West Lake Worth for young family (Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach: house, neighborhoods, purchase)

[sofla_diyer]

My family is considering a move from West Boca to West Lake Worth because it seems we can afford a nicer house/bigger yard than we can here. My husband works in Fort Lauderdale so we have been specifically looking at neighborhoods with easy access to the Turnpike.

We really like a couple of neighborhoods that have large lot sizes and low HOAs off Lake Worth Rd. between the Turnpike and 441, but the zoned middle school, Woodlands Middle, has mixed reviews online. The elementary school, Discovery Key, seems like it's fine, and the high school is Palm Beach Central, which also seems good. My oldest won't start middle school for 8 years, so I guess school zones could change in that time, or maybe there's a good charter school I'm not aware of, but I thought I'd check here to get feedback from parents who are familiar with that school.

Another neighborhood we've seen that we like and that seems to have better schools is Lake Charleston, but that is a little further away from the restaurants/shopping that we like in Wellington.

If anyone who has any insight into these schools or who has made a house purchase decision based on school zoning can weigh in, I'd appreciate it!

[BVG_Steve]

Go west of 441 about 1.5 miles and look at Grand Isles , middle school would be polo park , elementary panther run

[skylinet]

There are some bigger lots in the isles as well. Not quite legend lakes but you might find the schools higher rated.

[ellysbelly]

Most kids zoned for Woodlands go to either one of the choice schools (many attend either Don Estridge or Loggers Run in Boca) or the charter middle/high school on Boynton Beach Blvd (http://www.somersetcanyons.com/); you have to apply to get in to any of the middle schools, but I've never known someone to not get in to at least one of the options.

There's also, as you mentioned, a LOT of time before you'll have to worry about middle school-- or consider one of the communities out in Wellington that others have mentioned.