Moving from Chicago--where do kids go to school if living in Mass Ave area? (Indianapolis: 2013)

[Indytransplant]

I know there are tons of threads on moving in Indy from Chicago...but we are looking at more "urban" areas of the city that are walkable and more similar to what we know (I am fully aware we are not going to find Chicago-style neighborhoods, or pizza, in Indy!).

We have 2 kids and one on the way--oldest will be entering K this fall.

If you live near Mass Ave, where do you send your kids to school?? Do you have to apply to magnets or charters (and have we missed those deadlines for this year?)?

Our other option is moving closer to Broad Ripple to take advantage of Washington Township schools...

We will rent for at least the first year...

TIA!

[domergurl]

Not all of Broad Ripple feeds into Washington Twp schools ... be very very careful. Make sure you designate Washington Twp in your home search.

The concern I would have with downtown living (besides schools ... there are nice options within IPS, but you need to do a lot of homework to make sure your child is in a good place), is the possibility of lack of similar age children in your neighborhood. I know it's gotten better, but I know when my kids were that young, having a safe neighborhood park and other moms and dads meant a lot.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Not all of Broad Ripple feeds into Washington Twp schools ... be very very careful. Make sure you designate Washington Twp in your home search.

The concern I would have with downtown living (besides schools ... there are nice options within IPS, but you need to do a lot of homework to make sure your child is in a good place), is the possibility of lack of similar age children in your neighborhood. I know it's gotten better, but I know when my kids were that young, having a safe neighborhood park and other moms and dads meant a lot.

Broad Ripple is Washington Township but IPS due to it being annexed long before Unigov.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

Broad Ripple is Washington Township but IPS due to it being annexed long before Unigov.

I stand corrected ... even more reason to be extra digilent.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Indytransplant

I know there are tons of threads on moving in Indy from Chicago...but we are looking at more "urban" areas of the city that are walkable and more similar to what we know (I am fully aware we are not going to find Chicago-style neighborhoods, or pizza, in Indy!).

We have 2 kids and one on the way--oldest will be entering K this fall.

If you live near Mass Ave, where do you send your kids to school?? Do you have to apply to magnets or charters (and have we missed those deadlines for this year?)?

Our other option is moving closer to Broad Ripple to take advantage of Washington Township schools...

We will rent for at least the first year...

TIA!

The Mass Ave area is zoned by default to Washington Irving Elementary. The CFI is an excellent magnet of choice downtown, but the deadline was I think in December, or maybe it was February? There are several options for charter schools. You can find a list here: Indianapolis Charter Schools

In Broad Ripple, as a general rule, everything south of the White River is IPS, though I think there is a small nub just north of the river along Meridian that is also IPS. The neighborhood north of Broad Ripple park is Washington Township schools. I have some friends that live in Rocky Ripple, they are just outside that zone and are zoned to Washington Township schools.

[domergurl]

At the NCAA's last night, I met a lovely young lady who attends Irvington Community Schools. She's currently in 6th grade and has attended this school since kindergarten. She loves it and couldn't imagine going anywhere else.

[dewthedru]

where are you moving from in Chicago? We just moved down here from the city last week. We wanted to live downtown as well but couldn't find good school options without running the risk of having to pay for private schools if we couldn't get into a magnet or charter program. plus, the deadline for fall 2013 was last December.

[luzclara]

We've lived downtown for 10 years now and have 2 kids - one in 7th and the other in 2nd grade. If you're vested enough in your childrens' education to be asking about it, yes, you'll be looking at magnets, charters, and private school options. The downside is this takes a lot of research. The upside is that there are so many options...it's the opposite of suburban systems where the status quo is plenty good, so based on your residence there's the one elementary, one middle, and one high school that your kids funnel into.

Previous posters are correct in that the deadline for IPS magnet applications was mid-December. If I were in your shoes, I would call the IPS Office of Student Assignment (OSA) to find out which magnets do or likely will have open K spots for the fall. For charters, look at this site (Indianapolis Charter Schools). You'd have to contact each school that interests you individually to find the current status. There isn't a similar entry point to find private schools, but a couple that I know of downtown or near it are the Oaks Academy (The Oaks Academy :: Indianapolis, Indiana) and St. Richards (http://www.strichardsschool.org/)

I have absolutely no doubt that you can still find spots available in multiple schools. Make a list of the contenders, their boundaries (if applicable), and go from there. We love living downtown and the choices for schools in the past 10 years has expanded greatly. I am so grateful for the excellent options that we have.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by luzclara

We've lived downtown for 10 years now and have 2 kids - one in 7th and the other in 2nd grade. If you're vested enough in your childrens' education to be asking about it, yes, you'll be looking at magnets, charters, and private school options. The downside is this takes a lot of research. The upside is that there are so many options...it's the opposite of suburban systems where the status quo is plenty good, so based on your residence there's the one elementary, one middle, and one high school that your kids funnel into.

Previous posters are correct in that the deadline for IPS magnet applications was mid-December. If I were in your shoes, I would call the IPS Office of Student Assignment (OSA) to find out which magnets do or likely will have open K spots for the fall. For charters, look at this site (Indianapolis Charter Schools). You'd have to contact each school that interests you individually to find the current status. There isn't a similar entry point to find private schools, but a couple that I know of downtown or near it are the Oaks Academy (The Oaks Academy :: Indianapolis, Indiana) and St. Richards (http://www.strichardsschool.org/)

I have absolutely no doubt that you can still find spots available in multiple schools. Make a list of the contenders, their boundaries (if applicable), and go from there. We love living downtown and the choices for schools in the past 10 years has expanded greatly. I am so grateful for the excellent options that we have.

Man my step daughter was one of the very first students at oaks. Man have they come a long way.