Should our family we move to the North Shore for the schools? (Chicago: fit in, renting)
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We are living in the suburbs and like our culturally diverse town. However, we are not impressed with the public school systems in the area.
Our children are now attending a good private elementary school. However, we'd like them to eventually attend good public middle and high schools. Considering the way Illinois schools are funded, I believe we must move into a more affluent North Shore suburb to get the good schools.
Luckily, we have grown our family business in the last few years and should be able to afford a 1.5M+ home today (and can afford more in the future).
I love the North Shore because of the lake, schools, parks and location. Can you recommend any towns that have great schools yet are culturally diverse with down-to-earth people? We hate snobbery and are not impressed with material possessions. Are there towns we should avoid? We've heard horror stories of kids moving to the North Shore and turning into spoiled brats (although I believe good parenting counteracts that).
Honestly if you can afford it, I would go for it. If I was in your shoes, I'd purchase a home in the North Shore in a heartbeat (whether in Wilmette, Winnetka, Lake Forest, etc.). Stick to the closer-in Cook County suburbs if you need to be able to reach the city quickly & easily (and want the New Trier HS district). The Highland Park area I'm sure is nice (especially the eastern portions), though I'm not quite sure about their public school district, since they probably receive a decent amount of students from the Highwood area (lot of middle to lower income, lower-income, large Hispanic area, etc.). The Jewish populations are very large in Highland Park as well as a large chunk of the New Trier district (especially Glencoe, parts of Wilmette, etc.), so if you are Jewish & need to be near a JCC, this could be a definite plus. The North Shore suburbs that are slightly west (ie. Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, Bannockburn, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, etc. also have a significant Jewish population). Instantly once your cross north into Lake Forest & Lake Bluff areas, you notice a smaller abundance of Synagogues (in fact I don't think there is one in LF). The population is more Protestant, some Catholic, maybe some agnostic, who knows. There are small scatterings of Asians & Indians in all of these areas, particularly in parts of Lake Forest & in western Wilmette. I didn't mean to come off as racist or classist in any way in this post, I'm just trying to tell it as it is, as objectively as possible. I'm actually pretty dark-skinned, and have grown up around people of various socioeconomic & racial backgrounds, so I feel that I can relate with a lot of people....even the ones that I am not culturally all that similar to, I can kind of "understand" where they're coming from, and what makes them tick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCUBS1
We are living in the suburbs and like our culturally diverse town. However, we are not impressed with the public school systems in the area.
Our children are now attending a good private elementary school. However, we'd like them to eventually attend good public middle and high schools. Considering the way Illinois schools are funded, I believe we must move into a more affluent North Shore suburb to get the good schools.
Luckily, we have grown our family business in the last few years and should be able to afford a 1.5M+ home today (and can afford more in the future).
I love the North Shore because of the lake, schools, parks and location. Can you recommend any towns that have great schools yet are culturally diverse with down-to-earth people? We hate snobbery and are not impressed with material possessions. Are there towns we should avoid? We've heard horror stories of kids moving to the North Shore and turning into spoiled brats (although I believe good parenting counteracts that).
The schools are great no doubt. I don't think "diversity" would be considered a strong description of the area (Wilmette on north). You'll also encounter a lot of pressure on kids to fit in from a materialistic standpoint. I grew up there so I'm speaking from my own experience. I'm sure you'll find people who love it and others who resent it for it's sheer mass affluency concentrated in one area. I am not saying that your kids would not get great academic opportunities, just that there is a conformist downside a lot of people don't like to talk about. I don't think there is a perfect suburb that has everything you want, but then again I'm a bit jaded
Should our family move to the North Shore for the schools?
Reppin... Thanks for the details on the North Shore population. We happen to be white Protestant but have friends and family from many races and religions. It's important to us that our children be exposed to diversity. ------------------------------------------------------------ fredn... Appreciate your candor about growing up on the North Shore. You hit the nail right on the head. We've been looking into towns that feed into New Trier but are worried about the materialistic and conformist aspects of it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For what it's worth, here's my background - I grew up in a lower/mid class town on the lake (Waukegan). I attended a public high school filled with gangs, drugs, high drop out and pregnancy rates, and low expectations. Very few students attended college. Yet I learned street smarts and can relate to people from diverse backgrounds. I studied hard and graduated from a great college. Through hardwork and creativity (not conformity), we've become financially secure. The public schools in our current district are overcrowded and, I believe, the curriculum is not challenging enough. Yet the kids and parents are kind and hardworking. We've transferred to a pricey private college-prep school. The academics are good but I find the parents and students to be some of the dullest and materialistic people I've ever met. All the moms drive Hummers or BMWs (I continue to drive my 5 year old car just to make a statement) and one of my daughter's Kindergarten friends actually carries a Louis Vuitton purse to school (yes, a real one she bought in Paris). Many of the kids are being raised by nannies. And, of course, there is no diversity. In the beginning, the other moms were very cliquish (probably because my car was not a Hummer or BMW) and I am not yet living in one of the "acceptable" affluent towns. But as soon as they found out about our business, we were invited to attend auctions, over-the-top birthday parties, etc. where I got to discuss the same mind-numbing topics over and over again (shopping, Yoga, plastic surgery, redecorating, purses). I do not think this is a healthy environment in which to rear children. I want my children to learn hardwork, delayed gratification, risk taking, non-conformity, and empathy towards others. This is why I am hesitant about moving to the North Shore. Is it as bad as what I am experiencing now? I absolutely loved growing up near the lake. And the North Shore schools are SO excellent. But should I raise my children in that bubble? Thanks for letting me vent. I think I'm getting jaded too...
