Public schools zoning - how often rezoning happens?

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by tinytrump

Can't you go where you want now??

not really
you can apply to pretty much any school, but:
1) school must have room for more students
2) the preference is given to in-county applicants

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by Tampaite

Denham Oaks is rated 3/10 - how to tell the difference between a school with 3 rating vs 6 or even 10?

https://www.zillow.com/lutz-fl/schoo...y-school-4712/

Zillow is the last source I would consider really. Based on their information they didn't show Watergrass Elementary for almost 3 years...


Instead, compare performance rates here:
School Accountability Report


Denham Oaks got 314 points, and Seven Oaks - 403 points. Considering first one is half empty and second one is overcrowded it's safe to assume Denham Oaks has less motivated students.
English Language Arts Achievements were 58 (Dehnam) vs 67 (Seven Oaks), English Language Arts Learning Gains were 51 vs 56, Math Achievement 52 vs 66 and so on.
Denham Oaks pulled 45% of possible points while Seven Oaks - 58%. Last year's numbers were even closer.
It's nothing really.


314 vs 403 points might look bad until you compare Seven Oaks score with other schools. For instance Seven Oaks's 403 points vs Sand Pine Elementary's 493 points not so great.


What I learned being at Seven Oaks Elementary, rating means nothing if you have a horrible teacher. We had 3 pretty bad teachers at Seven Oaks. I am not surprised Seven Oaks lost it's A rating... No personal experience with Denham Oaks though. From what I've heard Denham Oaks used to be A rated school too.


I used to wonder why charter and overall A rated schools have higher grades and ratings and came to conclusion its all depends on parents involvement. There are way more motivated parents at any charter school than at B or C rated therefor grades for last would never be the same as for charter...

[thelma123]

This all makes me extremely nervous now! We are moving to the area this summer. I am choosing to look at certain communities and areas based on the high schools as my #1 deciding factor. So you are all telling me that my daughter entering 9th grade may not be able to get into the school that is like 1 mile from our home? But I will have to drive her out of the area to go to another school? If I don't move to the area until July, she most likely won't be able to go to the same school as all the other kids in our community? The thought of this just really turns my stomach! Who comes up with this program? Obviously not someone with children? Whatever happened to people working hard to be able to afford to live in a good community with a good school district. What's the point of paying all that $$ to live in a nicer community if half the kids from the school are bussed in from other areas?? What is the purpose of school zones then? I am so frustrated right now, and this really changes my tune a bit.

[MortonR]

You have misunderstood the previous poster, I believe.

Students in the "attendance zone" of the school go there automatically. No exceptions. For example, if you bought a home in New Tampa that was in the attendance zone for Freedom HS, that's where your child would go to high school.

If you want to attend a school outside the attendance zone of your neighborhood school, you have to use choice or get a special assignment.

If a school is above a certain capacity of its enrollment, it will not be available for choice or special assignment.

I would add that you cannot apply for choice, special assignment or magnet schools until you have established residency.

RM

[MortonR]

Zillow and "Great Schools" are two of the last places I would look for school ratings. As previously mentioned, the only place you should look for accurate statistical data on a school's performance is the state's school grades report.

You also have to understand that an "A" rated school, especially one in a fairly high socioeconomic area, will eventually lose its "A" rating. Statistically it will happen, it's just a matter of when. Here's why:

One of the benchmarks a school has to meet to make an "A" is to have specific learning gains, especially for its lowest achievers. What this means is that you may have a requirement to have a 5% gain in your lowest test score students.

If you have a high achieving student body that scores well into the 80 percentile, the likelihood of those lowest test scores moving up 5% is nearly impossible.

That means at some point down the line, your lowest achievers are going to max out and go no further. That's when, despite having high scores in other areas, you'll lose your A.

Those percentages are then readjusted when your score drops, and you can start over again.

RM