Buy in City or Suburb - Children's Education? (Chicago, Evanston: real estate market, renting)

[430me]

We are planning to have kids in the next year and are debating buying in the city OR renting in the city and then moving out to the suburbs in a couple years.
I'm nervous that if we decide buy in the city and have to stay longer than 5 years what will happen with schools. If we aren't in a good elementary district, is it easy to get into the magnet schools or the other good schools? We can't afford to pay for a private elementary school. Any thoughts on this?

Any feedback I could get would be helpful.

[Venom]

Everyone's gonna tell you to put them in suburban schools.

But remember a bunch of suburban schools are not the best either.

[oakparkdude]

I have no direct experience with city schools, but its definitely NOT easy nor a sure thing to get into a good magnet school.

[Costa Rica Chica]

I moved to Evanston for just this reason. Evanston's a good choice because it's close to the city and has really good elementary schools. It's very family-friendly. I love it there. (I have a child in preschool.)

[Mamama Mia]

If the school is a safe and secure learning environment, a city school will be just fine. I am an educator and have learned that the success of the child is more directly affected by the parents' involvement and their value of the role of education in their child's life.

[Costa Rica Chica]

^Yet you still want your child in a positive environment with quality teachers that is safe and encourages learning. I'm not saying there aren't CPS schools like this, but there is definitely a much higher ratio of "bad" schools in the city as opposed to the suburbs. Suburban tax money is part of the issue - suburban schools are better funded.

[RichMonk]

Originally Posted by Mamama Mia

If the school is a safe and secure learning environment, a city school will be just fine. I am an educator and have learned that the success of the child is more directly affected by the parents' involvement and their value of the role of education in their child's life.

What if the quality of education at the school is insufficient and the amount of parent tutoring required increases? In a dual income situation the child will only be able to receive so much extra help at home. Also, how can a parent be aware of the level of education the child is receiving? Good grades do not always equal substantive learning.

[JohnCU]

Whatever you do, don't BUY anywhere -- city or suburbs-- unless you are SURE you will stay there for at least 5 years, and preferably longer. If you're not sure of that, rent. Short-term home ownership is a recipe for financial disaster in the current (and forseeable future) real estate market.

[Irishtom29]

The main reason city schools are bad is because of the bad people attending them and the lack of political will to make the lowlifes attending the schools shape up. We pander to the bums and troublemakers instead of punishing them or kicking them out.

Magnet schools are a trick to give the intelligent and/or influential an option while ignoring everyone else. Every student in Chicago deserves good schooling not just those in certain schools. I suppose this mess will go on until some brave politician has the moxie to fix it, something which could actually be easily done given the will.

[ajolotl]

Well put, Tom.