Moving to St. Paul? Where to rent? (Ramsey: theater, middle school)

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by Itotia

Thanks, very encouraging.
TCA might not be a good option. I will be working 40 hours a week and to volunteer at school during the day, I will have to ask my employer to give me time off... Absolutely impossible, especially at a new job.
Transportation eligibility is 1 mile, correct
Welcome to the Saint Paul Public Schools Department of Transportation
So going back to my question... For instance, I live 1/2 mile from school and cannot pick up my child. How safe is it to ride city bus? Would you as a parent let your kid get on a bus? Especially if they are new in town and do not know anyone?

Absolutely.

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Itotia

Thanks, very encouraging.
TCA might not be a good option. I will be working 40 hours a week and to volunteer at school during the day, I will have to ask my employer to give me time off... Absolutely impossible, especially at a new job.
Transportation eligibility is 1 mile, correct
Welcome to the Saint Paul Public Schools Department of Transportation
So going back to my question... For instance, I live 1/2 mile from school and cannot pick up my child. How safe is it to ride city bus? Would you as a parent let your kid get on a bus? Especially if they are new in town and do not know anyone?

Could your kid ride a bicycle or walk?

[Itotia]

He could, but how realistic is it when it is -10 or -20 outside? Remember where we are coming from. The first winter is goig to be hard.
I grew up in a cold climate. I had a 20 min walk (approx. 1.5 mi) to school. On cold days it was not very pleasant no matter how well you bundle up. I remember I could not feel my toes and fingers when coming home. And it rarely got below -4F! When it hit -16, shools got cancelled.
Currently, we live in a deep suburbia with a walk score of 8. Schools are predominantly white and rated 8-10. It's a master-planned community with beautiful landscaping and amenities. But you can't walk anywhere outside the subdivision. There are no sidewalks or bike lanes. Traffic is crazy. While it's nice but feels like living in a bubble. I might worry too much about my kid adjusting to the new environment, but don't we all?

[Itotia]

Originally Posted by Mason3000

If TCA doesn't work out, Ramsey, Murray or Highland Park are where you're likely going to land. All decent schools with a majority of normal, middle class kids attending & doing very well. There's also an element that will never graduate from High School. Birds of a feather flock together though, which group will your kid gravitate to? If you're confident in your answer, you're in good shape. As long as your kid is attending the local Middle School there will be busing available both morning & afternoon, so long as you live further than 6 blocks (I think?) from school. Also, most schools, local parks & libraries have after school activities. Band, sports, tutoring, etc. that you might want to get your kid into to make friends & occupy their time until you get home. City of St. Paul, MN - Official Website - Parks and Recreation Home | Saint Paul Public Library

Thanks! Do you have personal experience with Ramsey, Murray or Highland? All three are ranked very low on greatschools...

[uptown_urbanist]

Nice thing about St. Paul is that there are sidewalks, so the walking will be much safer. I'm sure that there WILL be an adjustment period, but kids are often pretty resilient. Get some decent boots, a warm coat, and all the other gear, and they'll be fine. Some people here do bike year-round! I don't, but walking to a bus stop in winter isn't too bad (bonus: when you're taking the bus there's no dealing with scraping off the ice or snow from the car). No matter how you cut it, winter can be a hassle in this state, no matter what your form of transportation.

[cheddar]

At greatschools.net, you can see the test scores for each school overall and by subgroup. Both Murray and Highland Park middle schools have test scores well above the state average for students "not economically disadvantaged." These scores compare favorably to public schools in suburbs that frequently are mentioned on this site (ex. Rosemount Middle School). Ramsey historically has been viewed as a strong school but recent stories about discipline issues have led some families with good students to go elsewhere.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by Itotia

Thanks! Do you have personal experience with Ramsey, Murray or Highland? All three are ranked very low on greatschools...

Go to "test scores", then "ratings details", then "ethnicity". That data at Ramsey shows Blacks students scoring a 2 of 10, Asian students scoring a 3 of 10, Hispanics a 2 of 10 & Whites a 9 of 10. 31% of the students are White. If your child is White, then statistically they'll score in the 90+% percentile on standardized tests as will 1/3 of the school. Without looking it up, I'll bet you anything the same thing applies at Murray & Highland Park. If your kid is White, you're in great shape. If not, I suggest you find a way to get your kid into a charter or private school.

[Mason3000]

Originally Posted by Itotia

He could, but how realistic is it when it is -10 or -20 outside? Remember where we are coming from. The first winter is goig to be hard.
I grew up in a cold climate. I had a 20 min walk (approx. 1.5 mi) to school. On cold days it was not very pleasant no matter how well you bundle up. I remember I could not feel my toes and fingers when coming home. And it rarely got below -4F! When it hit -16, shools got cancelled.
Currently, we live in a deep suburbia with a walk score of 8. Schools are predominantly white and rated 8-10. It's a master-planned community with beautiful landscaping and amenities. But you can't walk anywhere outside the subdivision. There are no sidewalks or bike lanes. Traffic is crazy. While it's nice but feels like living in a bubble. I might worry too much about my kid adjusting to the new environment, but don't we all?

Remind me why your kid can't take the school bus home like everyone else?

[Itotia]

Originally Posted by Mason3000

Remind me why your kid can't take the school bus home like everyone else?

1. Live inside 1 mile radius.
2. Charter school. Not sure all of them provide transportation. For instance, Cyber Village kids walk, ride city buses or with parents.

[cheddar]

Maybe you were just using Cyber Village as an example but that school is not well served by the metro bus system, assuming you want to avoid long walks in the cold. Also, school is canceled here for cold temps, so no one ends up walking when it is 20 below.