Anyone with kids in STL public schools? (St. Louis, Chesterfield: magnet schools, to live in)

[bissit]

I have seen numerous warning about STL public school (in the city) and I would like to hear from people who actually have their children in those schools. I will be moving from California where we can no longer afford janitorial services for our schools (among everything else). I want to know what makes them "bad" or if this is just a long-held assumption that may be on it's way out. I prefer first-hand knowledge and the more recent experiences the better.

Many thanks!

[aragx6]

I don't think we have any regular posters who send their kids to St. Louis public schools. For the most part they are as bad or worse than their reputation. There has been very little progress over time either.

For the most part, this is not a funding issue but a true systemic failure of the administrators and some very difficult socio-economic realities.

There are good public schools in St. Louis City, but they are limited enrollment magnets and charters. They are definitely worth looking into, though deadlines are early and not all children are guaranteed a spot.

Many city residents send their children to local Catholic and Lutheran schools -- often even if they are not raising their children with those beliefs.

[st. louie louie]

I sent my kids to a magnet school for a couple of years. Kindergarten & first grade.
The magnet school, though part of the public school system, is a better setup school than the general public schools.
I found the schools to be in good shape.
The equipment was up to par.
The teachers for the most part are good.
Good discipline.
This is regarding public schools in the city of STL. Not the county.

I left because I wanted my kids to grow up with the kids they went to school with. Extra curricular activity, going to friends home, even sleep overs. The magnet schools did not have this feeling of community that the private schools have.

How old are you kids?

[bissit]

My kids are will be in 4th and 6th grade. I have family in Chesterfield and they love the schools but I so badly wanted to live in an ecclectic little area close to the city. If we lived in the city, is it possible to commute to Chesterfield for school and is there an out of district fee? Right now, I drive 15 mins to another little town for kids' school so I'm not terribly concerned about a commute. Thanks for the info!

[aragx6]

There are out-of-district rates available at some schools -- Clayton is one... it's being discussed in a recent thread on here. you should look at some recent threads as this is a topic that comes up frequently.

What's your budget? There are also inner-ring, moderately urban suburbs with easy access to St. Louis with schools ranging from decent to excellent.

Clayton schools would be ideal, but the area is pricey. A little farther out are Webster and Kirkwood schools which are both very good and in desirable, older, denser suburbs with walkable areas. Also look at Maplewood-Richmond Heights which has good schools.

[bissit]

Thanks - yes, I've viewed some of the threads but I did not find exactly what I wanted. I am very surprised about of district fees. We don't have that in CA but then again, we have the worst schools in the nation.

Again - thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by aragx6

For the most part, this is not a funding issue but a true systemic failure of the administrators and some very difficult socio-economic realities.

What she said.

[aaronstlcards]

I am not a parent of children in the SLPS, i'm a student in the SLPS. Honestly, almost all schools in the SLPS are very rough schools. I would say that there are around 12 schools in the SLPS, and the typical school is very "ghetto", has very low student test scores, lacks money, and are actually dangerous. Metro High and McKinley High are the only SLPS schools that don't fit the description above. If you need any info or have any questions, just ask me, I have my resources.

[bissit]

Aaronstlcards - nice to have a first-hand perspective. The dangerous part is the big concern and while you are only one person, you've confirmed a lot of my suspicions. From what I understand, the county schools are rather "vanilla" and I really wanted a school that had economic and cultural diversity. If anyone knows of any, please post. I'll continue to peruse the other postings on the topic.

[centralaustinite]

Kirkwood and Webster Groves will be surprisingly diverse!

Check it out.