Need details about schools please. Seattle safe neighborhoods (Bellevue, Redmond: mortgage, house)

[sgreens]

Hi All. Relocating to Seattle is confusing and complicated! I will be visiting in a month and setting out to scout neighborhoods. However, I don't want to just search all neighborhoods randomly. The most important thing to us is good schools and safe neighborhoods!

I've read a ton of threads on here, and the nerd that I am, made many word docs full of info that I've gathered, and did a lot of research of many websites and blogs. And....I'm not sure if I'm better off now or not; I'm even more confused.

And hopefully that is where you all could chime in and help me sort it all out.

I would like to be close enough to Seattle to take advantage of all that it has to offer, but am not opposed to moving further from the city either. We would like a great school district (please be as specific as possible with school names), in a great area (again, neighborhood area specifics needed).

We want to only visit the neighborhoods with good schools, so that we don't have to move the kids around (one in elementary school and one in high school).

Looking forward to any and all advice or insight you have! Thanks in advance

[tobester]

Best schools and accompanying highest housing prices are on the Eastside/Mercer Island. That's assuming you want best public schools. If private is an option, there are many more possibilities of where to live.

[sgreens]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. Yes, you assumed correct, public school system. Thank you for your input!

[Hemlock140]

No need to be specific if you move into areas served by the Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, or Lake Washington (Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish) Districts.

All of their schools are great, and the cities are all safe and family oriented. If you decide on Seattle or other area school districts, then the actual school can make a difference.

[sgreens]

Thank you!

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

No need to be specific if you move into areas served by the Mercer Island, Bellevue, Issaquah, or Lake Washington (Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish) Districts.

All of their schools are great, and the cities are all safe and family oriented. If you decide on Seattle or other area school districts, then the actual school can make a difference.

I've heard that a lot, but test scores sure don't bear that out( at least as far as Bellevue goes). Ardmore and Stevenson elementary schools test way below the state average, and Sammamish HS does as well. So I'm not sure that "all their schools are great". I will agree that Mercer Island, Bellevue,Lake Washington, and Issaquah's schools certainly are consistently better than most other parts of the Seattle area.

[sgreens]

Relocating has been very difficult to figure out. Housing is expensive, the areas are often hard to understand (obviously mostly from unfamiliarity) and school scores and opinions about schools really vary. So I appreciate any input/opinions you have...it helps me to add it all up and try to focus in on the right things.

[tobester]

My two cents ... live in the neighborhood you like the best in a house you love/can afford. Make sure you don't have budget-breaking mortgage payments and/or mind-numbing commutes. Then, work the schools (may have to be a combination of private/public) - you can get your kids the education they deserve if you put in the effort ... even in the Seattle School District.

[sgreens]

Thanks for your input!!