How is home schooling in Cedar Rapids- Iowa city area? (Des Moines: big home, transfer)

[GreenMama]

I am moving to Cedar Rapids this summer. My husband has been hired at Kirkwood Community College. We currently live in Connecticut and I home school my three children. I am considering public school for my son who will be in 2nd grade. Ct is very homeschool freindly. There are many support groups here. Does anyone know of any in the Cedar Rapids area? Also what kind of community resourses exist for young children in that area?

[SharpHawkeye]

Welcome to the area!

I don't think the climate for homeschooling is as good as what probably is in CT. It seems that in Iowa, we have such quality public schools that most parents have no objections to sending their kids there. As a result, there are very few private schools (even fewer secular private schools) and not a very big homeschooling base. What base there is is largely religious in nature.

In fact, with the last session, the legislature cut the Homeschooling Assistance Program by half. Their reasoning was that most schools were spending most of the money on things other than homeschooling programs, so they didn't need the money for that. It was going around the right-wing talk shows here a lot.

The public schools in Iowa City (don't know much about CR) are generally very good. The district is the fastest growing in the state and is building elementary schools as fast as they can. There are a few elementaries to avoid, but there are several great ones. Shimek, Weber, Horn and Lincoln are very good. I've heard Van Allen is nice, but overcrowded.

Iowa City is, as you know, a big college town, and UI has a great Education program--so there are lots of in-school volunteers and college/school outreach programs. The schools there are also very progressive. As far as private education, Willowwind is the big private school in the area. It's more progressive than the city schools, and just built a big new LEED certified building--but I've heard it's quite pricey, if you can get in.

[WoodwardGirl]

Have you checked with these folks yet? Homeschool They might be able to point you in the right direction.

One thing you should know is that the campus for the College Community School District (also known as "Prairie") is practically adjoining the Kirkwood campus, which can be very convenient. The Cedar Rapids schools are also generally very good.

[Luke9686]

My mom homeschools my two nephews in Des Moines. She says the community is very good, and there is plenty of support. I'm sure the IC area is the same.

I actually disagree with what people say about Iowa schools being very good. That is always said, and I often believed it growing up. That was until I did research for my self, and found that they were slightly better than average.

[zz4guy]

Iowa public schools are nothing to write home about. They have been sliding ever since Vilsack took office in 98.

I would look into the private school system here in Cedar Rapids. They have outstanding sports teams at Xavier, consistently rank higher academically than the public schools on standardized tests and are very affordable. Xavier (the lone high school in CR) is only a 10 year old facility; it combined two older catholic high schools in 98 which have been here for 50 years prior to that. There are about 7 feeder elementery schools and a couple middle schools; all private catholic schools.

There is a large private/catholic school community here and you would be welcomed right in. You dont have to be catholic either; most of my friends weren't actually.

There are other non-denominational private school here but I don't know much about them.

Also, if you move to Iowa City there is a Catholic school, Regina, with other catholic elementary schools feeding it; kind of like Cedar Rapids.

Good luck in your decision.

[fenix]

Originally Posted by zz4guy

Also, if you move to Iowa City there is a Catholic school, Regina, with other catholic elementary schools feeding it; kind of like Cedar Rapids.

Does anybody have insight into Regina's school system? I've been curious how it compares to other private schools in the region. Living in Eastern Iowa, you hear a lot about Iowa City public schools in general, but next to nothing about Regina. All I know is that their facilities are outdated and their athletics seems to be fairly strong for the small 1A level they compete at. It sounds like it is a stretch from Xavier, but I'm curious as to whether the school system is growing like the rest of Iowa City schools.

[LPerkins33]

Originally Posted by fenix

Does anybody have insight into Regina's school system? I've been curious how it compares to other private schools in the region. Living in Eastern Iowa, you hear a lot about Iowa City public schools in general, but next to nothing about Regina. All I know is that their facilities are outdated and their athletics seems to be fairly strong for the small 1A level they compete at. It sounds like it is a stretch from Xavier, but I'm curious as to whether the school system is growing like the rest of Iowa City schools.

couple of my good friends went to regina until they transfered to West High for their junior and senior years and they regretted not transferring sooner.

[SharpHawkeye]

Regina enrollment steady, bucks national trend (http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2008/04/15/Metro/Regina.Enrollment.Steady.Bucks.National.Trend-3325209.shtml - broken link)

There was a story on this in the DI around the time the Pope was visiting the US. Apparently they have a pretty steady enrollment, between 400-500 each in the elementary and Jr/Sr.

[fenix]

Originally Posted by LPerkins33

couple of my good friends went to regina until they transfered to West High for their junior and senior years and they regretted not transferring sooner.

Do you know why they transferred and what the major advantages were?

[chocoholicmom]

You will find that what you learn about any school is VERY subjective! I have friends that go to private catholic, some in public and some that homeschool. I have one at Linn Mar, we are on NE side of CR, and one at Isaac Newton which is a private christian school that we LOVE. Linn Mar is GREAT but growing so large and big, We decided not to send him to the middle school Oakridge next year because of how big it has become.