Willow Grove Area

[killakoolaide]

Originally Posted by bambiying

There is no "Willow Grove" school district. Willow Grove is half in Abington School District and half in Upper Moreland school district. My kids go to Upper Moreland Primary and I'm extremely happy with it.

It's surprising to me that UM performs as poorly as it does, compared to the other suburban districts.

I went to school there and thought it was a very good school compared to some of the others I went to as a kid, Norristown and Pennsauken(NJ).

Here's the list of the regions best schools, and UM didn't make the list.
Public Schools 2009 - Philadelphia Magazine - phillymag.com

[bambiying]

I saw it didn't make the list, and was very surprised. Every parent who has a kid there loves it, and all I can think of is that maybe they just don't teach to the test where other districts do.

[From DC to NC]

i grew up in willow grove and assure you it's not half as bad as people perceive it to be. the crestmont section as well as the section called "the heights" is majority black and working class. it's a small town - everyone basically knows eachother. many of the residents are related whether distant or closely. no, it's not a luxury place but for families wishing to get out of the city (such as my parents who moved us out there over 32 years ago) it's a great place. the elementary schools are great and the high schools - abington and upper moreland - are good and diverse. my father and brother are still there and i visit often.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by bambiying

I saw it didn't make the list, and was very surprised. Every parent who has a kid there loves it, and all I can think of is that maybe they just don't teach to the test where other districts do.

there are a lot of high schools in this area, and a lot of them are very good. not being in the top 50 doesn't necessarily mean that your school is not good.

the year before (2008), philly magazine did a ranking of all the districts in the area (rather than high schools) and this shows where they all rank. you never know exactly how they come up with these things, but in general it seems pretty accurate.

The Top 50 School Districts 2008 - Philadelphia Magazine - phillymag.com

[Mr. SmithinCrestmont]

Just for your information, I am Caucasian, have a great Sales/business development occupation, a B.S. Degree in Science from Temple University. For your reference, I don't consider myself Lower Middle/Working Class.

Guess what else...I RESIDE in Crestmont. Yes, you read that correctly, I reside in Crestmont.

I have lived in this neighborhood for over the 10 years, since year 2003, and I feel WAY more safer living here, than parts of Hatboro, Upper Moreland, Springfield, and of course where I am originally from, Northeast Philadelphia.

I keep my house Interior and Exterior clean, updated, and you will find my neighbors are pleasant to talk to, and get to know on a personal level.

I've never heard or seen any issues with crime, or blight, in Crestmont, such as other neighborhoods.

I can fall asleep in my backyard, when the weather is nice, and never was awakened by loud disturbances.

There is also a Community Watch Program, and the streets, housing, parks, etc. are all well kept. You can walk in any area of this neighborhood, day or night, and feel comfortable.

And by the way, there are a significant amount of Caucasian people who reside in Crestmont, with excellent jobs, and have degrees.

Please do NOT depress any areas or designate them by "class." There is no way to back up your source of information, statistics, and such.

Thank you for your opinion, but the facts are now stated and are more important.

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by From DC to NC

i grew up in willow grove and assure you it's not half as bad as people perceive it to be. the crestmont section as well as the section called "the heights" is majority black and working class. it's a small town - everyone basically knows eachother. many of the residents are related whether distant or closely. no, it's not a luxury place but for families wishing to get out of the city (such as my parents who moved us out there over 32 years ago) it's a great place. the elementary schools are great and the high schools - abington and upper moreland - are good and diverse. my father and brother are still there and i visit often.

I think Willow Grove is a great suburb in every way but it does suffer from the perception that it is "wrong side of the tracks" among it's more affluent neighbors. It's just an attitude. Other than having smaller, less expensive houses no one can really say anything bad about it.