Would you send your very bright child to a high school where 50% of the population is... - Page 2

[Shantimama]

If your son goes into the French Immersion program he will be able to attend a FI high school.

I have had a cousin and a nephew attend schools outside of their catchment areas in Toronto. One attended a school for kids who were exceptional athletes (mostly Olympic training level) and the other a school that has a strong arts program for talented kids. I think that if you do some digging you will find that there are many options in Toronto other than your neighbourhood school or private school.

[mamatowill]

HIgh school is still a ways off. Also I teach at a school that has a bad reputation in the community because of how it was a decade ago but is not that way now. It is a great school. You have a lot of choices for high schools and things change over the years. Also I would not rely on the standardized test scores to tell you how the school is doing. I personally would not be worrying about high school especially if I liked the elementary school plenty can change in 6-7 years.

[EFmom]

Schools trump how much we like the house, hands down.

I also would not buy a house with the idea that we'd move in 6 years or that 6 years is a long way in the future.  Six years goes by pretty quickly and with the housing market fluctuating, who knows what it will be like in 6 years.  I know lots of people who are stuck in their houses because they are upside down in their mortgage.

[SilverFish]

for sure toronto has options for students to attend other schools that aren't in their catchment area. i went to one myself, as did my sister (and our neighbourhood highschool was fine, we were both just talented and interested in areas that the school didn't cater to). for myself, i had to apply and put together a portfolio, but it was dependent on the demand each year. some years all you needed was a recommendation from the art teacher or department at your junior high. my sister only had to apply i think, and have certain grades in math and computers. several of my friends left our arts school to attend alternative schools that had a more self-directed approach, and they only needed a guidance counselor to tell them about the options and send a recommendation. 

toronto is very special in that many of their highschools and a fair number of junior highs have specialized programs, and as long as your kid shows some kind of interest and ability in a certain area, it's a pretty good chance that he can find the right place to go. they don't just move people to other schools because "the neighbourhood is crappy" or "the school has a drug problem" but there are options. the guidance counselor in his junior high or elementary school can help with that. 

there are certainly private school options in toronto as well. 

[lauren]

It seems like it would be a really good idea to go meet with folks at the school (apologies if you already did this and I didn't see it), talk to other parents that have their kids at the school, ask the staff how they challenge kids that are bright, what their college admission rate is for graduating students, how kids do on the SAT, etc. Spending a day there and immersing yourself in all things about the school might really inform you. Good luck figuring this out; this is a tough one.

[monkeybum]

Thanks all, I'm not actually in Toronto, but in the GTA/suburbs so different school board.

All great posts, so thank you!!!  :)  Lots to think about...