Guilderland vs. Bethlehem Schools (New York, Albany: school districts, tax, to live)

[kmpenny]

My family and I are considering a move to the Albany area and are looking to live outside of the city within close commuting distance. We have four children ages 5 to 14 so we need a town with good elementary, middle and high schools. Also, my two oldest play in the school band and orchestra. We have looked at Guilderland and Bethlehem. Any thoughts on which is the better all around town and school district? Thank you in advance!

[ckhthankgod]

You probably couldn't go wrong either way. Here is some information on both districts:Bethlehem Central School District - Delmar, NY

Guilderland Central School District

Bethlehem Central School District schools - district elementary, middle, and high school information

Guilderland Central School District schools - district elementary, middle, and high school information

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/District.do?year=2007&county=ALBANY&district=01030 6060000 (broken link)

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/District.do?year=2007&county=ALBANY&district=01080 2060000 (broken link)

Some other districts to check out are the Colonie school districts(South Colonie and North Colonie) too.

North Colonie Central Schools - Latham, NY

South Colonie Central School District :: South Colonie Central School District - A school district near Albany, New York.

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/District.do?year=2007&county=ALBANY&district=01060 1060000 (broken link)

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/District.do?year=2007&county=ALBANY&district=01060 5060000 (broken link)

[juppiter]

I went to Bethlehem schools and my cousins went to Guilderland schools. Both are a high tax burden if you can afford it. I would say that academically they are about equal and both have great reputations. Where Guilderland has a huge edge over Bethlehem is in extracirricular activities and sports. Guilderland has one of the top student newspapers in the nation. It also had a the number one cheerleading team in the US a few years ago. So academically they are equal but in sports and clubs Guilderland blows Bethlehem out of the water.