West Hills area of Huntington, anything we should know?

[longislander2]

Put up all the rankings you want, but I repeat: no one buys in the South Huntington district for the schools.

[Quick Commenter]

Originally Posted by longislander2

Put up all the rankings you want, but I repeat: no one buys in the South Huntington district for the schools.

I think everybody knows that - scroll (way) down for highlighted South Huntington:

This is from another thread (LI School District Ranks 2013) wherein essentially all school in Nassau/Suffolk are represented.

LI School District Ranks 2013
Score - School (District)

110 - PERFECT SCORE
99.5 - Manhasset High School (Manhasset*)
99.0 - Jericho HS (Jericho*)
96.9 - Garden City HS (Garden City*)
96.9 - Great Neck South* (Great Neck)
96.4 - Roslyn High School (Roslyn*)
94.7 - Cold Spring Harbor HS (CSH Central*)
94.1 - Wheatley School (East Williston*)
93.7 - Syosset High School (Syosset*)
93.4 - Plainview-Old Bethpage (Plainview-Old Bethpage*)
93.1 - Harborfields High School (Harborfields Central*)
91.3 - Commack High School (Commack*)
91.3 - Half Hollow Hills HS East* (Half Hollow Hills)
89.5 - Half Hollow Hills HS West* (Half Hollow Hills)
89.3 - Ward Melville (Three Village*)
88.2 - South Side High School (Rockville Centre*)
88.1 - Herricks High School (Herricks*)
87.4 - Great Neck North* (Great Neck)
86.9 - JFK* (Bellmore-Merrick)
86.9 - Massapequa High School (Massapequa*)
86.3 - George W Hewlett (Hewlett-Woodmere*)
85.5 - Floral Park Memorial* (Sewanhaka)
85.5 - New Hyde Park Memorial* (Sewanhaka)
85.1 - Elwood/John Glenn HS (Elwood*)
84.7 - Wantagh High School (Wantagh*)
84.3 - Smithtown High School East* (Smithtown)
84.3 - Smithtown HS West* (Smithtown)
84.1 - North Shore HS (North Shore*)
84.0 - Paul D Schreiber (Port Washington*)
84.0 - Locust Valley HS (Locust Valley*)
83.9 - Bethpage Senior High School (Bethpage*)
83.7 - Gen Douglas MacArthur HS* (Levittown)
83.2 - Sayville High School (Sayville)
83.1 - Mineola High School (Mineola*)
83.0 - Carle Place Senior High School (Carle Place*)
81.8 - Lynbrook Senior HS (Lynbrook*)
81.7 - Bayport-Blue Point HS (Bayport-Blue Point*)
81.6 - Earl L Vandermeulen HS (Port Jefferson*)
81.5 - Northport SHS (Northport-East Northport*)
81.1 - Babylon Senior High School (Babylon*)
81.0 - Kings Park High School (Kings Park*)
80.3 - Hauppauge High School (Hauppauge*)
80.0 - Mount Sinai High School (Mount Sinai*)
79.7 - Division Avenue HS* (Levittown)
79.5 - Plainedge Senior High School (Plainedge*)
78.6 - Oceanside Senior HS (Oceanside*)
78.5 - Oyster Bay HS (Oyster Bay-East Norwich*)
78.4 - Calhoun* (Bellmore-Merrick)
77.8 - Mepham* (Bellmore-Merrick)
77.8 - Westhampton Beach SHS (Westhampton Beach*)
