maricopa schools (Chandler: live, best, property)

[sidrah]

Coolidge not fine....trust me

[sidrah]

FLorence marginally better. Again, it is all about the area and the parents' values and how much worth they place on education

[c061378]

Thank you so much I am going to check out all the info. Sorry took me so long to reply long weekend here in Illinois.

[c061378]

Ok we have settled on Maricopa now my big question anyone on here who has kids in elementary school what schools do you currently send your kids to? Also what is the commute time by car?

[observer53]

My nephew's kids go to Jacobsen Elementary in Chandler. Mapquest says 20.6 miles (I didn't take it from their home address, but they are on the north end of Maricopa) 25 minutes. THere's a junior high essentially across the street from Jacobsen.

[Steve Pickering]

Casa Grande is only 15 minutes at worst. All the schools including elementary mentioned have some gang issues. Maricopa not so much. It is getting better as more families move in. At one time it was 80% Latino or Native American. Now it is the other way around and only 20%. Being Latino or Native American does not mean the schools are good or bad. You must remember just a few years ago there was nothing there but a water tank, a few dozen homes, a couple of bars, a small store, a truck stop, no gas station other than the truck stop, the school and a library, and a sheriffs station/city hall.

This was before the casino came.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Casa Grande is only 15 minutes at worst. All the schools including elementary mentioned have some gang issues. Maricopa not so much. It is getting better as more families move in. At one time it was 80% Latino or Native American. Now it is the other way around and only 20%. Being Latino or Native American does not mean the schools are good or bad. You must remember just a few years ago there was nothing there but a water tank, a few dozen homes, a couple of bars, a small store, a truck stop, no gas station other than the truck stop, the school and a library, and a sheriffs station/city hall.

This was before the casino came.

I'm not sure about that. Assuming that during the boom the racial/ethnic makeup in Maricopa changed as you suggest, according to my family living there, the cheap rentals which have been available for the last few years have changed it back in the other direction... a lot of vandalism of the vacant homes, etc. The schools were getting a little better, then that improvement stalled. That's why their school age kids are still going to Chandler.

[Steve Pickering]

Current data would disagree.

[Steve Pickering]

The population of Maricopa was 15,934 (2005 Special Census). The Arizona Department of Economic Security estimates that the population number at July 2006 was approximately 24,625 and the City of Maricopa estimates that the population has swelled to about 34,000 as of September 2007, based on school enrollment, residential permits and final occupancy inspections and other factors.

There are just under 7,000 students in 10 schools in 2 districts.

The non Hispanic white population of Maricopa is 60%. Latinos make up less than 24% of the total population. As I stated, the school make up is less than 20% Latino, and 4 of the schools are rated 4 to 5 stars

I would not let bigoted individuals sway your decision. The schools are schools just like anywhere else. The disservice to the child of removing them from the community they live in for school because of some perceived notion of what is better really disturbs me and it should you also.

[observer53]

My nephew's children are not disserved by going to school in another city. It's a joint custody situation, so the kids are living in two cities as it is. He lives there, knows more about the schools from his own research and talking to his neighbors than either of us do. It's not a "perceived notion" on his part. He isn't the only one who is not using Maricopa schools; some of the neighborhood kids go to the same Chandler school, and all the kids play together after school and on weekends. I don't think any of them are disserved by not seeing all the neighborhood kids at school.

Many of the kids who stay in the Maricopa schools probably do just fine; each parent has to decide what they think is best. The changes in the demographics are NOT just on ethnic/racial lines, either. But, in response to your post, what are 2010 census figures? I don't mind being incorrect, but I'm not going to be convinced by data from five to seven years ago, either. I'm sure the percentages are very different at present (and in 2005-07) than before the boom in Maricopa ever started. I lived and worked in Pinal County in the 80s when Maricopa was a VERY different place. It would be interesting to know what they are now, compared to 2005-07.