Schools in Beacon NY (Union, Poughkeepsie: low income, section 8, real estate)

[jeebs3000]

We are considering a move from Brooklyn to Beacon. We have a 4 yr. old daughter. Can someone give me as objective a view on the schools in the Beacon City School District? We are not looking for the "perfect" school situation as we are very aware of the neuroses of some parents when it comes to their high and sometimes impossible expectations when looking for schools that cater to their needs. We intend fully to share the responsibility of educating our child and not lay it all on the schools. Having said this is Beacon doable? Any Beacon NY parents out there! We aren't looking for opinions based on experience. PLEASE help us PLEASE!

[mom2gurls]

I applaud the fact that you take responsibility in the education of your child. Having said that, Beacon schools and Poughkeepsie City schools are the districts that people avoid. Sorry to offend anyone, but even when we moved up here, no kids, newly married, our housing agents practically spoon fed us the arlington school district. Certain schools in Wappingers are good too. Spackenkill schools are also good. The crime is also higher in Beacon and poughkeepsie (gangs and thugs).

If you are willing to go all the way up to beacon..go about 5 miles more north and put yourself in at least the wappingers district. If you can go up 15 miles northeast.....Arlington is even better. Now I say that not because I have a child in the arlington school district, I say that because the parents are involved highly in the schools here, the test scores do show it. The teachers are great. I have friends in the wappingers district and i here only good things about the district as well. My belief is because is more of a "desperate housewife" kind of feel, lots of nice established neighborhoods, lots of new construction..in the summer time, there is a hustle and bustle of kids activities. Beacon is more of the "rougher part of town"...they are revitalizing it, and people are still buying their 700k homes there, but they buy because its close to the beacon trains and then they send there kids to private school...so it really depends....Personally, I wouldnt send my kids to beacon or live near the town..but that is just my personal viewpoint. You can look on "school matters " "dot com"..and look up beacon schools and compare them. The reading and math proficiency is below the 50% percentile and I think the reading for the junior high is 37%. But again, due your due diligence and see what suits your lifestyle.

[jeebs3000]

thanks mom2gurls. much appreciated.

[mom2gurls]

No problem, btw, there are also three prison in the immediate area (two in beacon) one in fishkill, next town over. Male, maximum security and one is female minimum security. I kid you not, because its right off the freeway, it looks like something out of the tv show "prison break".

But one thing to consider, as an opposite approach, perhaps dont come up so far...stop your journey in cold spring or garrison...I have heard nice things about those towns. Basically as a resident, and a mom, pop yourselves over to a different district and you will be fine. And if you need to be near the beacon train.. you can just drive there! Dutchess is a great place to raise kids and there is TONS of stuff to do over here.

[Manhattan-ite]

Beacon is changing, and fast. The Dia:Beacon museum has been a catalyst for a renovation of Main Street (finally)- new antique stores, organic places, fine restaurants and all that. Two years ago I visited and it was a seedy place with lots of people loitering, poverty, gangsta-thug-looking types and boarded-up businesses.

In my last visit six months ago, Main Street Beacon had changed SO much, for the better. Instead of "checks cashed" it was an "organic produce" store, instead of an empty basement there was a gallery and so on. There seems to be some big real effort to clean up.

But, yes, I imagine the schools have not changed because the concentrated poverty and the subsidized housing are still there.

[CampingMom]

Sorry, I have to disagree here with some of this. As a life long resident-41 years-I can give you a better picture all around. Beacon is going through changes-good ones. You can't compare it to the City of Poughkeepsie because nothings been done there to bring people in and clean up the place-the Guardian Angels are starting a group there. Beacon schools aren't bad-it's a rep that at one time was true-but that's changing. They built a brand new high school-best that this area now has to offer. Arlington has built a new middle school and elementary-but being as I work for them-we have bad things going on there too-none of the schools here qualify for Mayberry. Wappingers has HUGE overcrowding problems and both Junior Highs are being watched by the state because of poor scoring on tests. They've been on the list now for over 4 years and no improvement.

I'd rather live in Beacon-there are areas that are very nice in the district-Chelsea, Glenham for starters. The real estate agents here of course push you towards certain districts-there's more commissions to be made on homes in the other districts. Beacon does offer a wide variety of activities for all-better so than Fishkill does. East Fishkill has the best rec program here-but it's also one of the more pricey areas to get a home and pay taxes. Family members do go to Beacon-they all went to Arlington-and they've been pleased with their children's schooling. Yes, in any district here you'll find trouble makers, drugs, potential gang activities. But you'll find good too.

And one poster talks of subsidized housing-guess what? It's in all districts here. Wappingers just look around the Rt. 9 area by Medicus. Imperial Gardens is a lot of section 8 too-they get bused to different schools in the district for demographic purposes(they need funding for lower income at certain schools-there's not enough low income people in the East Fishkill area). Arlington we do the same-we've got kids from the downtown Arlington area bused to schools in the outer reaches like Unionvale and Beekman.

[jeebs3000]

Thanks so much for that viewpoint CampingMom! We are really looking for insiders perspectives and you have given us at least one. Would you mind much if we asked your opinion on other things? Like Rombout Middle School for instance. And we are curious about some of the changes happening in the commercial areas of Beacon as well. Thanks again!

[CampingMom]

Originally Posted by jeebs3000

Thanks so much for that viewpoint CampingMom! We are really looking for insiders perspectives and you have given us at least one. Would you mind much if we asked your opinion on other things? Like Rombout Middle School for instance. And we are curious about some of the changes happening in the commercial areas of Beacon as well. Thanks again!

Rombout like most middle schools around here has it's own share of things it deals with. I am sure that if it's like the ones my kids have gone to or the one I work at, you'll see fights, some will dabble in drugs, a pregnancy or two, oral sex is the biggest problem in the majority of junior highs around here now. Academic-Rombout seems better than Wappingers two schools for test results. Wappingers is on a watch from the state and they have I believe it's 90 days to change how some classes are taught to bring them up to standards. It's more a matter on how involved the parent is too if your child will succeed in any school. Some junior highs around here don't want any parental involvement-Van Wyck is big on that. You'll have to make the effort to introduce yourselves to the teachers and make a point you will be calling if you have question-squeaky wheels always make themselves heard here. Also if your child like sports it's a smaller school and will have a better chance to shine. The larger districts here it's not unusual for 120 kids to tryout for a sport that's got a roster of 23.

As to the commercial side of Beacon-it's changed dramatically. It all used to be run down and many stores boarded up. You now have good places to go out to eat, antique stores, Subway is there, candles shops, chotchie type stores. Seems that the rebirth is working from both sides towards the middle. Better stores are coming in and more services are available. Just like it used to be. Now with the Dia Center there-more people are visiting the shops. I have heard there's more good things in store and it's only 5 miles to Fishkill for major retailers, there a new plaza across from Dutchess Stadium on Rt. 9D. And not a long drive up to the Galleria or across the river to the Newburgh Mall.

[jeebs3000]

Thanks again CampingMom amd mom2gurls!!! Your input is what makes this forum work. Best Wishes.

[Manhattan-ite]

Helloooo.... I guess my input means nothing to you, my dear jeebs3000.

But didn't you notice that CampingMom's last post pretty much repeated what I had said before about the commercial renaissance of Beacon?

Oh, well. We give advice for nothing, here sometimes...