Full Day Kinder in Shoreline or Bellevue Schools? (Seattle, Issaquah: rentals, good credit)

[evergreentori]

I currently live in Issaquah and have my son signed up for full day kinder here as well as before/after care on the school site. The problem is that I work full time in Seattle and my commute has become quite bad since they started tolling the 520. I end up commuting at peak hours due to my son's schedule and cannot car pool as I need my car for work.

My lease is up in July and I was looking at rentals in the Ridgecrest neighborhood in Shoreline as well as the Factoria area of Bellevue (Eastgate Elementary). Does anyone know if there are waitlists at Ridgecrest Elem or Eastgate Elem for full-day kinder and before/after care? How do these 2 neighborhood compare?

Thanks!

[jojo7]

I don't have any knowledge about the Shoreline School District Seattle. Here is a website with the two school you mentioned written by parents. I have found this website to be really helpful when I was searching schools years ago. I would call each school directly to find out if there is a waitlist for full day Kindergarten. Just know you need to pay for full day in the Bellevue School District but not sure if that is the same situation at Shoreline. I will say that once you are in the Bellevue School District, most of the schools have excellent reputations and no doubt your child will receive an excellent educations from elementary through high school which would be very similar to Issaquah School District. I know what it's like going over that expensive bridge driving my son to private school and it's not fun. My son is finishing his 5th grade year at a private school this year and is going to public alternative middle school in Bellevue and I am counting the days we have left commuting over that darn bridge. It has cost us a lot of money even with a Good To Go Pass. Just received notice that they are increasing the toll rates. If I worked in Seattle, I would stay in Seattle and avoid the commute over the bridge. There are pockets of good public schools in Seattle so maybe Shoreline might be a better choice than Bellevue for you. The Queen Anne District has very good public schools so that might be another area to search. There is an excellent alternative elementary school K-8 called Salmon Bay and many of my son's friends go there and it is suppose to be an excellent school in the Seattle Public School District. It is a lottery system to get in if you live outside the immediate area.

Anyway.... here are the reviews from the two schools you mentioned.

Ridgecrest Elementary

Ridgecrest Elementary School - Shoreline, Washington - WA - School overview

Eastgate Elementary

Eastgate Elementary School - Bellevue, Washington - WA - School overview

[evergreentori]

I was looking at neighborhoods in Bellevue closer to 90 - definitely want to avoid the 520 toll! Looks like Bellevue has guaranteed full-day kindergarten, Shoreline has a wait list. Neither have info on before/after school care. Need to figure out the contact info for that and give them a call. I heard there can be pretty hefty wait lists for before/after care.

I would love to live in a neighborhood in Seattle that has good schools,but I am unfortunately priced out of most of those locations. I tried to rent a place in Bryant, Wallingford and Ballard, and all 4 times there were multiple applicants and the rental company always chose someone else. I have good credit and make decent money, but as a single mom, I cannot compete with couples/roomates who have 2 salaries. After shelling out a $40 application fee four times and being turned down, I am trying to broaden my horizons a bit. The rental market in Seattle is really hot - places in desirable neghborhoods are going within 24 hours.

Thanks for the advice!

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by evergreentori

I was looking at neighborhoods in Bellevue closer to 90 - definitely want to avoid the 520 toll! Looks like Bellevue has guaranteed full-day kindergarten, Shoreline has a wait list. Neither have info on before/after school care. Need to figure out the contact info for that and give them a call. I heard there can be pretty hefty wait lists for before/after care.

I'm not sure what you mean that neither have info on before/after school care. Bellevue has that information on their website: Bellevue School District > About Us > Departments > Student Services > After School Programs and also from there: http://www.bsd405.org/Portals/0/Stud...N%20PACKET.pdf

I'm sure Shoreline has a similar set-up on their website.

I personally would steer you towards Somerset Elementary School... its in the Factoria area (so bit closer to DT than Eastgate) and performs overall better than Eastgate Elementary.

[evergreentori]

Thank you - I was looking at the specific elementary school's website for the info. I called Woodridge Elementary and the person who answered didn't have that info for me. She did say they have before/after care onsite as well as numerous programs off campus. My concern is that the off campus programs tend to be pricey.

[evergreentori]

Well, just called and there are wait lists for before/after care at all Bellevue schools. I guess they open up registration in January and it fills up pretty quickly. It is so hard trying to figure out a move with a school-aged child!

[jojo7]

Originally Posted by evergreentori

I was looking at neighborhoods in Bellevue closer to 90 - definitely want to avoid the 520 toll! Looks like Bellevue has guaranteed full-day kindergarten, Shoreline has a wait list. Neither have info on before/after school care. Need to figure out the contact info for that and give them a call. I heard there can be pretty hefty wait lists for before/after care.

I would love to live in a neighborhood in Seattle that has good schools,but I am unfortunately priced out of most of those locations. I tried to rent a place in Bryant, Wallingford and Ballard, and all 4 times there were multiple applicants and the rental company always chose someone else. I have good credit and make decent money, but as a single mom, I cannot compete with couples/roomates who have 2 salaries. After shelling out a $40 application fee four times and being turned down, I am trying to broaden my horizons a bit. The rental market in Seattle is really hot - places in desirable neghborhoods are going within 24 hours.

Thanks for the advice!

Just know avoiding the 520 toll means heavy traffic on the I90 bridge into Seattle so just thought I should warn you. Everyone and their mother are avoiding the tolled bridge. Not sure if you are set against Seattle but I know a lot of people who live in Seattle and can ask about neighborhoods where rentals are not insane and schools are good. Not sure if the two exist together but these people would know. Let me know if you are interested.

[evergreentori]

It would be great if you could ask about specific neighborhoods in Seattle for me, as I have had no luck. I do unfortunately know that avoiding the 520 toll means heavy traffic on the 90. I am experiencing that now from Issaquah to Seattle. I was thinking (hoping) that maybe moving closer in to the Factoria/Eastgate area of Bellevue would help alleviate some of that commute. Plus, since I am driving 20 miles each way right now, gas is costing me almost $70 a week for my midsize Honda! Maybe I should move somewhere reasonable close to the 520 and use the money I would save to pay the 520 toll!