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We're moving back to Bergen County after 9 years in the Charlotte, NC. We've heard different opinion about the schools and would like any insight from people living there on the following schools and towns: Ridgewood, Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus. (We used to live in Allendale.) Heard that Northern Highlands is 7th best in the state now and that Ridgewood has a new administration that people aren't thrilled with. We're also contemplating Bergen Catholic for our incoming 9th grader, but again, get mixed reviews. Any insight on both high schools and lower schools? Also, we know Allendale pretty well, but aren't as familiar living in Ridgewood and HHK? Thanks!
Being from Saddle River and entering high school in 1996, our town had no high school so our choice for a public high school was Ramsey. Well, I wanted to go to Northern Highlands and had to end up paying, but I only stayed there for 2 weeks. I found it to be too serious of an atmosphere and I only knew two people there.
So I left and went to Ramsey and I was really surprised. The kids were more humble, and though I got teased sometimes for being from Saddle River (seriously), I had my group of Wandell School friends (SR) that hadn't gone off to Catholic school to hang out with. Well through them and from class I made other friends, played on sports teams, etc. What I loved was that the teachers were personable and the education was good.
I cannot comment on what it is like now, since it's been more than 7 years since I graduated. But a word of caution is that so many people get caught up in sending their kids to the best public school, etc., but ultimately it's what a student does with his/her own education and some of it is the environment (the school). There were many intelligent kids in my classes who thrived and are now successful young professionals. I took my mix of honors and AP courses at Ramsey, ended up going to a top university, and I'm going to be an attorney from a top tier school very soon.
So my advice is look more than just the education and the rankings. Look at the environment, the people, picture how your kids would fit in and how you would as parents. Please don't choose where you're going to move just to accomodate where your kids go to school! It seems you are caring parents and that is all that may be necessary on your part for your children to do well at the #7 ranked school or at the #27 ranked school, for example.
eb23air - Excellent response, I couldn't agree more. All of the schools mentioned are excellent with great reputations and almost anyone would do well at them. The differences would be minor. Jay
The new administration that you mention is the new superintendent that was just elected. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he quit before even starting the job. I was suprised to hear that people quit $200K jobs So, for now, it's the old administration and the search contunies... The schools here are really good. However, they are overcrowded - especially elementary schools. I think it's the biggest problem here.
Thanks for all your replies. I absolutely agree with the comments about school rankings, which I can vouch for personally after having educated my children in a state with one of the lower school rankings in the country. Our kids have thrived despite the statistics! However, with so many friends still in the Allendale area, I get many comments about schools, so the ranking was a way to answer those in different towns who swear their school is superior! To the Saddle River respondant, I find it interesting that you thought the Ramsey kids were more down to earth ! Having lived in Allendale, it seems that the families we met were very down to earth. We just haven't been able to find a house there, so our search expanded to HHK and Ridgewood. One concern in Ridgewood, which Ira could address, would be how community-oriented the town is. Given that it is one of the larger Bergen County towns (with an overcrowded school system) our concern was that a new kid could get lost in the crowd. That has been a big issue here in the Charlotte, where overcrowding is a huge problem in the schools. Thanks for your help!
I have children in the Ridgewood elementary schools and I can share the following:
The schools are excellent. Teachers care, parents care, and the programs are wonderful. Ridgewood definately has a strong sense of community, and it shows in the schools. You couldn't ask for a better education for your children. But, if I had to be honest, there are negatives....
The elementary schools are VERY overcroweded. All of my children had kindergarten classes of 24 + students. Our school doesn't have a cafeteria, the children eat outside in the spring/fall and rotate eating in the music room and auditorium in the winter. It sounds crazy for Bergen County, but the schools are stretched to capacity and many need updating.
There are some unsettled issues between the parents and Ridgewood BOE. An unpopular math program, called TERC, is being taught at two of the town elementary schools, and is causing quite an uproar. I'm not familiar with the program, as my elementary school doesn't have it, but it is not favored by many parents. And all the issues with the superintendent already mentioned above.
