Moving from Louisiana...any VA school has to be better than this... (Hampton: rent)

[kmarcolese]

Lousiana schools are ranked 49th in the country. Virginia schools are ranked 4th. I want to get my daughter into a great elementary school, but I think just moving to Virginia will be a big plus education wise. Are Hampton schools *really* that bad?? If we can get a place in Yorktown that's our first choice, but if we end up in base housing she may have to go to a Hampton school.

Kim

[CMikeF]

Grew up there, so know what you mean. Hampton has some decent elementary schools, but you have to pick and choose. See, e.g., Great Schools website Hampton Elementary Schools - Hampton, VA | GreatSchools and also suggest you look at the SOL (Standards of Learning - a highly mixed blessing to education, but overall scores do give you insight into the MINIMUM performance of the student body). See State releasing SOL results, accreditation ratings for all Virginia schools Thursday - Daily Press and also look at HPS website (Hampton City Schools) where you can find statistics on performance, demographics, etc. For the most part you can't go wrong with York County or Poquoson schools, with the possible exception of Yorktown Elementary. Use the above resources + YCPS website to check it out. Good luck!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by kmarcolese

Lousiana schools are ranked 49th in the country. Virginia schools are ranked 4th. I want to get my daughter into a great elementary school, but I think just moving to Virginia will be a big plus education wise. Are Hampton schools *really* that bad?? If we can get a place in Yorktown that's our first choice, but if we end up in base housing she may have to go to a Hampton school.

Kim

Honestly, most schools in Virginia, scratch that, very nearly any school in Virginia, would be a step up from Louisiana. I live in KY which sucks in education also and spent K-12 in VA public schools, the difference is clear. I grew up in Hampton and ended up in private school, then eventually York County Schools when mom bought a place there. There are some schools in Hampton that will give a quality education, you just have to pick carefully. I'd avoid Aberdeen definitely since they have accrediation problems. CMikeF's advice is spot on.

If by base housing, you mean Bethel Manor, actually that is a good area for schools since (this is from when I grew up near there) they have an on base elemantry school and are zoned for York Co schools for middle and high schools.

[brookeof4]

Also PCS'd here from LA. The schools here are better academically. No, Hampton is not an option. Get into Bethel Manor or the newer housing Frontier Crossing. If you can't, rent a home or townhouse in York County or Poquoson, or Seaford. Any York County public school should be your first choice.