young family relocating ~ visiting this weekend and have a few questions (Savannah: real estate, school districts)

[CoastalGAGuy]

I had the impression that private school was out of the question, NB. As someone in Chatham County who foots the bills of two children in private school, take it from me that it's no small fee.

[chelsealeigh]

It's not completely out of the question, I was just hoping Pooler had a good school district so we wouldn't have to send them. I have seen some private schools with outrageous tuitions but some don't seem too bad and had discounts if there's more than one child. We still have a few years before our kids start school.. I also saw Charles Ellis Montessori Academy - not sure how much the tuition is but it seemed to have good reviews. Same with Savannah Arts for HS.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Just looking at SAVCPS tuition and fees. For two kids, you're talking roughly $20k/year. They also seem to have a mandatory $65 drug testing fee. What kind of problems must they have there to institute something like that? I don't mean to digress, though.

Charles Ellis is a public school, but as a magnet program, you're subject to a lottery, so there's no guarantee of an enrollment there. Our kids both went there. We pulled our second one out midway through. He couldn't take the chaos and lack of control over rambunctious packs of wild kids. YMMV.

[chelsealeigh]

I guess I'm out of luck living in an area I love without paying an arm and a leg for school.

[chelsealeigh]

How about Bluffton, SC? I see it's about 25 miles from Savannah and looks like a nice town.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Bluffton is really a tiny little town on the May River, which is quaint, cute and kind of expensive. It is surrounded by sprawling golf communities, similarly priced. There are some non-golf course communities, but they are also on the richer side of your budget. The schools, I hear, are pretty good.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by chelsealeigh

It's not completely out of the question, I was just hoping Pooler had a good school district so we wouldn't have to send them. I have seen some private schools with outrageous tuitions but some don't seem too bad and had discounts if there's more than one child. We still have a few years before our kids start school.. I also saw Charles Ellis Montessori Academy - not sure how much the tuition is but it seemed to have good reviews. Same with Savannah Arts for HS.

I volunteer at both of the Pooler elementary schools. I would be fine with sending my children to Godley Station elementary, in Pooler. I would not want them in Pooler elementary, although the the teachers seem fine, the school looks run down and depressing.

So just stay in the Godley Station district of Pooler.

[chelsealeigh]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I volunteer at both of the Pooler elementary schools. I would be fine with sending my children to Godley Station elementary, in Pooler. I would not want them in Pooler elementary, although the the teachers seem fine, the school looks run down and depressing.

So just stay in the Godley Station district of Pooler.

Thank you for your insight! This school is k-8 correct? Do you know how to find which areas of Pooler are zoned for which schools?

[chelsealeigh]

Originally Posted by CoastalGAGuy

Bluffton is really a tiny little town on the May River, which is quaint, cute and kind of expensive. It is surrounded by sprawling golf communities, similarly priced. There are some non-golf course communities, but they are also on the richer side of your budget. The schools, I hear, are pretty good.

Thank you! I read they had above average schools so I figured I would look into it!

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by chelsealeigh

I guess I'm out of luck living in an area I love without paying an arm and a leg for school.

No, you are not. Don't believe this doom and gloom. Savannah Chatham Schools are not nearly as bad as some on here are making out, and several of them rank among the best in the state. I have MANY friends who send their kids to public schools and are perfectly happy. I've had many friends whose kids have graduated from Chatham County high schools and gone to Ivy League universities and established stellar careers. The most vital part of a child's education begins AT HOME, and if you value learning and success and push your child to succeed then they will succeed ANYWHERE!

NOW HERE IS THE UGLY TRUTH: Racism is alive and well in Savannah, Georgia -- and it goes both ways. It's better than it was when I first moved here more than 20 years ago, and was appalled to hear professional white people use the N word in cocktail conversation. But it is still the primary reason why most white families send their kds that private schools. It is not because the public schools are that bad (they have improved dramatically over be past 10-15 years thanks to an excellent superintendent and effective school board). It is because in the culture of many white Savannah families, it is unthinkable to send thier children to schools that are majority minority -- even if those schools are fine academically. And it has been this way since 1971 when the schools were desegregated and white families abandoned them in droves, letting them get to hell. For nearly 30 years, white voters refused to fund public schools at proper levels which only made things worse. It wasn't until effective political and business leaders began to convince the community about 15 years ago that properly funded public schools were vital to overall health of the region that things began to change. And yes, they have changed.

If you value public education like I do, then come down, become an active part of the community and FIGHT to see that quality education is provided for all. If you just want to take the easy way out, pay to send your kids to private schools that offer no guarantee of a better education. The choice is yours.

As for South Carolina, forget it if public education is really such an issue for you. Georgia's state curriculum standards FAR exceed South Carolina. And of course, we have he HOPE Scholarship. Further, Beaufort and Jasper county schools suffer the same racial / class problems as Chatham, and are mired in constant scandals and mismanagement. The Beaufort County superintendent was just censured by the SC State Ethics Commission, and members of the Beaufort County School Board are threatening to sue each other over character defamation.

Of course you can move to Effingham County or Richmond Hill, send your kids to public schools and avoid these problems.