Question about schools in Gilbert, Chandler and Tempe (middle-class, to rent)

[Caligirl77]

Hello. We are relocating to the area this summer and trying to make a decision which area to rent a home. I like all three areas, but really looking for a K-6 or K-8 school. I am looking at Ward Academy in Tempe and also Chandler schools and Higley Unified in Gilbert. I would appreciate any advice regarding these areas and which schools are best? Thank you!!

[Java Jolt]

Chandler has some of the best schools in the valley, any of them should be good but it's always wise to check them out first.

I heard Kyrene school district is also one of the best, and that covers parts of Tempe and overlaps into Chandler.

[ReadyFreddy]

Have you checked out greatschools.org? I'm not sure what all their ranking criteria is but it's an easy to use site. I think each school district probably also has how each of their schools rank in the state on standardized tests up on their web sites somewhere.

[lauramc27]

We moved here to Chandler in June and our 9 year old attends Paloma Elementary in the Kyrene School District. The Pueblo Middle school is right next door to the elementary school so it's very convenient. So far we love the school and the neighborhood we live in. We looked at all different areas before deciding on this area of Chandler.

[AZPam]

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the schools in any of the districts. You can check out on line which school perform better than others but I don't think that greatschools web site is much help. Lots of mis information on there IMO.

[bigDwiki]

Originally Posted by Caligirl77

Hello. We are relocating to the area this summer and trying to make a decision which area to rent a home. I like all three areas, but really looking for a K-6 or K-8 school. I am looking at Ward Academy in Tempe and also Chandler schools and Higley Unified in Gilbert. I would appreciate any advice regarding these areas and which schools are best? Thank you!!

see greatschools.org

[ReadyFreddy]

I tend to agree that they're all good school districts, which means they're all going to be well-run schools. So picking a certain school is usually done more by just avoiding schools with poorer socioeconomic areas that feed into them. The differences aren't so much in the teachers but in the student bodies. But it's probably as or more important to have good peer group influences on your kids so that's ok, too. Then again, the more the 'haves' avoid certain schools, the more 'have not' those schools become. Which is kind of sad to see us self-segregate on economic terms.

[Caligirl77]

Thank you for the information. I will continue doing research on all the schools and will check out the great schools website.

[PhinsFan1]

Most schools in CUSD are good. After living here for 8 years, I haven't heard a single good thing about any school in the Higley school district. But I haven't experienced it first hand as my kids go to Chandler schools, so take that for what it's worth. If you want options outside of the "classic" programs, you might also look into the Chandler Traditional Academy schools. They're charter schools but they're under the CUSD umbrella, so you don't have some of the typical charter school concerns (accreditation, etc). They teach a year ahead and offer a traditional, back-to-basics program - Saxon math and Spaulding reading. It's not for everyone as it's a bit rigorous, but it's a good program. Athlos Academy just opened this year in Chandler, I think, or maybe Gilbert - they also offer the traditional program. Also, Eduprize is a charter school with an excellent program. I think they're within the CUSD, but not sure.

Definitely check greatschools site. I find it very useful. Good luck!

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by ReadyFreddy

I tend to agree that they're all good school districts, which means they're all going to be well-run schools. So picking a certain school is usually done more by just avoiding schools with poorer socioeconomic areas that feed into them. The differences aren't so much in the teachers but in the student bodies. But it's probably as or more important to have good peer group influences on your kids so that's ok, too. Then again, the more the 'haves' avoid certain schools, the more 'have not' those schools become. Which is kind of sad to see us self-segregate on economic terms.

You are so right.

This is why I really become upset when the ultraconservatives in state government cut and slash education funding whenever the budget needs fixing.

The wealthy people either find a better school in a different district or a private school, the poor and middle-class are the ones who feel the pinch.

Kyrene and Chandler schools are some of the best around but how long will they retain their status if education funding is not restored or is slashed even more?