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What do you think of the public schools in Harrison? Are they well regarded? How do they compare to Rye, Scarsdale, etc, in terms of quality and reputation? (I realize that a good reputation does not always indicate good quality...)
I am specifically interested in Harrison Avenue Elementary, and also the high school. Thanks!
In terms of reputation alone, they have a middle-of-the-road reputation in comparison to other Westchester districts. Not to say they are bad schools in any way, but they lack the prestige of Scarsdale and Rye.
To me, if you want to look at prestige, you can look at average SAT scores.
For 2007:
Scardale -- 1892
Rye -- 1776
Harrison -- 1537
In terms of real quality, apart from prestige, I only know a couple people with direct experience in the district. Overall, I have heard favorable things. I'm sure any student can get a quality education there.
Havoc - you're in Chappaqua, right? Can you give your thoughts on that school district as well as Pleasantville? We are narrowing down some towns for an upcoming visit and we're thinking Croton, Pleasantville/Chappaqua, and the North White Plains (Valhalla Schools) just to get a cross section of different areas (more rural vs. close to city).
We were thinking of Harrison as well but I think in general we won't get much there for our budget (up to $800k but we want 3-4 bdrms, 2,500 sq ft, 10k sq ft lot) and taxes seem higher than more northern towns.
Our plan is to bank the proceeds from selling our current home and rent something so that we can get a feel for the area and ride out the market downturn before buying. The difficulty is that I'd like to decide on and rent in the school district my daughter will attend (Kindergarten) so she doesn't have to make another change the following year. I'll also need preschool for my son, and I'll be commuting to Rock. Center for work 3-4 days/week. Hubby will be commuting to various parts of the city on a more flexible schedule.
Cali, to give you some perspective -- Our son has a November birthday, and may start kindergarten this coming fall. But due to his youth, we are considering holding him back another year. I mention this, because as a result we are now in the process of really investigating details of Chappaqua kindergarten (we just had a meeting at the school this week).
So my perspective: Chappaqua schools have all the prestige of an elite private academy. That's partially because the schools themselves are very good, but it's also just partially because it's a very wealthy student base. Chappaqua ranges from slightly upper middle class (residing in Chappaqua Ridge neighborhood, or townhouses), to extremely wealthy. As a result though, there is the danger of a "keeping up with the Jones's" attitude in the schools. There are three elementary schools, two middle schools, feeding into one high school. So it is a fairly large district. All the schools within it are extremely highly rated.
Pleasantville is a much smaller district -- One elementary school, one middle school, one high school. The schools do not provide busing, which is a bit of an issue for younger kids, especially as not all the residential neighborhoods are really truely within walking distance. (Is 1 1/2-2 hilly miles, crossing a major road, really walking distance?). Pleasantville has slightly more economic diversity than Chappaqua, but the schools remain very highly rated. We have looked at homes in Pleasantville, it's definitely an area we would consider moving to.
Valhalla-- We have never looked at homes there. It doesn't have the same reputation or prestige of the other school districts you have mentioned. I'm not saying it's a bad area or bad district, just lacks the prestige.
Croton-- Though not quite a Chappaqua reputation, the schools have a very good reputation overall. Small district, with 1 elementary school, 1 middle school and 1 high school.
Beyond the schools:
Pleasantville is not very rural, though the surrounding parts of Northern Westchester are moreso. THough hardly a massive urban hub, it has a true walkable downtown. Farmer's market in the train station parking lot during spring-fall weekends. An arts movie theater. Lots of restaurants and shops. The best "fast food" you will ever find, at the Pony Express. Homes tend to be on smaller lots. Homes closer to town tend to be much older. While I love old Victorian homes, I'm not a fan of a 4 bedroom house with 1 tiny bathroom. Whenever I look at a house in Pleasantville, I always feel like the taxes are too high. In your price range, you will find a diversity of homes in your price range, but mostly on smaller lots (under half acre).
Chappaqua -- Most of Chappaqua is fairly rural. Not rural in the farm sense, but in terms of a lot of open space, homes spread out, larger lots. Most homes are on 1+ acre. That said, it's an expensive town. Though prices have come down dramatically, two years ago.. a 3 bedroom 1600 sf townhouse would sell for 700+. So while you will find homes for under 800K, the larger homes on larger lots in that price range will likely be needing significant work. For good condition homes in that price range, you would be looking at smaller homes, raised ranches, etc.
Valhalla -- I don't know enough to really comment on. From driving through and past the neighborhoods, it's a perfectly decent suburb, certainly more middle class than Chappaqua.
Croton-- Is the most and least rural at the same time. You have the inner village area, which has a small town feel. Smaller lots, homes close together. Some economic diversity. But you still have some very nice homes, walking distance to some of the nicest parks. Then when you move out of the village, still within the same school district, it gets much more rural, with homes spread out on large lots. On these larger lots, taxes can get outrageous in a hurry.
