School Districts in LI

[checkmatechamp13]

Originally Posted by 2Tiny

Is there a place I can get the demographics of school? safety? etc?

I wouldn't want my children going to a demilitarized zone for school and I wouldn't want to pay high taxes and not send them to public school.

I care about safety, bullying, activities and of course education. I feel that if you stay on top of your kid in mostly any school they can excel but the parents won't be around there to protect them from illegal activity, gangs, etc.

The thing is that stats aren't everything. If my school were on Long Island, it would rank way at the bottom (68% graduation rate and a rating of 3 out of 10). However, I'm in an Honors program and have never had any real incidents occur. All of the students in my classes are motivated to learn (there are a few goofballs here and there just like in all schools, but nobody is really problematic). I'm sure there are incidents that occur, but the only thing I ever see is an occasional fight and that's it. The school's reputation is bad, but most of its critics are people who have never set foot in the school. They just see that the White population in the surrounding area is low and assume the worst (not knowing that there are plenty of White kids who attend the school and come out just fine)

You have to ask around. Maybe the school has a bad reputation but there are some good programs where your child can be with kids who share their interests and motivation to learn. If you go to a good school and hang out with the "bottom of the barrel" then you'll get into trouble. By contrast, you can go to a bad school (or so-called bad school) but if you hang out with the best and the brightest, you'll succeed.

[KellyFG]

Since you are asking about Patchogue-medford, let's talk budget.
People on city data will start suggesting districts based on stats that are triple what you'll pay to live in Patchogue Medford.
It's important that people realize not everyone can (or want to) afford $500,000 for a starter home and 18k in property taxes.

I live in Longwood, which was listed here as one of the worst. My neighbors are teachers in other more desirable districts, yet THEIR kids go to Longwood. Another neighbor is an administrator at SUNY stony brook and her kids attend Longwood. People talk about Longwood being unsafe, on my street alone we have a SCPD k9 officer, a Suffolk sherriff and a Suffolk corrections officer, all of their kids attend Longwood. They certainly earn enough to live elsewhere, why would they be here if it was so unsafe?
The valedictorian candidate from Longwood has been visiting my practice as part of an extra credit project for the past two months. This young lady is being courted by several Ivy League schools and she's been offered a few huge scholarships based on acedemics, doesn't atter what your districts reputation is, if your kid is extraordinary they will have any opportunities.
So I stick to my original advice, do not rely on an Internet forum to get opinions, spend the time in the community yourself and form your OWN opinion.

[ydsavaged]

Originally Posted by KellyFG

Since you are asking about Patchogue-medford, let's talk budget.
People on city data will start suggesting districts based on stats that are triple what you'll pay to live in Patchogue Medford.
It's important that people realize not everyone can (or want to) afford $500,000 for a starter home and 18k in property taxes.

I live in Longwood, which was listed here as one of the worst. My neighbors are teachers in other more desirable districts, yet THEIR kids go to Longwood. Another neighbor is an administrator at SUNY stony brook and her kids attend Longwood. People talk about Longwood being unsafe, on my street alone we have a SCPD k9 officer, a Suffolk sherriff and a Suffolk corrections officer, all of their kids attend Longwood. They certainly earn enough to live elsewhere, why would they be here if it was so unsafe?
The valedictorian candidate from Longwood has been visiting my practice as part of an extra credit project for the past two months. This young lady is being courted by several Ivy League schools and she's been offered a few huge scholarships based on acedemics, doesn't atter what your districts reputation is, if your kid is extraordinary they will have any opportunities.
So I stick to my original advice, do not rely on an Internet forum to get opinions, spend the time in the community yourself and form your OWN opinion.

well said!

I always try to say this same thing when the people on here start to rant about School districts. If you're smart, you're smart. Doesn't matter how much you're parents pay in taxes. Nowhere else on the planet do people battle over whos SD is higher "ranked" besides Long Island. Now here is where someone will jump down my throat OMG HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING YOU IGNORANT CHILD. SCHOOL DISTRICT IS EVERYTHING ON LI YOU UNEDCUATED CLOWN. (Insert more insults).

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by KellyFG

I would narrow it down by basic stats
class size, test scores, graduation rate then start spending a lot of time in the areas you are considering.
Call the district offices and ask to make an appointment to see their budget plan, attend a BOE meeting or two. Go to community events, school sporting events, PTA meetings, spend time at the library. Talk to parents(they will be your neighbors), do you feel comfortable with the environment? Do the kids have school pride? Is the school system well run without major budget issues? Do your children have any special needs or interests? Do the districts you visit have appropriate services available?

To me there is so much more to see than what newsday can print in a sunday special about great school districts. I like to get to know the people, get a real understanding of what the sense of community is. Creating smart, well rounded, confident kids is up to me -not my school district.

Well said!