Questions about Minneapolis schools (Windom, Roosevelt: homes, neighborhoods, to buy)

[slang75]

My family is contemplating a move to Minneapolis from California. We have 3 kids (6, 4 and 3) so schools and safety are the most important things for us. I have visited 2 times in the past few years to get a feel for the cities and neighborhoods. For the first year we will be living with a family member in the Lynnhurst neighborhood. During the first year we would start our search to buy a home in the right neighborhood. I really like the Nokomis area, but the schools beyond elementary seem to be lacking. We are also open to neighborhood suggestions. Looking for a nice walkable family friendly neighborhood.

Does anyone have hands-on information about the schools in the Nokomis neighborhood? How difficult is it to get a child into a school that is not in your neighborhood? Are their wait lists for schools like Southwest High? Also, if we start our oldest son in a school in Lynnhurst, can we keep him there and enroll his younger brothers as they reach school age?

Any info is much appreciated.

Thanks

[uptown_urbanist]

Yes, it can be tough (or so I've heard) to get your child into Southwest if they don't live in the district. And that may (not sure of all the logistics of this) be even harder now that they're working on getting IB into other schools, too. South High School is very highly-regarded, so if looking more south keep an eye on that option. The good news is that your kids are so young that a lot can change by the time they get to high school, and the Nokomis area these days seems to be filled with families with young kids. A LOT of my former Southwest friends have purchased homes over there, and they are the kind of parents who are going to be dedicated to ensuring that their children have access to a good education. Time is on your side, so it's possible that by the time your children reach high school that the local option (assuming that is Roosevelt) will be excellent. And, if not, there's always magnet programs or open enrollment.

I agree that Nokomis area is very nice, but a potential option right by where you'll be initially living is somewhere like Armatage, Kenny, or Windom; Armatage and Kenny are still VERY close to Lynnhurst (and walkable to Burroughs, if that's where you'll be) and Windom isn't that far away. Those areas are all family-friendly and significantly cheaper than Lynnhurst.

I'm not sure about the school issue. I'm fairly certain that you would not have to move your son from his school after starting (although would probably have to provide your own transportation), but am not sure how that works for siblings. You may want to take a closer look at various magnet options, which draw from a larger part of the city, so it would matter less where you live. Armatage (Montessori) is a very popular magnet in SW Minneapolis, although I'm not sure if the Nokomis families send their kids there (their Montessori option may be Seward, also an excellent program).

[slang75]

Thank you for the reply. I will defiantly put the neighborhoods you mentioned on our list. It's good to hear that the high schools are improving.