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Last year's state test were harder than in the past. They also have the new Common Core Curriculum. Port Washington's elementary schools test scores were not that strong compared to neighboring towns. I think the level of instruction in the day to day schooling is high and demanding in Port Washington. The schools also give additional help to struggling students. Parents are also expected to help their children with homework assignments and also parents are expected to help their children study for classroom tests. Port Washington also has a diverse population (people from many different income levels and backgrounds). There are lots of young families in Port Washington. There is also a fantastic 5 star Library (which is sort of a community center with lots of activities for people of all ages.) There is also Manorhaven Park with a summer outdoor family/resort type of swimming pool, tennis courts, skateboard park, sport field and a beach with a playground. There are lots of small shops in PW, 2 movie theaters, restaurants, but no big box stores are close by (no Targets or Costcos). LIJH is about 10 minutes away and Manhattan is about 40 minutes away by train (but parking during rush hour may be a problem.)There are lots of activities for children (soccer, baseball, basketball, karate, dance, tennis, etc) and even an indoor skating rink. There are a variety of types of housing and prices vary.
Thanks for the information about PW. I'll definitely check it out as it seems great for family life. I'll compare it to Manhasset, Great Neck, and Roslyn area.
With these areas (GN, Manhasset, PW, GC, Roslyn, Jeri, Syosset), is there some interesting/unique opportunities? For example, Syosset introduces foreign languages starting in KG. Any insight with these other school districts on cool opportunities such as sports/foreign language/extra-circ? Thanks.
GC has Spanish starting in 2nd grade, honestly I was not impressed with the program when I lived there. My kids were there through 3rd grade and I think I knew more Spanish at that age than they did. It's NOT an immersion program. I think it's good to get a foundation in another language at an early age since eventually you need to take one - I just didn't see it as that effective from a "let's learn to speak it" POV.
GC is sports crazy and has the championship teams to prove it.
great neck, gc, jeri and syosset are not my kind of people. the only reasonable choice if you are a remotely interesting person is PW. if you like dockers and billy joel the other towns will suit you just fine.
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Originally Posted by udvinnyg
Thanks for the information about PW. I'll definitely check it out as it seems great for family life. I'll compare it to Manhasset, Great Neck, and Roslyn area.
With these areas (GN, Manhasset, PW, GC, Roslyn, Jeri, Syosset), is there some interesting/unique opportunities? For example, Syosset introduces foreign languages starting in KG. Any insight with these other school districts on cool opportunities such as sports/foreign language/extra-circ? Thanks.
The elementary schools PW, do not offer foreign language or after school sports. School sponsored after school activities for elementary school students is limited. Sousa Elementary (one of the better rated elementary schools in PW - note test scores between schools in PW vary) has a strong music and art program. All students who are interested in learning a musical instrument are given the opportunity to play in the band. I was told over 80% of the upper grade students at Sousa play an instrument. There are lots private for pay after school activities in PW for elementary age children. Foreign language instruction starts in middle school 6th grade.
If I were you, I would buy/build a house in New Hyde Park. Close to work, close to city via LIRR, good/safe neighborhood with walkable downtown, good school district, diverse mix of people, no snobs, etc.
A lot of people who work at LIJ live in Manhasset Hills. There's probably 1 physician on every block. Commute is less than 10 minutes. Decent move-in ready houses cost around $900,000. I also like Lake Success but you are more likely to spend about 1.5 Million for a decent house, also commute is less than 10 minutes. Outside of Lake Success and Manhasset Hills, you really are looking at 30 minutes commute time or more door to door. It may not seem very far on the map but you should definitely try driving around during rush hour or around 3-4pm when the kids get out of school and you'll see what I mean (all the roads get very congested). Good luck house hunting!
Great neck, while kind of expensive (Really expensive for normal prices) has excellent schools, is close to LIJ, and has something of a town center.
Jericho is slightly cheaper, and has one of the best school systems in the country. The high school is ranked 34th in the nation. That said it doesn't have a town core, and is further from LIJ
Keep in mind that on Long Island, the town center is usually a mall, and that taxes are pretty high. That said, schools are good in many areas, and if you stay in those areas, crime is very low.
P.S 500th post!
How about cutting your housing budget in half and going with a private school? LI schools are good in some areas, but if you an afford it, you can live in a less wealthy area but have a better school. I had planned on putting my child in private school until my taxes sucked up the private school tuition.
How about cutting your housing budget in half and going with a private school? LI schools are good in some areas, but if you an afford it, you can live in a less wealthy area but have a better school. I had planned on putting my child in private school until my taxes sucked up the private school tuition.
Private school tuition for four kids will always cost more than property taxes, even in the most expensive LI neighborhoods. Most of the (secular) private schools on LI have tuitions starting in the $15-20K per year range. Multiply that times four, and add in the fact that OP will be paying around $10K a year in property taxes even in a less wealthy area, and it's way more expensive than just buying into Jericho or Great Neck or similar. It's a good plan for one kid (or maybe even two) but won't work given the size of the OP's family.
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