Private vs. Public schools in Valrico area (Miami, Tampa: HOA, mortgage)

[Jojo215]

Hi there! Moving from Miami to the Valrico area this May. I’m torn between what school to place my daughter in, she heading into 2nd grade. Miami’s public school system is horrible, at least in my district, so I placed her in a private catholic school and absolutely loved it. I’ve visited Nativity Catholic School and St. Stephens and they both seem like great schools. I’ve also visited Lithia Springs, Alafia, and Buckhorn Elementary and they all seem very nice as well and my husbands family all talk very highly of Valrico’s area schools. Any comments, suggestions, thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Catholic education is important to me but a catholic school is not a must. Thank you for your time.

[MortonR]

Resident of the area, former Alafia and school district employee - what do you want to know?

Alafia and Cimino are both "A" schools and very good. There are several charters in the area as well, but I don't know much about them at the elementary level. I have friends with children in both St. Stephens and Nativity and both are happy with the education they're getting, however, understand that they have their sights on upscale secondary institutions in the area such as Tampa Catholic and Jesuit, which are top tier parochial schools with tuitions that reflect this, too.

If I was rating the schools you mentioned it would be Alafia, Buckhorn, then Lithia Springs. They're all good but the demographics for each are slightly different. Again, be sure to check out Cimino as well, which is just down the street from Alafia and handles the enrollment for the southern part of Bloomingdale East. I know the administration at both schools personally, and they're very, very good. Extremely high level of parental involvement in both schools, too, which has a significant effect on student performance.

The school district as a whole is in a major sh*tstorm of fiscal accountability, politics, etc., etc., but this won't have a major effect on the outlying schools as a whole.

You're welcome to PM me if you have specific questions.

RM

[Naomi33547]

Have you visited FishHawk? Very close to Brandon / Valrico but a large planned community with excellent schools at all levels. Very family oriented and friendly neighborhood.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Naomi33547

Have you visited FishHawk? Very close to Brandon / Valrico but a large planned community with excellent schools at all levels. Very family oriented and friendly neighborhood.

And very expensive with a substantial CCD that gets tagged onto your mortgage payment. After all, someone has to pay for all those amenities....

RM

[Naomi33547]

Originally Posted by MortonR

And very expensive with a substantial CCD that gets tagged onto your mortgage payment. After all, someone has to pay for all those amenities....

RM

Boy always so negative. I am glad you are an expert on everything and everyone. Hope you have a nice day.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Naomi33547

Boy always so negative. I am glad you are an expert on everything and everyone. Hope you have a nice day.

That's your opinion, which you are entitled to, but it's wrong. I am only an expert on some things and some people. This is one since I live in the area and have served on local HOA and taxing district boards.

No negativity, just pointing out something that out of towners wouldn't necessarily know without some serious research on the different areas. Raising their consciousness so they understand that there are additional costs associated with living in Fishhawk, that's all. Unfortunately, there are people who look at properties there that think the amenities are essentially free, cost an additional amount through (voluntary) membership, or were paid for by the developer. CDDs are not a common thing in other parts of the country, so the concept of such isn't always present when it's someone from outside the area.

And you can't deny that Fishhawk is probably one of the most expensive communities in this area. Entry level homes are easily in the $300k+ range, if not more.

And I am having a wonderful day, thanks! Hope you do, too!

RM