77.7 - Seaford High School (Seaford*)
77.6 - H Frank Carey HS* (Sewanhaka)
77.2 - Mattituck SHS (Mattituck-Cutchogue*)
77.2 - NASSAU COUNTY
76.1 - Islip High School (Islip*)
75.9 - West Islip Senior High School (West Islip*)
75.7 - W Tresper Clarke High School* (East Meadow)
75.5 - Sachem High School North* (Sachem)
75.4 - Connetquot High School (Connetquot*)
75.3 - Valley Stream South HS* (VS)
74.9 - East Meadow High School* (East Meadow)
74.9 - Southold High School (Southold*)
74.9 - Valley Stream North* (VS North)
74.8 - Eastport-South Manor (Eastport-South Manor*)
74.1 - LONG ISLAND
73.7 - Sachem High School East* (Sachem)
73.2 - Huntington High School* (Huntington)
72.8 - Pierson (Sag Harbor*)
72.5 - East Islip High School (East Islip*)
72.0 - Miller Place High School (Miller Place*)
72.0 - Shelter Island HS (Shelter Island*)
72.0 - Walt Whitman HS (South Huntington*)
71.4 - East Rockaway SHS (East Rockaway*)
71.4 - Shoreham-Wading River (Shoreham-Wading River*)
71.1 - SUFFOLK COUNTY
70.7 - Comsewogue (Brookhaven-Comsewogue*)
69.8 - Sewanhaka HS* (Sewanhaka)
68.8 - Bridgehampton School (Bridgehampton*)
68.8 - Elmont Memorial HS* (Sewanhaka)
68.8 - Farmingdale High School (Farmingdale*)
68.6 - Southampton High School (Southampton*)
68.4 - West Babylon SHS (West Babylon*)
67.7 - Hicksville High School (Hicksville*)
67.4 - Baldwin SHS (Baldwin*)
67.3 - Lindenhurst High School (Lindenhurst*)
66.8 - Island Trees HS (Island Trees*)
66.6 - Valley Stream Central HS* (VS Central)
65.6 - West Hempstead HS (West Hempstead*)
65.4 - Center Moriches High School (Center Moriches*)
65.0 - Rocky Point High School (Rocky Point*)
64.5 - Centereach High School* (Middle Country)
64.4 - Glen Cove HS (Glen Cove*)
63.0 - Deer Park High School (Deer Park*)
62.6 - Bay Shore SHS (Bay Shore*)
61.6 - Long Beach High School (Long Beach*)
61.0 - NEW YORK STATE
60.9 - Lawrence High School (Lawrence)
60.5 - Riverhead High School (Riverhead*)
59.7 - East Hampton High School (East Hampton*)
59.3 - Hampton Bays Secondary (Hampton Bays*)
59.1 - Malverne High School (Malverne)
58.8 - Newfield High School* (Middle Country)
58.2 - Longwood High School (Longwood*)
58.2 - Patchogue-Medford HS (Patchogue-Medford*)
57.5 - North Babylon HS (North Babylon*)
55.4 - Bellport High School (South Country*)
54.8 - William Floyd High School (William Floyd*)
52.6 - Amityville Memorial (Amityville*)
50.1 - Brentwood High School (Brentwood*)
49.6 - Walter G O'Connell (Copiague*)
47.0 - Westbury High School (Westbury*)
45.4 - Freeport High School (Freeport*)
40.4 - Roosevelt (Roosevelt*)
39.7 - Central Islip HS (Central Islip*)
34.2 - Wyandanch Memorial (Wyandanch*)
33.1 - Hempstead High School (Hempstead*)