Commuting won't be massively different from any of these areas. Croton has express trains that can be 45 minutes, but local trains can be 70 minutes. Chappaqua and Pleasantville are typically in the 50-55 minute range. Not sure about the North White Plains station, but I'm guessing it's about 40-45 minutes each way. Of course, you also need to factor in the distance from your home to the train station. Your commute may be faster living 2 minutes from the Chappaqua station, then living 10 minutes away from the North White Plains station.
I can't really give you any advice on the rental versus purchase dilemma. All I can say, is that you won't "go wrong" with any of these districts. Instead of waiting for the ideal purchase time (which is impossible to ever predict except in hindsight), you may want to bite the bullet-- Come for a long trip, check out the areas over a couple of weeks, and then just make the decision and buy. With current mortgage rates, plus the 15,000 rebate that Congress appears to be adopting, it might actually already be the best time to buy.
In terms of pre-schools, when the time comes, I can definitely make recommendations of places to check out. (I have a 4 and 2 year old in full time day care).
I'm sure you are looking at homes on the websites. I'm probably somewhat familiar with many of the homes you are looking at (or at least the neighborhood), so if you private message me any MLS numbers, I'll give you any feedback I have.
If you want a more rural area, with great schools, I would suggest looking at Katonah. On the downside, you're an hour to an hour and ten minutes to GCT, depending upon train, but the area does get rural outside of town. The schools do not have the pressure cooker mentality that some of the other districts can foster, and there's not so much keeping up with trends as there is a large base of upper middle class/wealthy residents who are down-to-earth and don't care what people think.
It's also expensive, with average sales prices that hover around $900k, which some studies put at the top in Westchester, due to a lack of multi-family product that dilutes the mix in areas like Bronxville, Scarsdale, etc. You could find something in your range in Katonah-Lewisboro, but it's easier from a train perspective to be within Katonah (Town of Bedford) to get a parking permit or to be able to walk to the station. $800k or so does not go terribly far in the area, but you should be able to meet your requirements, though the commute is a tad longer on each end.
I am hesitant with some of the pressure cooker districts, not discounting their academic record, since I had a friend whose older siblings in the first family (2 sets of kids years apart - same parents) went through Greeley when there was a rash of suicides in the 1980s. They had kids who went through a lot emotionally at that time, and they pulled up and moved to Ridgefield, sending the second family to private schools. Chappaqua is also noted for excessive homework at the elementary school level. Sadly, the pressure can still exact its toll in some districts, though it's not as severe as it was in the 1980s.
Interesting notes about the "pressure cooker" in Chappaqua. Among families I know with school age children, there is definitely academic and social pressures, but nothing as great as you are describing from the 1980s.
There was something else that I meant to mention -- Not sure about other school districts, but Chappaqua schools are readying for massive budget restraints in the next year, with the district letting go of several teachers. Class sizes will be increasing a bit at the higher grade levels.
What do you think of the public schools in Harrison? Are they well regarded? How do they compare to Rye, Scarsdale, etc, in terms of quality and reputation? (I realize that a good reputation does not always indicate good quality...)
I am specifically interested in Harrison Avenue Elementary, and also the high school. Thanks!
this is like talking about the difference between the horses that come in the money the Kentucky Derby and the ones that merely "also ran" in the Derby. they all got IN the Derby, so they are all first-class. Harvard isn't going to make their decision on your kid soley because he/she got great grades from Harrison instead of Scarsdale.
Pleasantville is a much smaller district -- One elementary school, one middle school, one high school. The schools do not provide busing, which is a bit of an issue for younger kids, especially as not all the residential neighborhoods are really truely within walking distance. (Is 1 1/2-2 hilly miles, crossing a major road, really walking distance?).
if you can afford a house in P'ville, I'm sure you can afford a car to drop your kid off at school? and if work schedules interfere, you can't work out a car pool with friends?
I'm sorry, I just find it almost laughable that a person with the obvious resources that are virtually a pre-requisite to live in P'ville, would state this as a negative in regards to the school district. it's one of the best schools in the county, which makes it one of the best schools in the state, which makes it one of the best schools in the country. if someone has the incredible opportunity to send their kids there, they shouldn't let something as fixable as that stand in their way.
I never suggested the lack of busing was "unfixable" for anyone, but it can be an inconvenience for many families. Thus, when comparing equally prestigious school districts, it very well could be a factor that could lead a family to a different district.
Interesting notes about the "pressure cooker" in Chappaqua. Among families I know with school age children, there is definitely academic and social pressures, but nothing as great as you are describing from the 1980s.
There was something else that I meant to mention -- Not sure about other school districts, but Chappaqua schools are readying for massive budget restraints in the next year, with the district letting go of several teachers. Class sizes will be increasing a bit at the higher grade levels.
Yes, it's not as bad as it was, and much of the pressure seems to come from families as opposed to the school environment. The pressure to perform can happen in any district, however, depending upon the families and the nature of competition among students.
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