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Wife & I are thinking of applying for a job in Charleston (job is downtown). Pretty sure we could get it, but want to know if its possible to live in a real, walkable urban area & still have access to good public elementary schools?? We would just move downtown & send our kid to private school, but we really cant afford it.
We know Summerville is a good area for public schools, but we currently live in suburbia right now (in FL) & honestly dont care for it. So we dont want to get stuck in another "suburban hell" & have to commute everywhere we want to go, take care of a giant yard, etc. We've done it for 3 years & its really wearing thin. Thanks.
If you can get into Buist Academy (an academic magnate that is pretty brutal to get into because of limited slots & needing to be pulled from a lottery just to test to then get in) then yes downtown can fit the bill.
Otherwise you have to fudge a little bit. Close in west ashley- Old Windemere, Byrnes Down, etc is walkable and has local shops/restaurants/bars and is zoned for a good elementary school (St andrews math & science) and middle school (CE williams.) This is more like what most people would consider a first ring suburb/urban village than a true urban setting but it does have sidewalks, neighborhood hangouts, its own vibe.
Old Town Mt Pleasant might also be an option but it is less dense but very beautiful.
Daniel Island could also fit the bill but that drive would be brutal.
Yeah, West Ashley would be doable. I've visited Charleston many times (even lived in MT Pleasant briefly) & know the area well, so W Ashley would def be OK. And its basically just a bridge away from downtown. Heck, I could bike there in probably 10-15 minutes tops. Anyways, that would be an absolute DREAM compared to what we have to do now.
So considering that, would you say St Andrews School of Math & Science is about all there is in that area, or are there others in W Ashley too?? But if that school is the best in that area, I guess that's what we'll work with.
Yes, I'd focus on SASMS as well. You can see their yearly report cards here (http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2008/Elementary/comprehensive/E1001082.pdf - broken link).
If you live downtown your chances are much better to get into Buist than others.
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