Help with West Valley schools! (Scottsdale, Peoria: appointed, home, school districts)

[Iluvthepackers]

Hi everyone!

We just moved to Litchfield Park from WI. I was warned by many that Arizona does not put money and effort into their schools like other states do. Well we HATE our kids school! It is just terrible! I know that it won't be like our WI school, but I really don't think I can keep them there. I can live with the lack of technology they have. I am also disappointed in the class offerings (no foreign language, no orchestra). But why I really want to leave that school is that the office and assistant principal just can't get their act together and communicate with each other. I have been trying for 2 weeks to get my kids into classes that are equivalent to what they were taking in WI. But no one returns my calls, they say they will move them but it still hasn't been done, etc. My daughter will most likely have to repeat a class she was 75% done with in WI because they won't let her continue in the class here.

Private school is out of our budget. But we can move into a different district this summer. I would love any input and ideas of school districts in the west valley (or individual schools) that are better than where we are.

What we would love: foreign language in at least the middle school (my kids have been taking spanish since 1st grade), orchestra, advanced/honors classes and sport teams (baseball for sure) at the high school level.

I will have a kindergartner, 7th grader and 9th grader next year. I can't provide transportation to all different schools so I need a district that is a good fit for all (like BASIS would be great for my daughter but my son would do terrible there).

My husband works in Surprise.

Anyone have kids currently in any schools in the area that have some advice? Thanks!

[Pink Jazz]

Usually the recommendations for the West Valley seem to be the Peoria or Deer Valley districts, although many of the better schools are a bit to the north.

[KurtAZ]

Are you in Litchfield Elementary School District? That is supposed to be a relatively good one.

[Iluvthepackers]

We are in the Litchfield Elementary school district! I had researched it was a better one! Maybe it's just our one school?

My daughter is supposed to go to Millennium next year and so far dealing with them has been good. So maybe we just need a different middle school in the Litchfield district?

Anyone know anything about specific elementary and middle schools in the Litchfield school district?

[KurtAZ]

Millennium is in the Agua Fria Union High School District, not Litchfield.

[Iluvthepackers]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

Millennium is in the Agua Fria Union High School District, not Litchfield.

Correct. Litchfield Elementary District is grades k-8 (elementary and middle school). It does not have a high school. We use the Agua Fria Union High School District for high school 9-12.

[Finger Laker]

Yep, not unified.

About to go into HS probably in the middle schools .... Overall the district is good for AZ

Could look at charters as well

[MGS4EVER]

My daughter went to Scott Libby elementary school for K-5. That is a great school. Then she had to go to Verrado middle school. That school is really bad. Their "gifted" program was a joke. I ended up sending her to a private Christian school. If I had to do it again and couldn't afford private, I would send her to Millennium H.S. It's a good school and probably the best in the area. I couldn't get her into Millennium because schools have an open enrollment (and a waiting list) in Jan. for the next year and that had passed.
There is also a phenomenal charter school called Basis. They have 3 locations. It's free and highly recommended. I wanted to send my daughter there but at the time, the only location was in Scottsdale.
I checked out the schools in the Deer Valley school district and was very unimpressed.
Sorry I can't help you with a middle school. We skipped those years (home schooled). Home schooling gave me time to find the right high school.