The academics are good but I find the parents and students to be some of the dullest and materialistic people I've ever met. All the moms drive Hummers or BMWs (I continue to drive my 5 year old car just to make a statement) and one of my daughter's Kindergarten friends actually carries a Louis Vuitton purse to school (yes, a real one she bought in Paris). Many of the kids are being raised by nannies. And, of course, there is no diversity. In the beginning, the other moms were very cliquish (probably because my car was not a Hummer or BMW) and I am not yet living in one of the "acceptable" affluent towns. But as soon as they found out about our business, we were invited to attend auctions, over-the-top birthday parties, etc. where I got to discuss the same mind-numbing topics over and over again (shopping, Yoga, plastic surgery, redecorating, purses).
This sounds like an accurate description of the North Shore to me. I don't think it's the environment you're looking for, but I don't think you'll find exactly what you want without sacrificing academics too. However, I think you can widen your search and find places with schools that are just as good and more diverse without the rampant materialism (there will always be some in upper-middle class areas, but not to the degree of the North Shore).
Here are the school districts I think you should look into, with test scores to compare with the North Shore schools.
High schools:
(school- average percent of students meeting/exceeding state standards on the PSAE and average ACT composite, % of white students)
New Trier- 88.5% and 26.8, 88.3%
Lake Forest- 81.6% and 25.4, 93.3%
Stevenson- 83.4% and 25.6, 81.4%
Naperville Central- 83.3% and 24.1, 82.5%
Naperville North- 81.8% and 24.6, 76.5%
Libertyville- 79.5% and 24.7, 87.1%
Middle schools that feed to these high schools:
(school (town)- average % of students meeting/exceeding state standards on the ISAT, % of white students)
-schools that feed to New Trier
Joseph Sears (Kenilworth)- 97.8%, 96.8%
Washburne (Winnetka)- 97.4%, 96.3%
Sunset Ridge (Northfield)- 97.1%, 89.3%
Wilmette- 95.5%, 86.8%
Murphy (Wilmette)- 95.1%, 67.5%
-schools that feed to Lake Forest
Deer Path (Lake Forest)- 93.7%, 93.1%
Rondout (Lake Forest)- 94.1%, 68.3%
-schools that feed to Stevenson
Daniel Wright (Lincolnshire)- 96.1%, 83.4%
Twin Groves (Buffalo Grove)- 96.0%, 85.3%
Woodlawn (Long Grove)- 94.8%, 81.8%
-schools that feed to Naperville North/Central
Kennedy (Lisle)- 98.3%, 71.2%
Lincoln (Naperville)- 95.5%, 87.5%
Madison (Naperville)- 94.3%, 79.7%
Washington (Naperville)- 93.2%, 83.9%
-schools that feed to Libertyville
Rondout (Lake Forest)- 94.1%, 68.3%
Highland (Libertyville)- 93.8%, 89.7%
Oak Grove (Green Oaks)- 92.6%, 85.4%
I hope the way I arranged those statistics makes sense. I think you'll find the best combination of the factors that are important to you in Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, Naperville, and Libertyville.
Thanks for the suggestions. We want to keep to the North/NW burbs.
We're also researching the Stevenson H.S. district. But it doesn't appear that any of the towns that feed into Stevenson (Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Long Grove) have much of a town center (shops, parks, etc.).
We like Libertyville and Arlington Heights and will explore these options. I've heard Libertyville is a tough commute to the city though. Arlington Heights is a better location.
We'll continue to look at the North Shore and New Trier. Just can't beat the location, schools, and proximity to the lake.
Well, If you are going to move to the North Shore you are going to have to learn how to have the best Mums, the best decor, the best BMW, and the best lawn. The North Shore is probably the most competitive area in Chicago. Unfortunately many of us compete through our kids. That seems to be a very common thing at New Trier and at Evanston. Every kid must be the best at sports. You kids wont fit in if they do not have the nice cell phone or iPod. My son tells me every day how everyone critiques everyones outfits, so if you do not have the money to spend on Abercrombie, Ruehl, or Hollister, your child will not fit in. Skokie is the most diverse and intermixed North Shore suburb. I hate it when people say just because a African American lives here and a White person lives there means it is diverse. I pick Skokie as the most diverse because they have Indians, Asians, Blacks, Whites, Immigrants, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Evanston is pretty diverse, but it is not "Oak Park" diverse. All the blacks are segregated to the Southwest and West sides. Evanston does do a pretty good job at mixing the schools. Evanston has better schools than Niles Township does (Most of Skokie). The best North Shore schools will be found in Lincolnshire and Long Grove. Stevenson is the best high school in the state. I can recommend New Trier as that is where my son will be going next year. New Trier is a very good and competitive school. Evanston is also a very good school. New Trier is Evanston's bigest rival. You must have lots of money to live here and if you can do it, join us!
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Should our family move to the North Shore for the schools?
