Looking to relocate to an area between Bellevue and south King County (Seattle: real estate)

[Silverkitten22]

Hi, We are a family from the westside of the Puget Sound. My husband got a job over in Bellevue and has been commuting two hours each way to work. We are looking for someplace to live between Bellevue and Tacoma that is at least reasonably affordable and has a good school district. I'm a teacher and we have a little one so this is very important to us. We were wondering what the Renton, Maple Valley, Auburn, or surrounding areas are like.

[Ira500]

Reasonably affordable and good school district aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but a lot of people think they are. Of the places you mentioned, Maple Valley's Tahoma school district really stands out as the " jewel of the south", most of the schools in the Tahoma district are very good, and there are a lot of committed teachers and involved parents. All the others are something of a mixed bag:
Auburn: It doesn't have a good reputation outside of Auburn, but it has some good schools, and it has heart. Auburn is fairly affordable.
Kent: Used to have a great reputation on par with Maple valley's, but it's not quite great anymore. Still, it continues to have some very good schools, including a couple of good high schools, and some petty bad schools. Kent is fairly affordable.
Renton: Most of the schools within the Renton school district are pretty bad. Those schools within the district but closer to the Newcastle or Kent border are better, and there are some schools in Renton that actually are in the Issaquah, Kent, and Tahoma school districts, and those are all good schools. Renton's superintendent was named the state superintendent of the year this year, and was one of the four finalists for national superintendent of the year, but I'm not sure if that means anything at all.
Highline SD ( Burien, Gregory heights, Normandy Park): Mostly pretty bad schools, but Gregory Heights Elementary and Normandy Park's Marvista Elementary are great. Don't know much about the district's middle or high schools. Downtown Burien has become a very pleasant, charming place in recent years.

[Facts matter]

Renton Schools are excellent, challenging schools that have realized amazing results in the past several years. 93% graduation rate for two consecutive years; more teachers with masters degrees and PhDs than most other local school districts and the state average; high school student scholarship awards have increased by more than $1 million; 2011 Washington State Superintendent of the Year (and she was one of only four in the country to be considered for the National Superintendent of the Year); plans to add significant number of Advanced Placement courses at all high schools; every elementary school has been completely rebuilt in the past 15 years, and many middle and high schools have also been renovated, thanks to a supportive community. Renton School principals and teachers are caring, competent professionals and know who to get the best results from students.

[Ira500]

Sometimes I read something, and it strikes me that the what I've just read isn't really someone's opinion, it's spin.
I live in Renton, I like living in Renton, and I wish the Renton school district the best. I'll even acknowledge that things have gotten better in the district. But excellent? If facts truly mattered, the last poster might have said something like " I'm the Public Relations person for the Renton School district, and one of things that Renton taxpayers are paying for is to have me google "Renton schools" and respond to posts and articles about Renton schools by telling people how great Renton schools are."
As a real estate agent, I have people tell me that they are absolutely unwilling to look at houses in Renton because the school district is so bad. This has happened on numerous occasions. I don't think Renton schools are that bad, but if facts mattered, there would be a disclosure that the 93% graduation rate the above poster was cited wasn't exactly accurate and only included the three main high schools but not the two alternatives ( Black River and Sartori.) Really, I'm somewhere in the middle. I'll acknowledge that Renton has some good schools. Bellevue has an excellent school district. Maple Valley's Tahoma district is great, Issaquah's is great. But Renton's? Maybe ten years from now. Until then, simply calling something excellent doesn't make it so. It just strains credulity to read hype like that, the same way I read hype from other real estate agents suggesting that we've hit bottom and it's a fabulous time to buy. It's self serving, and it is my strong belief that the above poster also has a vested professional interest in promoting the Renton school district. If I'm wrong, then I apologize,and I've been wrong before, but at this point I don't think I am.

[mrsincredible]

Originally Posted by Ira500

If facts truly mattered, the last poster might have said something like " I'm the Public Relations person for the Renton School district, and one of things that Renton taxpayers are paying for is to have me google "Renton schools" and respond to posts and articles about Renton schools by telling people how great Renton schools are."

Yeowza! Nice burn there, Ira.

[jinj]

A school district is only as good as the parents of the children who attend those schools. People over look that too much.

[issaquahhiker]

You might want to consider the area around May Valley. Licorice Fern. Large houses on large lots, backs up to Cougar Mtn Park. Issaquah school district.

[24hourinvest]

You would do well to find a place in Bellevue if you can. Renton and Kent and South Seattle are difficult to get to Bellevue from, very congested and bad traffic, tangled freeways. If you can get right in Bellevue, a very nice town, you'd be happier.

[Swigchow]

Originally Posted by Facts matter

Renton Schools are excellent, challenging schools that have realized amazing results in the past several years. 93% graduation rate for two consecutive years;.

Hmmm, I suppose 93% graduation rate of those seniors enrolled at the beginning of the year, but not those starting as freshman. At least not from Renton HS when I graduated.

[AlohaHuey]

Originally Posted by Facts matter

Renton Schools are excellent, challenging schools that have realized amazing results in the past several years. 93% graduation rate for two consecutive years; more teachers with masters degrees and PhDs than most other local school districts and the state average; high school student scholarship awards have increased by more than $1 million; 2011 Washington State Superintendent of the Year (and she was one of only four in the country to be considered for the National Superintendent of the Year); plans to add significant number of Advanced Placement courses at all high schools; every elementary school has been completely rebuilt in the past 15 years, and many middle and high schools have also been renovated, thanks to a supportive community. Renton School principals and teachers are caring, competent professionals and know who to get the best results from students.

I smell a PR hack, too. First post. Nice reveal, Ira.