There are four elementary schools in our town. Right now we are tracked to the worst one (worst test scores, highest student-teacher ratio, worst section of town, and farthest from us--10-15 minute drive straight there, probably a 25 minute bus ride). There's a chance we could be redistricted over the summer, but no guarantees, especially as the other kids on our block go there and the bus already comes here. Our other options are as follows.
--We ask for the closest (and best) school, and I drive her every day, which will be hard with my work schedule and toddler's nap schedule. No guarantee that we'll ever be redistricted to be bused.
--We try to enroll her in the excellent (but booked for kindergarten, maybe a wait list) Catholic school 5 minutes away.
--We keep her in the K at the private preschool she's in now and pay $700 a month (more than the Catholic School, but not by much) and then hope we can get into the Catholic school for first grade (slim chance, but possible) or that we get redistricted by then.
--We try to get her into a different Catholic school nearby that's farther (25 minute ride), but also a good school.
Or we can just go with the flow and let her go into the current school and see what happens. DH says it will be fine no matter what, but he went to Catholic schools his whole life to avoid a poor public school system, which I find ironic!
Of course, a big part of my concern is the school itself. But I'm also feeling like we should have some more control over what school our child goes to! I asked about a tour of the school when I was there picking up some paperwork, and got a little bit of a runaround, which bugged me. When we were buying a house DD1 was a baby, and we were told this is a "blue ribbon" school system. Turns out the blue ribbon was years ago, for one of the schools. I guess I'm feeling a bit like we had the wool pulled over our eyes, and now to find out we're probably going to end up at the worst school of the four (when the best one is barely a mile from our house) is really bothering me.
WWYD?
--We ask for the closest (and best) school, and I drive her every day, which will be hard with my work schedule and toddler's nap schedule. No guarantee that we'll ever be redistricted to be bused.
--We try to enroll her in the excellent (but booked for kindergarten, maybe a wait list) Catholic school 5 minutes away.
--We keep her in the K at the private preschool she's in now and pay $700 a month (more than the Catholic School, but not by much) and then hope we can get into the Catholic school for first grade (slim chance, but possible) or that we get redistricted by then.
--We try to get her into a different Catholic school nearby that's farther (25 minute ride), but also a good school.
Or we can just go with the flow and let her go into the current school and see what happens. DH says it will be fine no matter what, but he went to Catholic schools his whole life to avoid a poor public school system, which I find ironic!
Of course, a big part of my concern is the school itself. But I'm also feeling like we should have some more control over what school our child goes to! I asked about a tour of the school when I was there picking up some paperwork, and got a little bit of a runaround, which bugged me. When we were buying a house DD1 was a baby, and we were told this is a "blue ribbon" school system. Turns out the blue ribbon was years ago, for one of the schools. I guess I'm feeling a bit like we had the wool pulled over our eyes, and now to find out we're probably going to end up at the worst school of the four (when the best one is barely a mile from our house) is really bothering me.
WWYD?
: He says he never wants to move again. He grew up in a 2-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights (upper Manhattan), so where we are right now looks like paradise to him! However, the people across the street just listed their house, so if it sells well, he'll be more amenable to the idea. The problem with selling is that we got our house at a really reasonable (for NJ) price. If we move, we're paying more for more house, plus at least $3K more in taxes.
). It's only a mile each way. Even with my gas guzzler, it would take a few weeks to burn up a gallon of gas.
I JUST got back from registration, and while I am somewhat more comfortable about the school, I am less comfortable now about the distance! The registration clerk confirmed that I can request the closer school as long as I provide transportation, and I spoke to my friend, who said that if her schedule wasn't a problem, she would choose to drive her DD every day rather than have her take the bus, and who gave me a host of reasons why driving my DD would be beneficial. Now my next step is to write a letter, with my "reasons" for wanting the closer school. Also, she can be bumped from the school between grades if enrollment causes a problem 
But I guess technically that's the case no matter which school she'd be in.
