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Hello, We are moving to the greater Lexington area and are thrilled there are a lot of private schools to choose from (in proportion to the size of the city)-- very nice!
We have found a lot that we really like so far: Sayre, The Lexington School, Seton... We are mindful of costs but are used to paying for private schools where we reside now so with that, we are used to paying for school. (Im mentioning this so that you dont think I am knocking on local public schools, I am sure Lexington's are wondeful, its just where we live currently, out of state, the public schools are not ideal. Also I dont want to sound snobby or that tuition is easily afforded-- it's not, its just that we are used to having to pay this...)
Back to the schools:
They have all appeared wonderful on paper, as well as some others, but its hard anticipating the real school culture, beyond the brochure...Im hoping you all can help me out! I know each child is a different learner and personality and values are different for parents so I am not trying to knock any school, I am just trying to see what will fit us best.
Our primary focus would be education. Second would be Social vibe, I want a school that embraces newcomers and geekish types can fit in as well as students who may struggle or be different learners. I have 3 boys, 2 of whom are very shy but good traditional-style learners. However I worry about the social vibe (if the schools very clique ish or too much emphasis on athletic- not so important to us) the last one is a little behind academically. On grade level but behind and doesn't always sit still : / He never causes trouble and listens to the teachers, its not behavioral but more just issue with sitting still (some academically strong schools are great with this, some don't tolerate)
Trinity: I love from a brochure perspective, but I am worried it might be too focused on athletics. For example (and I am stereotyping) the cheerleaders seem to be wearing heavy makeup and more of a dance mom vibe? If the academics are there and the students are accepting, that is fine. But I know private schools don't have unlimited endowments and I want the focus to be on academics. Is this school more of a sports school? Is it more clique ish?
Sayre: I loved the admission staff and the head of school. It seems like the students are great but I keep hearing (not firsthand) that it's "snobby". I fear that since its a k-12, there might be more focus on high school? Is this school known for being too clique ish or snobby? I know a lot of schools at this price point get a bad rap because of the price point when in actuality a good portion go on scholarship and more financially diverse.
The Lexington School: I also loved. I couldn't get anyone to tell me what the policy is for behavior issues/bullying, which was a red flag. But it could've just been them being a little offended I was asking. I was asking because I don't want a school that turns a blind eye to this (especially with the powerful students) but in their defense, maybe they haven't had an issue (again I am moving from a big city) I loved this school though! Also was impressed with the learning center! Just the fact that the school has one and doesn't council these kids out really was impressive. I do worry about the friendly to newcomer vibe.... These kids have attended since 3 or younger, my oldest is 10. Will he not make friends.
Seton- I am not catholic but loved this school. They appeared to be very open to showing me everything and I really liked the teachers (liked at previously mentioned schools as well) Tuition is cheaper which is a bonus but I don't want that to influence us.
Any schools that I am not mentioning that you advise to check out or stay away from? Please help. I love the area and we feel very blessed to be moving to this part of the country.
Unlike Louisville, which has a phenomenal private school system, Lexington is not noted for having much of a private school presence, let alone an exceptional one. Frankly, Lexington public schools are, with the exception of a few schools, truly excellent schools and most people only go private for non-academic reasons. The private schools academically are, to be blunt, for the most part inferior to the public schools. I would never consider it unless you are doing it for religious reasons, social reasons, or you end up living in an area zoned for a few select schools.
Yes, Sayre has a bit of a well earned "snobby" reputation. Many of the attendees are from well-to-do families who live in stunningly beautiful, high end neighborhoods served by schools with a large population of kids living in less than desirable neighborhoods and a high free/reduced lunch rate. The Lexington School is probably the most academic of the lot. People who send their kids to Trinity School generally do so for religious reasons and I haven't talked to any parents who were not pleased with that decision. Seton is part of the Lexington Catholic school system. Students are generally assigned to attend the school based on where the neighborhood is part of the parish. So you'll need to check that out.
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Thank you! That was very helpful. I will definitely check out some public schools (great problem to have- good public schools : )
I didn't consider the Catholic school system and jurisdictions... No wonder there are so many! I am still pretty new to the us so I am still trying to educate myself on the education system. But this is great feedback and glad to hear the public schools are strong! We definitely wouldn't be even close to the top of the totem pole at Sayre (financially) which is fine if the classes tend to get along well but a lot of schools (not in usa particularly) I have seen with extremes like that, it seems to not mesh well... no offense to Sayre, they were super friendly. But again, as newcomers, I just want my boys to find the school with the right fit. It's hard being a kid in a new school enough as it is : )
Thank you! That was very helpful. I will definitely check out some public schools (great problem to have- good public schools : )
I didn't consider the Catholic school system and jurisdictions... No wonder there are so many! I am still pretty new to the us so I am still trying to educate myself on the education system. But this is great feedback and glad to hear the public schools are strong! We definitely wouldn't be even close to the top of the totem pole at Sayre (financially) which is fine if the classes tend to get along well but a lot of schools (not in usa particularly) I have seen with extremes like that, it seems to not mesh well... no offense to Sayre, they were super friendly. But again, as newcomers, I just want my boys to find the school with the right fit. It's hard being a kid in a new school enough as it is : )
I had a couple of friends in college who graduated from Sayre way back but only one friend whose kids went. They lived in a very posh historic neighborhood which was assigned to a public school with one of the highest free/reduced lunch rates in the entire district. If I understood her correctly only one family that she knew in her neighborhood sent their kids public school prior to high school. She was very pleased with Sayre, although one of her boys said he wished he had gone to a larger school. According to her they expected a lot of parental participation, including in fundraisers. Sayre itself has a very, very limited number of financial aid students, and those they do have, according to her, were model students both academically and behaviorally. By the way, the one financial aid student she talked about had parents that were on the upper half of the middle class.
