Pelham or Larchmont schools? (New Rochelle, White Plains: house, neighborhoods, to buy)

[justarrived]

We have been looking for a house for the last 6 months in both of these towns but we are hesitant to buy at the moment because we think the market will go down even further. We like Larchmont but have heard the schools are not as good as Pelham schools. What is the difference with the school district, other than Larchmont schools share a high school with Mamaroneck? Is Pelham middle school and high school good?

[demkew]

Pelham and Larchmont schools are very comparable and both excellent. Mamaroneck High School, which includes Larchmont, is slightly larger in terms of graduating class than Pelham. They both perform very well in most areas, including college placement, AP testing, SAT scores, and Regents testing. Both have a small non-affluent group of kids mixed in with a much larger, very affluent grouping, so there is slightly more economic diversity than you would find in north westchester schools like Briarcliff or North Salem. Both have two villages that feed into their schools, in the case of Pelham Memorial High School it is Pelham Manor and Pelham, for Mamaroneck High School it is Larchmont and Mamaroneck. The villages of Pelham Manor and Larchmont are very similar demographically (read rich) and the small economic diversity the schools have come from the small middle class pockets that are in the Villages of Pelham and Mamaroneck. Most people I have spoken to seem to prefer Pelham, but the truth is they are both very very similar. Pelham has a new middle school building which is state of the art. Good drama programs, committed faculty, and smart students. Pelham elementary schools are consistently top state performers, as are Larchmonts.

Bottom line is you can't go wrong with either. Great choices. Your decision should rest on other factors. I personally prefer Pelham's housing and neighborhoods and Larchmont's downtown.

[rubygreta]

As is the case for 90% of the school districts in Westchester County, if your children are bright, motivated and hard working, they will do fine. If they are not they won't. Worrying about the nuances and demographic differences of the school districts is a waste of time and effort.

Bottom line - slackers in Scarsdale don't do well; achievers in White Plains and New Rochelle go to the Ivy's.

[havoc315]

rubygreta, an excellent point and you are entirely correct.
There is something to be said, for wanting your children surrounded by more achievers, so there is some peer pressure to advance academically. That said, many would say that a place like Scarsdale can be overly competitive, with too much peer pressure.
I can understand wanting a "good" school district, and wanting to avoid "bad" school districts, but once you hit a certain level of quality, it all comes down to the child and the parents.