How are the schools......really.....my son will need special Ed (Jacksonville: truck rental, rentals)

[gina8521]

Looking to move to the area from Las Vegas. We visited Amelia Island last year and fell in love with it (like everyone else) and had wanted to move there. Then I did some research on the school system. Seems the Nassau County school district is not rated very high (from what I have read on here).

St. John's County schools are claimed to be the best.

Our situation: My son is 7, starting second grade here in Vegas. He has Asperger's syndrome. He is crazy smart and most of the time seems pretty normal. His big deficit areas are social skills and behavior/anxiety. He doesn't make friends easily, finds it hard to start or maintain a conversation with a peer. He has a very perfectionist nature and can not handle his feelings when things don't go as expected. Processes things very slowly, but is always right with his answers. Very typical Asperger's in those regards.

I fought for 2 years and finally got him an IEP to address his weak areas, it will be put in place this school year. He does not have any academic deficits, in fact, he will probably need gifted classes at some point. The goals/accommodations in his IEP all revolve around socialization skills, social language and interaction with peers, handling frustration.

So, how is the elementary school on the island in regards to special ed of this nature? Anyone have any insight? My son is a water child and is calmer and happier around water, so we love the idea of being on the island. We would also consider Yulee. Any input about schools in that area??

Then, about St. John's County schools, are they REALLY that much better? And if they are, does that carry over into special ed. And what schools/areas are the best there?

I am trying to do as much research as I can, but it is hard when I live across the country right now.

We also have 1 year old twin boys that will be going into the school system at some point.

Private school is not an option right now. I have not been working for the past couple of years, with having the twins and advocating for my older son, it is like a full time job. So we only have my husband's income.

I hope I have not offended anyone with my questions, just looking for some deeper insight. We are really excited to move, and want to make some good decisions for our family.

[JBtwinz]

Our daughters (twins) are still a ways from kindergarden, next year they will be attending VPK so I really cannot give you any real credible info on the school system here other than our friends have had really good experiences here on Amelia with the school system. Most if not all are college bound. I do know the schools in Nassau county have been rated A again this year. Check the Nassau County school website out.

Depending on where your husband is working the logistics of travel between Saint Johns County and Amelia could be tremendous. Jacksonville is huge.

I have a short commute, my other half commutes to Jacksonville. Amelia Island is a great place to live and with this being an extreme buyers market it is an ideal time to buy...........but it is somewhat isolated here from Jacksonville and higher paying jobs. The commute to Jacksonville which depending on where you would be working could be anywhere from 45 - an hour commute. There is nowhere near the traffic of Vegas, La, Boston or the likes here. Also like I always advise, rent, rent, rent. A UHaul truck rental charge is a lot easier out of pocket pain than having to sell the house you bought right away if you happen to regret your choice a year later.

PS. I know your main concern here are the schools.....but Amelia Island is located in the farthest Northeast corner of Florida and Saint Johns County is on the Southside of Jacksonville.........they could not be farther apart. Your husbands job location, unless he works at home home is unfortunately going to play a big role on where your children attend school!
Good luck

[gina8521]

Thanks for the reply. My husband's job will not play a part in our location. He only needs to get to JAX airport twice a month.
With my son having special needs my concern really is the school system. Hoping to get more replies about Amelia schools/special ed. Also opinions on north St Johns. Have heard Julington Creek and PVB have very good schools.

We would definitely rent when we first got there. Amelia Island has some very reasonably priced rentals. Julington Creek and PVB and the areas around them are a bit more pricey.

[JBtwinz]

Originally Posted by gina8521

Thanks for the reply. My husband's job will not play a part in our location. He only needs to get to JAX airport twice a month.
With my son having special needs my concern really is the school system. Hoping to get more replies about Amelia schools/special ed. Also opinions on north St Johns. Have heard Julington Creek and PVB have very good schools.

We would definitely rent when we first got there. Amelia Island has some very reasonably priced rentals. Julington Creek and PVB and the areas around them are a bit more pricey.

I fly out of JAX quite a bit and it is 35 minutes from the beach side of Amelia. Wish I could offer more info on the schools, sorry.

Saint Johns County, PVB, Nocatee and the Julington Creek areas are definitely the suburbs that are really hot right now in JAX. There is strong demand and housing has seemed to bounce back in those areas. You will find a lot of positives in regards to location, amenities, and schools in those areas.

Right now Saint Johns County seems to the center of the universe here in Jacksonville with the Town Center and Nocatee and the other subdivisions....... Kind of like the way Green Valley Ranch was in Vegas!

Good luck

[gina8521]

MODERATOR

please disable posting to this thread, or delete THREAD

I reposted because I messed this one up. Thanks