Best Public Grade Schools in BK?
I know about insideschools.org. I know about the 3 or 4 good Public Schools in Park Slope. I know about Brooklyn Heights but other than that where are the good public grade schools in Brooklyn? Can someone with knowledge help me cut through the BS and let me know which hoods to narrow my search…
I know about insideschools.org. I know about the 3 or 4 good Public Schools in Park Slope. I know about Brooklyn Heights but other than that where are the good public grade schools in Brooklyn? Can someone with knowledge help me cut through the BS and let me know which hoods to narrow my search to?! Thanks!
Brooklyn Chicken – PS 39 and 107 are right near 321 and many people like them and think they are very good (though again, some don’t, but I found that was true even with the “famous” 321).
“Despite 51, she did ok academically and managed to get into the city’s best high school.”
What, in your opinion, is the city’s best high school? Even if one accepts the idea that there can be such a thing, given how varied kids’ social and academic styles area, it seems there would be many candidates.
Because of severe overcrowding in the “hot” known good schools, you can expect in-zone lotteries and re-zoning in the next few years. The safest bet would be to live in the middle of several good schools. For example, PS 29 (excellent) in Cobble Hill is immediately adjacent to PS 261 and PS 58, both very good schools. PS 29 is over capacity with in-zone kids, but PS 261 and 58 are still accepting out-of-zone kids — there’s room there.
I believe — but don’t know — that the schools immediately adjacent to extremely overcrowded PS 321 aren’t so good. Not my nabe, so I await correction!
The great news, though, is that the situation for elementary schools is fairly fluid. Today’s mediocre school could be next year’s hot school. With new leadership, it can really happen that fast.
As you look, of course, know your school boundaries. Real estate agents aren’t necessarily up to speed.
Joe, I’m not sure the DOE knows what to do with the zoned overflow. From what I’ve heard, it’s really a debacle and a scary one at that. We jumped through big hoops to get into our zoned school (selling our old place, and now renting – but by luck wound up selling at the peak as a result) and the idea, after all that, of not getting in would have been devastating, and yet that’s what’s happening to many families. It’s one of the huge failures of Bloomberg. Any one have any concrete updates? As for which schools are “best” there does seem to be a huge spectrum of opinion, since personal preferences are so different. When I was researching schools, I found lots of conflicting advice (lauding and tearing down the same school) – so ultimately, you have to do your own research, decide for yourself, and choose what’s right for YOUR individual kid(s).
what do they do if your zoned school is full? do they just sign your kid up for the closest one with openings? or do you sort of apply to a lot of them and send your kid to the one that you think works the best?
both my girls are “graduates” of PS 261 in Boerum Hill. Very lovely experience, not perfect, but pretty damn good. don’t forget for middle school and HS, commuting to manhattan is an option, too.
prek and k changes each year. lots of great pre-k progams out there. we are going to 84 in williamsburg and inside schools lists it as a “model” for the city. there are 4 great public all day pre-k’s in williamsburg: 132, 84, 17, and 110. 31 and 34 open up to full day for K. there’s a great new charter for k. 84 has a great dual language program that starts in K as well.
for 1st on up, district 14 boasts 3 top top rated schools: 132, 34 and 31. (by both inside schools and the DOE).
also for prek and k, private schools: williamsburg northside, WNNS, St. Nicholas and brand new Montessori.
the parents/kids community is exploding here.
also, the schools are not over-crowded. if interested, check out the yahoo group: brooklynbabyhui – amazing parents – no BS or judgments. very supportive.
our kid is far too young for me to speak with experience, but neighborhood folks have told me that PS 9 in prospect heights is very good and continuing to improve. since we already own in the area, our plan is to try it out for pre-K (if we get in) and at least the first couple years of grade school and see how it works for our kid.
people have talked about clinton hill and fort greene being underserved with respect to middle schools. i would add prospect heights in with that grouping – it is in the same district and shares very similar demographics.
keep in mind that, in addition to overcrowding, the DOE changes its rules every single year, and may in fact change zoning. this could be a big bummer for you if you buy based on zone well before your kids are in school, because the DOE could simply pull the rug out and send you somewhere else.
Good point, Iz. I think they call it “the cheese gap.”