Public Schools in Denver Metro (Aurora, Arvada: transplants, sales, crime)

[gallacus]

My family is considering a move to Denver in the near future. Our kids are currently 2 and 4 and schools are a top priority for us. Currently our schools rank 10, 10, 10 for elem, middle, and high schools. I'm finding it hard to satisfy this in the Denver area without being a millionaire. We want to keep our home price below $500k. Areas we are considering are Ralston Valley and Park Hill and surrounding areas that feed into East High School. We do not want to be south (highlands Ranch, Littleton, etc) or East (Aurora). We've considered Cherry Creek, but it seems to be out of our price range.

Can anyone tell me what its like to live in the Ralston Valley area? Do you like living there? What's the commute like to downtown? Are the people who live there friendly?

What about Park Hill? Is it safe to walk around at night? We are city people and love historic homes so this area appeals to us. Is there any gang activity, vagrants hanging around, crime, etc? Tell me anything you know about the area, the schools, etc.

Do either of these areas have a neighborly feel? Nice communities?

Thanks!

[davebarnes]

Slavens K-8 in Denver.

[brown_dog_us]

Ralston Valley HS and Park Hill are very different. Ralston is a nice suburb and Park Hill is a gentrifying in town neighborhood.

The one thing that would worry me about the schools in Park Hill, is being rezoned out of the William Roberts Middle School. That school is a long way from Park Hill and I could see the boundary shifting towards Stapleton as enrollment rises.

Have you thought about Stapleton? It would give you the intown neighborhood feel you are looking for with safety and good schools.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

Ralston Valley HS and Park Hill are very different. Ralston is a nice suburb and Park Hill is a gentrifying in town neighborhood.

The one thing that would worry me about the schools in Park Hill, is being rezoned out of the William Roberts Middle School. That school is a long way from Park Hill and I could see the boundary shifting towards Stapleton as enrollment rises. There's been a lot of talk about trying to blend the boundaries for the Middle Schools to allow more overlap between PH and Stapleton. I haven't paid that much attention because my kids (in Stapleton) are young elementary. However, given how many kids there are here, I also can't see how there would be much room for anyone else besides Stapleton kids. Perhaps someone else can comment in this.

Have you thought about Stapleton? It would give you the intown neighborhood feel you are looking for with safety and good schools.

[color="Red"]Based on budget, certain parts of Park Hill (i.e. most of Park Hill South) would be out. Also, as brown dog mentions, the schools are hit or miss. There are many people here in Stapleton who have moved from Park Hill for the schools.

Stapleton has the good schools and you can find homes under $500K, but average sales price is closer to $550K. It can be done, though, so definitely worth a look. It definitely lacks the character and old homes you seek, but the benefits make up for that, IMO.

[gallacus]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

[color="Red"]Based on budget, certain parts of Park Hill (i.e. most of Park Hill South) would be out. Also, as brown dog mentions, the schools are hit or miss. There are many people here in Stapleton who have moved from Park Hill for the schools.

Stapleton has the good schools and you can find homes under $500K, but average sales price is closer to $550K. It can be done, though, so definitely worth a look. It definitely lacks the character and old homes you seek, but the benefits make up for that, IMO.

After looking at Stapleton, it seems like a great fit, but I have one hangup. The Elementary and Middle Schools both appear to be highly ranked, but the high school is a 6. Any idea why? Is this presumably because this is a relatively new area and kids haven't hit high school yet? Any chance this 6 will increase to a 9 or 10 over the next 10 years?

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by gallacus

After looking at Stapleton, it seems like a great fit, but I have one hangup. The Elementary and Middle Schools both appear to be highly ranked, but the high school is a 6. Any idea why? Is this presumably because this is a relatively new area and kids haven't hit high school yet? Any chance this 6 will increase to a 9 or 10 over the next 10 years?

The HS Stapleton is currently zoned to is George Washington, however, there is currently a new HS being built in Stapleton, going by the working name of "Northfield".

The HS thing won't be an issue within just a few years. Most current Stapleton kids have managed to choice into one of the more highly rated DPS schools anyway.