Finally, I don't know what you are use to in North Carolina, but to be honest, Ridgewood is certainly not a "flashy" or "snobby" town, but don't let that fool you, the $$$ is there, and the pressure to keep up with the jones will definately kick in, especially when your kids get to school and start to tune in to who has summer houses where, who belongs to what country club, etc. Families in this town have a TREMENDOUS amount of money even if it doesn't show the way it might in other "showier" Bergen County towns. Most of my sons friends spend their summer attending camps at the tune of $6,000 for the summer, with buses that transport you there from your front door. Kids are involved in thousands of dollars worth of extracurricular activites from toddler ages. For example, when my son joined Lacrosse this year, I wondered how all of the boys were so good at it already, considering that my son's grade was the first year the town's rec department offered Lacrosse. Little did I know, most of the kids had been playing in "private" lacrosse leagues, and attending additional expensive lacrosse clinics, since kindergarten!!! It's wonderful to give your children all the best, if you can afford it. If you are on board for all that stuff great, if not, it may not be right for your family.
The town offers a wonderful and extremely popular newcomers group that really gets new residents to know each other, and a very popular off-shoot of that group is "playgroups" Moms are matched together with similar toddler age children to get to know each other and their kids. Moms with young children will also meet early on from various private clubs. I don't know how old your children are, but the negative effect of this is that kids really do enter kindergarten often with established "cliques" of friends based on their parents already established friendships. Kids in Ridgewood are tight from an early age, and it may be tough to break in as an older child in higher elementary school grades, believe it or not.
If I had to be honest, I found all of the above difficult with my move to Ridgewood. Good luck!!!!
WOW that is good to know we were considering (as we have good friends in wykoff/allendale) to move their next year. I am not sure if I like the idea of keeping up with the jonses actually. I think my friend mentioned that allendale can get snobby as well. Hows Franklin Lakes?
Here is something to think about-there are 316 public high schools in New Jersey; as long as your kids are going to one in the top 85, you will be fine. I went to Westwood Regional, just one town from Ridgewood and thrived; I was like number 35 in my class and had a gpa of 3.5, with the valedictorian in my year (2004) having a 4.7. We were ranked at number 81 in 2006 by NJ Monthly.
Now, all the towns you have mentioned are great, and I especially love HHK because I just think it is the greatest town in Bergen County and hope to someday raise my family there. But, have you thought about Hillsdale? The elementary schools are excellent as are the two high schools. The classes are relatively small, only having about 17 in each Kindergarten, so that is great. There is a regional high school; Pascack Valley, located in Hillsdale. There are two schools in the district; Pascack Hills is in Montvale. Some students west of Pascack Road in Hillsdale have the option of attending Hills rather than Valley. Both schools are excellent, within the top 25 in the state, nearly 100% going on to college but that also usually does not have too much to do with the school; college is not for everyone. If you are in Hillsdale, River Vale, Montvale or Woodcliff Lake, you will have excellent schools.
One thing I do have to say is that the public schools are a little better than some of the private schools; I know someone who went to Bergen Catholic and said it was a joke and did not prepare him for college at all; he wound up dropping out his freshmen year of college. I know someone else who went to St. Joe's and said the same thing. Though it depends on what the student takes out of it, the public schools tend to be a little better in my opinion.
With all that being said, you really cannot go wrong in Northern Bergen County. There is a plethora of great schools, so good luck on your search.
I have to strongly disagree with the above post. The private schools score just as well or better on the standardized tests compared to the publics. Plus, the Catholic schools in particular have a better record with discipline, values (if that matters to you) and keeping drugs out of the high schools. The schools mentioned are good, but Don Bosco is probably a step up academically. For girls, Holy Angels. But, as with everything it's all a matter of opinion and personal experience. I know tons of students who had a bad experience at our local high school (one of the top 15 schools in the state) and I wouldn't assume the school stinks because of that.
Sinatra went to school in Bergen County, shall I say more
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Ridgewood
So, for now, it's the old administration and the search contunies... The schools here are really good. However, they are overcrowded - especially elementary schools. I think it's the biggest problem here.
