Issaquah school district question? (Seattle, Bellevue: appointed, to rent, credit)

[sgomezlcsw]

We seem to be narrowing our search to the Issaquah area but we have have some questions that may help us decide where to settle.

We have a 4 year old who will be starting kindergarten in the fall 2011.
I have already called the school district and they tell me Grand Ridge is not impacted next year and she would get to attend this school if we lived in the Highlands.

1) We will need full-time extended care. What are people's experiences of being selected for the full-day kindergarten lottery?

2) If not selected, what are some good full-time extended care options?
The school told me some neighborhood daycare centers do pick-up. The school actually told me to consider private school for kindergarten if she is not selected? We're willing to if needed, but it's such an expensive option.

3) Any recommendations for interm full-time preschool in the Highlands or Klahanie area? We are looking at Lakeside Montessori b/c they have mid-year availability and also offer full-time kindergarten if needed.

4) Should we be looking at a different school district to better meet our needs?

5) Lastly, is it reasonable to expect a 30 minute commute from IH to Seattle Center?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[VeronikaW]

I can answer a few of your questions. I just moved away from the Issaquah Highlands in June. Lakeside Montessori was where we were going to send our son. We lived literally around the corner from it, and when we visited it, we really liked what we saw. I think if you don't get selected for Grandview full day, you won't be disappointed with Lakeside.

My husband used to use public transit to commute from IH to downtown and that commute, door to door (with him walking 1/2 mile to and from the park and ride) was about an hour. I wouldn't expect a commute time of 30 minutes to Seattle Center if you're commuting at normal times, and if you're driving yourself. I'd say 45 might be more realistic, and some days longer.

We plan on moving back to IH in 2012 because we loved it so much and we miss it.

Good luck.

V. =)

[evergreentori]

From my research on Issaquah, there are not tons of full-day preschool or daycare options. But, if you are commuting to downtown, perhaps you could stop at a school in Bellevue that is along the way? I was thinking of moving to Issaquah at one point ans sending my son to Lakeside in the Highlands (which I thought looked wonderful) BUT their "before school" care doesn't start until 8am and I need to be downtown by 8:30 on some days. There is St. Joseph's Catholic School in Issaquah also - maybe you can look into that?

[evergreentori]

I really like Issaquah, but if it does not meet your needs as far as preschool and kindergarten, you might want to look into Bellevue. Many of their elementary schools have daycare and preschool programs also (some even run over the summer). They also have before and after school care.

[texastrigirl]

Depending on the school you attend in ISD, you might have a really good chance of getting full day K. Keep in mind that Issaquah School District encompasses the city of Issaquah as well as the south end of Sammamish. Here's a link to rankings based on state test scores. Only one factor but a place to start.

Washington | School performance | Fraser Institute


Last year our school (Sunny Hills Elem) had mostly full day K classes (2 of them) and 1 half day class. This year, it's the same situation but we are at Creekside Elem, which is brand new. Grand Ridge has much better numbers this year since Creekside opened so I would check and see how many FDK's they have this year. Their overcrowding has been alleviated by Creekside opening. Most people want FDK so they do look at trying to fill that...and since you pay $300 per month for it, they can offer more classes if they have enough people to support the salary. It's not a guarantee but most people that I know that wanted it, got it. One option for full day K is Sammamish Christian School. They have a great program for K and it's relatively affordable. They offer Handwriting Without Tears for their writing curriculum which is the latest and greatest supposedly. If you are moving here and want FDK, you need to get on a lottery list to do so. I am not sure you can do the lottery if you do not yet live in district.

The schools in Issaquah also offer before and after school care.

Issaquah Connect

For private school options, Sammamish Christian School also has a preschool called Noah's Ark where you can get a pretty long day for your preschooler. We went from a 9-3 option in TX to a 2 1/2 hr preschool day here so it was a shocker! NA shares a building with the YMCA and so they offered extended programming at that time. The year after we started at elementary, NA extended their day from 9-1:30 I believe. Maybe longer. You can also check out Sammamish Learning Center. It's a blend of Montessori with a bit of traditional. Timberlake Church offers preschool from 9-3pm. I don't know if they are NAEYC accredited but NA was when we were there and SLC is well regarded.

We love living out here and think ISD is fantastic. Here's a little video they put out that gives you a view of the area. We live right off of Pine Lake and love it!!

Issaquah School District Introduction

You will not get downtown in a half hour from Issaquah or the Plateau (Sammamish/Issaquah) in rush hour. 45-55 minutes at peak times is what it takes.

Good luck with your decision!

[midwesttowest]

Originally Posted by sgomezlcsw

We have a 4 year old who will be starting kindergarten in the fall 2011.
I have already called the school district and they tell me Grand Ridge is not impacted next year and she would get to attend this school if we lived in the Highlands.

.

We also will be relocating, can you tell me what you mean by "Grand Ridge is not impacted"? We have a 4 year old who will also be attending kindergarten in the fall and we need to find a place to rent in Issaquah. We are trying to figure out WHERE that may be.

[MFetch]

Everyone living in the reference area is guaranteed a half-day spot. Only one additional full day class at Grand Ridge was opened up for this Fall but since demand was so great, another FDK class, with all Grand Ridge students, was opened at Endeavor Elementary (about two miles away.) Since even more homes are scheduled to be built in the Highlands, I don't think the situation will improve any time soon.

[texastrigirl]

midwesttowest, they may have already done the lottery drawing for full day kindergarten in the Issaquah School District. I seem to remember getting a call in May that we were initially on the wait list and then that we had moved up to a full time spot. Shifting happens all the way up to the first day of school and then beyond as some parents realize they don't need/want the spot or find their kiddos aren't ready for it. I know a friend who had half day at Grand Ridge and then they used a nearby daycare that actually bused kids a short distance from Grand Ridge to their facility where they continued care. The school would probably know who that is. When we were in FDK it was $300 per month. Maybe has gone up a bit since then but thought I'd throw it out for planning purposes.

[MFetch]

The Rainbow School buses kids to their care center as does Issaquah Children's Academy IIRC. There is also a karate school that I've noticed picking kids up and in the IH, there is a group that will drop-off/pickup kids to and from school and bring them to their care center set up at Blakely Hall. I think the waitlist for that one is very long. The school itself has a before/after school program called Grizzley Club. Like another poster mentioned, you can get all the contact info from the school.