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Just wanted to verify that Lexington's public schools are generally excellent -though some are better than others, due to demographics (not race-based but economic and parental educational level based).
Do you know which neighborhoods you are considering? What grades will your sons be in next year? When are you moving? All of these factors would affect any recommendations I might offer. Some children are bused to public schools, but many others attend neighborhood schools in Lexington. Each neighborhood has public schools assigned to it, something you definitely want to take into account if you might consider the public school system here.
Lexington's public schools have a very strong vocal and instrumental music program which has been around since the 1950s, if that is important to your family. Sports are also a big deal, but there is enough going on that non-sporty types can find other activities to keep them interested and occupied. There is a wide variety of interest-based clubs at the high school level, and dramatic productions abound at all levels. There is also a School for the Creative and Performing Arts - SCAPA - which is competitive and highly sought after. Many of the public school buildings are newer or in the cases of the older ones, have been maintained and updated.
Every public school in the Lexington-Fayette Public School System includes a school library and a certified school librarian. Sayre and The Lexington School also have school libraries and librarians, as does Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary (K-8) and I believe most of the other Catholic schools. I do not know about the rest - would assume the Lexington Christian School system does but rather doubt that some of the smaller religious private schools have adequate school libraries and certified school librarians..
There are also several Montessori schools in Lexington, and Sayre has a Montessori kindergarten.
Sayre and The Lexington School have good reputations and smaller classes. They do tend to be a bit elitist, not necessarily within the classroom, but in the general ambiance and often parental attitude. Sayre has been around for many, many decades; the Lexington School got started around 50 years ago. The Lexington Christian Schools are newer and also are academically competitive and certified. They also have a strong boys' sports program.
There are other religiously based schools, some of which are extremely conservative - the fundamentalist Clays Mill Baptist comes to mind, especially. They do an okay job with typical kids but may not catch less visible special needs like dyslexia or dysgraphia (I speak from experience with a now adult family member whose parents sent her to Clays Mill Baptist (not to be confused with the nearby public Clays Mill Elementary School) a number of years ago after she had difficulty in the public schools - neither really addressed her reading problem adequately, but eventually she learned to read and love books, although her writing still includes frequent misspellings. However, things may have changed for the better in the intervening years.
So, continue to research and if possible, visit the schools which interest you. Check out online info, too, for each school. Good luck finding the right fit for your sons.
Last edited by CraigCreek; 03-03-2017 at 11:15 AM..
You can check out school ratings of each school here.
I have to agree with the others that posted though...in Lexington the Public Schools seem to be just as good, if not
better than some of the Private schools. I have heard great things about Mary Queen and the Lexington school too.
Lexington Christian Academy seems nice also.
Despite the score Great Schools give the city of Lexington, it really does have
excellent educational opportunities.
Welcome to the Lexington forums here at City-Data!
I hope your move to the city is a happy, successful one - and hope you find just the right school for Children's
education.
Last edited by Crazee Cat Lady; 03-03-2017 at 05:26 PM..
Thanks all! This helps tremendously.
We are still unsure where we are buying (ideally chevy chase greater area but few homes are available) so this would unfortunately drive some public school decisions.
What about the catholic schools? We are not catholic but in a lot of the areas, where i live the elite send their children to Catholic schools for the Academics (not sports).
I am Jewish but those Catholics can sure teach! I don't mind the religious piece as well. I think it is educational to learn about religion and history and western civilization and I like the values it gives the kids.
Someone mentioned Mary Queen (I am touring next week- thank you!) There are a lot of Catholic school in Lexington (and louisville) Seton, St Peter/Paul are on my list to look at.
Are there any that might be a good fit for what I am seeking? Or that are known to be better? OR to stay away from?
I do like that a lot of Lexington public (and private) schools tend to have a focus on the arts- way to go Lexington!
Christ the King (Roman Catholic) Cathedral and School are in Chevy Chase. The school is good, and offers classes for preschoolers through eighth graders.
Many local children walk to Christ the King - or to Cassidy Elementary (public) School, which is just a couple of blocks from Christ the King and is also excellent. Cassidy shares a campus with the also quite good Morton Middle School, enhancing Chevy Chase's popularity with parents who want their children to attend neighborhood schools for as long as possible.
I am familiar with Sayre and they have a decent amount of financial aid students. They also have a strong emphasis on development of character and deal with bullying seriously. I've actually heard from several friends that The Lexington School has more issues with cliques but I have no personal first-hand experience there.
We moved our son to Sayre from public school this year in first grade because he also is a bit of a wiggle worm and he really has flourished there.
Thanks all! I really appreciate all of the input. If I knew which jurisdiction we would be falling in, I would explore more public schools. I am still ambivalent about which private school, but this helps... It's hard to get a feel on how cliquish schools are beyond the brochure and what the real feel on the mission of the school-- academics, sports... So even heresy helps.
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