[emm74]

re: Park Hill middle schools

There is now a combined Greater Park Hill Stapleton Middle School enrollment zone. That means that all the kids in this zone are guaranteed a spot in one of the 5 middle schools, although you are not guaranteed a specific school. All of the schools are good, though only one is physically located in Park Hill - McAuliffe, which is housed in the old Smiley building (gorgeous newly renovated almost 100 year old building). The other 4 include two DSST campuses (STEM charter schools), Bill Roberts (a K-8) and a new school Denver Discovery School which sounds interesting. The district is providing buses between the various schools, so your child can get the bus at whichever school is physically closest, so that the location is a bit less of a factor.

And as Texas Ag mentioned, the new Northfield HS serving the Stapleton area opens next year. It will be an IB school, and I think there are very high expectations that it will be a high performing school. There is also a DSST HS in South Stapleton and plans for another one in Conservatory Green within a few years, as the current middle school aged kids reach HS age. btw, DSST Stapleton is considered one of the best high schools in the state.

Now, with your kids being only 2 and 4, it's hard to say what enrollment policies will be - the enrollment zones exist now because the area is growing so rapidly. Eventually, they may go back to more of a neighborhood assignment policy, although still with the ability to choice into a different school if desired. But I think it's a very realistic prediction that all of the schools will continue to remain very high quality - the Stapleton community is full of well educated, well off and demanding (in a good way!) families who moved there in very large part for the schools, and they will do the work and raise the money to keep them high quality.

One thing to be aware of is that property taxes in Stapleton are about double compared to the rest of Denver. They are still low to me since I moved here from Boston, and grew up in New York, but it's something to keep in mind when figuring out your monthly housing budget.

[JohnnyDenver]

Any chance this 6 will increase to a 9 or 10 over the next 10 years?

Any chance that the Rockies will win the world series in the next ten years?

You get the picture.

Further, if you're so hung up on schools having to be a "10," then maybe Denver is not the city for you . . . . or you could home school your kids.

Can anyone tell me what its like to live in the Ralston Valley area? Do you like living there? What's the commute like to downtown? Are the people who live there friendly?

I used to live in Arvada when I worked there as a police officer. It was nice back in the 80's when the city was smaller. I have since escaped to the mountains now that the city has become congested with traffic, especially during rush hour on the main thoroughfares. Certain neighborhoods in the city since becoming older are showing their wear and tear. It has been discussed on this board about water issues in Ralston Valley and I currently represent a client as to water rights in that area. As to being friendly, that word is subjective. The area has a lot of transplants from out-of-state, so you will find yourself surrounded by many of your type. The commute to downtown will be at least 45 minutes in rush hour. Not sure where you currently reside and what traffic is like there, and how many trips you have made here, but traffic is heinous in the Denver metro and getting worse everyday due to the number of people moving here. It appears to be never ending (as there is no other place to move to). It is predicted by 2040 the state's population will be around 7.2 million up from 5.3 million as it stands. Most will be centered in the Denver metro.

What about Park Hill? Is it safe to walk around at night? We are city people and love historic homes so this area appeals to us. Is there any gang activity, vagrants hanging around, crime, etc? Tell me anything you know about the area, the schools, etc.

If you are city people, then Ralston Valley is not for you. There are no historic homes in Ralston Valley. Check the crime stats for Park Hill and from there you can draw conclusions. But again, crime is dependent on many factors at different times and variables. I've represented people charged with rape and murder in affluent areas and also in high-crime depressed areas.

Do either of these areas have a neighborly feel? Nice communities?

The days of a "Leave It To Beaver" type of neighborhood are long over. Again, what is your definition of "nice" and "neighborly feel?" I fee like my neighbors are "nice" and "neighborly," but I live in the mountains.

[emm74]

Originally Posted by JohnnyDenver

Any chance this 6 will increase to a 9 or 10 over the next 10 years?

Any chance that the Rockies will win the world series in the next ten years?

You get the picture.

Further, if you're so hung up on schools having to be a "10," then maybe Denver is not the city for you . . . . or you could home school your kids.
.

As I mentioned in my prior response, I think this is wrong - I think there is a very high chance that Northfield HS will be a 9 or 10.

But I also think school rankings like that are far from the only indicator of a quality school since they are based on standardized testing. My son's current elementary gets a 7 on Great Schools but I think it's a very good school with a lot of extras that he really benefits from.

[Augie Daugie]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

there is currently a new HS being built in Stapleton, going by the working name of "Northfield".

That's not a working name. It is Northfield High School. They named the flipping school after a shopping center.