77.23 - NASSAU COUNTY
74.09 - LONG ISLAND
71.11 - SUFFOLK COUNTY
61.00 - NEW YORK STATE
Source: ATF


* = Designates whether district or particular High School within the district was measured. Some districts have more than one High School.

This data in this list was compiled from the most recent report cards released April 2013 (from the 2011-2012 school year).
https://reportcards.nysed.gov/
Methodology:

Grad Rate (replaced with general ed regents diploma) - 1x
Post-secondary Plans 2011-2012 Completers
To 4-year College - 2x
To College (4-year+2-year) - 1x
Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation - 2x
Comprehensive English (scored 65+/85+) - 2x
Algebra 2/Trig (scored 65+/85+) - 2x
Global History and Geography (scored 85+) - 1x

other notes:
-ties simply go in alphabetical order
-last year's list
-Smithtown HS W. & HS E. were done separately. They coincidentally got the same score.

[monkeygorilla]

Originally Posted by longislander2

Put up all the rankings you want, but I repeat: no one buys in the South Huntington district for the schools.

I think people weigh the pros & cons- Woodbury/Syosset is right next door & has top schools but the price of the houses/taxes are out of reach for many, especially since it's Nassau not Suffolk. So then you look at nearby top districts in Suffolk- Cold Spring Harbor (way too expensive for most), Harborfields & Half Hollow Hills (too far from the city/difficult commute). So what are you left with when you take out these top districts nearby, which may be great districts, but don't work for your family because of cost or commute? I can certainly see why South Huntington might be a viable option, since it has beautiful neighborhoods like West Hills/Cold Spring Hills that are very close to the train. No, the South Huntington district isn't considered as good as Harborfields or Half Hollow Hills, BUT it is a solid district that I know many parents are very happy with. So I can certainly see why someone would choose to move to South Huntington schools, especially in the West Hills area

[h-tonian]

Originally Posted by monkeygorilla

I think people weigh the pros & cons- Woodbury/Syosset is right next door & has top schools but the price of the houses/taxes are out of reach for many, especially since it's Nassau not Suffolk. So then you look at nearby top districts in Suffolk- Cold Spring Harbor (way too expensive for most), Harborfields & Half Hollow Hills (too far from the city/difficult commute). So what are you left with when you take out these top districts nearby, which may be great districts, but don't work for your family because of cost or commute? I can certainly see why South Huntington might be a viable option, since it has beautiful neighborhoods like West Hills/Cold Spring Hills that are very close to the train. No, the South Huntington district isn't considered as good as Harborfields or Half Hollow Hills, BUT it is a solid district that I know many parents are very happy with. So I can certainly see why someone would choose to move to South Huntington schools, especially in the West Hills area

I think it has more to do with just a compromise. These are very unique neighborhoods. West Hills surrounds a woodland county park with horse trails and contains many properties that are zoned for stables. Cold Spring Hills surrounds a private golf course and was designed to be parklike. Great care was taken to develop it into the Olmsted designed Kahn estate, respecting the natural environment. Prices/taxes in West Hills and Cold Spring Hills are comparable to both Cold Spring Harbor and Syosset/Woodbury. They generally run slightly higher than Harborfields. I can afford to live in any of these places, and I live very happily in CS Hills. There is nowhere on Long Island like these neighborhoods.

As for the school district, yes, it is a solid district. Those who just look at qualitative rankings are missing a much larger picture of what a school district is actually like. Unlike some of the thoughtless commentators in this thread, I actually live in the district and am also very familiar with the neighboring CSH district (even more so than S Huntington). Academically, there is very little difference. If anything, Walt Whitman offers a slightly broader curriculum and more AP classes. The main difference is in the student body. Both CSH and Whitman have affluent students from upper middle class households. Both have the type of curriculum that parents from these types of households expect. CSH's entire student body is of this type - affluent white kids with highly educated parents. Whitman's is much larger and much more diverse. Many students come from disadvantaged and challenging backgrounds. Anyone with even the slightest understanding of how this type of qualitative research is analyzed will recognize this. In my experience, the people in my neighborhood are educated enough to understand these simple facts. They are not as worried about rankings and status. Some like diversity, some don't mind it, and some want their children to go to school with people who look and act like them. Some, like me, don't see much difference between public schools (which mainly teach kids how to take tests and not how to have original thought) and invest in private schooling.

Any of these "best of" lists are flawed - including US News and the repeatedly (and off topic) posted list by Pequaman. At least US News attempted to account for diverse student populations in their methodology - not just affluent white kids that are going to score well and go to college no matter what school they attend. It's certainly not a perfect methodology. If anything US News shows that qualitative facts can be viewed through many different filters.

[h-tonian]

Originally Posted by Quick Commenter

I think everybody knows that - scroll (way) down for highlighted South Huntington:

This is from another thread (LI School District Ranks 2013) wherein essentially all school in Nassau/Suffolk are represented.

[...]

I believe this is the third time you have posted this list in this thread. Please stop. You have already admitted that you are not familiar with West Hills and are not even sure where it is located. This thread is about West Hills. Why do you feel the need to participate?