city, and surrounding shopping in nearby villages. Many with children tend to look to other districts for similar (generally a little more) house prices and tax rates, since they offer a better return on investment.

For other school districts that are top performers in this area of Lower Westchester, I'd look to Pelham, Bronxville and Scarsdale. Bronxville and Scarsdale are very specific, however, since the zip codes straddle other areas, and you must be within the municipal borders for the schools. Scarsdale has issues of being pressure cooker district and the town/village (it's both - done to prevent annexation by White Plains many years ago) may not meet one's idea of a relaxed community as there is a competitive drive that pervades many who reside in the area.

Ardsley, Irvington, Hastings-on-Hudson, and Dobbs Ferry are great school districts in the Town of Greenburgh. And, while Bronxville tops the three Town of Eastchester districts, Tuckahoe (though tiny), and Eastchester school districts are very good, though slightly below Pelham, Ardsley et al. Rounding out this area of Westchester, the Town of Mamaroneck (Larchmont, Mamaroneck, part of Rye Neck) has well-regarded schools.

If you want to stay on the Hudson shore, above Yonkers, I would look to Irvington, Ardsley, Hastings, and Dobbs Ferry. If you like the Sound Shore, look to Pelham, Larchmont-Mamaroneck. And, for Central Westchester, Bronxville, Scarsdale, Edgemont/Greenville, and the Eastchester districts of Tuckahoe and Eastchester.

[quelinda]

That was so helpful . Thanks, I'll be re-reading your post and digesting it a bit more. I'm still about 1.5 to 2 years from buying, but starting to get acquainted with the area from this board and a real estate site. Its fun to poke through the houses on there..

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by quelinda

That was so helpful . Thanks, I'll be re-reading your post and digesting it a bit more. I'm still about 1.5 to 2 years from buying, but starting to get acquainted with the area from this board and a real estate site. Its fun to poke through the houses on there..

You're welcome, quelinda. It's never too early to begin to do homework, especially with something as important as a house for your family.

[havoc315]

Hartsdale is located geographically close to very affluent areas, with excellent schools. Hartsdale (Greenburgh) schools were not always horrible but as sometimes happens in economically and ethnically diverse areas, sometimes the scale tips. And when the scale tips, the more affluent members of the community begin to universally send their children to private schools, leaving the school as servicing exclusively the lower income members of the community.

I grew up in a similar school district--- In Rockland County, East Ramapo schools. This was 20 years ago. The schools were socio-economically and racially diverse. Overall, at that time, East Ramapo schools were fairly well regarded, maybe a notch below Clarkstown. But had plenty of National Merit Scholars, top college placements. But as some point, there was a shift in the balance. The school district is now entirely low income families. There are still plenty of more affluent people living within East Ramapo, but they exclusively send their kids to private schools.

Same thing happened in Greenburgh/Hartsdale.

It can make it very difficult to judge these schools. Test scores are certainly correlated to family wealth for a variety of reasons. But when dealing with inner city school districts, or very low income school districts, it doesn't automatically mean a child can't get a good education there.

[havoc315]

Originally Posted by quelinda

Hey there beamer . I was wondering why you all tend to find Hartsdale schools "average".. or usually far worse. Why is that? The town seems to be in the general vicinity of all the other places that are supposed to have such wonderful schools. What is it about the place and the schools that is not so great?

For the towns past Yonkers but closest to the Manhattan (30 mile vicinity), which 3 towns have the best schools?

30 miles covers most of Westchester. And honestly, different schools could be considered the "best" for different reasons.

We currently reside in Chappaqua. The High School has been rated among the best in the country. I believe the Wall Street Journal ranked it as the best high school in the country. US News and World Report ranked it as the 46th best high school overall, and 11th best among public schools.

So is it 1 of the 3 best school districts?
Perhaps. But we have concerns about it being overly competitive, a pressure cooker... And we are seriously contemplating a move elsewhere.

Of course, there is also the question of whether you prefer big schools or small schools. There are questions of preferences for racial, ethnic and economic diversity.

Putting all that aside, I always feel the prestige of a school district is measured by their SAT scores and college placement. (But prestige should not automatically be confused with real quality).
So, the most prestigious school districts within 30 miles of Manhattan, in Westchester, are probably:
Chappaqua
Scarsdale
Edgemont
Rye
Rye Brook
Irvington
Bronxville

[quelinda]

Thanks havoc..love all of your informative posts. Actually you sort of hit the nail on the head with your analysis. I am looking more for a school where a smart kid can get a good education in a fun, safe environment that promotes learning and being a nice citizen. This is my criteria and not "prestige". If I could find somewhere with those qualities very near the city, then it would be preferable if it were ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. But without the various income levels compromising safety or quality education. Definitely not interested in a high pressured environment for my daughter, though still a motivated one.

[havoc315]

In our own personal re-evaluation, balancing a good level of prestige on a high quality, affluent district, but still a bit more down-to-earth, we have leaned towards the river towns. Specifically, Ardsley, Irvington, Croton, and possibly Dobbs Ferry.

Even these schools are not exactly extraordinarily diverse, but more diverse than the list I posted earlier. By far, the least diverse school district in Bronxville.

[Kreutz]

Hello.

I rented a 3br in Tuckahoe and move in shortly. Yonkers was about 300-400 a month cheaper for the "good parts", but that was still too congested for me. Tuckahoe seemed to have what I was looking for, so I will rent for a year or two while growing my down payment fund ever larger ( I usually sock away 3k a month).

The only loss is had I went to Yonkers I could have used the metro north line to get to Marble Hill which would have been great for inclement weather, I guess I could drive to the station in Hastings if I need to though? I plan on avoiding downtown Yonkers like the plague.

And I do think prices will keep coming down, which is good for us young families.