We are moving from Seattle to Charleston. We have 2 daughters a 5yr old who will need to attend kindergarten and a 7yr who will need to attend second grade. If you had to chose a place to send your children to school where would you live? Do you like the school your child attends? If you could send your child to a private school would you and if so which one? I've been searching on the internet but as a Mommy, I know the best way to get a good honest answer is to ask another Mommy. Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions :)
We are excited to head South!
Thanks for all the advice. We have decided to move to Mt. Pleasant. Any thoughts on schools? How about Dunes West neighborhood? Thanks again for all the replies....so excited to move South!
I am glad someone is excited about moving South. I have not stopped crying since I heard my husband is taking a job in Charleston. We are moving from the Seattle area and we have an a 11 and 5 year old.
We are looking at Dorchester 2 schools right now.
I have to say that Mt. Pleasant is the best place to look, because virtually all of the public schools are excellent. You will pay more for a house, but you know you won't have to pay for private school if you don't want to. You are also minutes from the beach, which is part of the reason that living in the Charleston area is appealing.
In that area you also have the benefits of living in Charleston county, so you have access to the parks and such at a resident's rate.
Dorchester 2 district in Summerville has the best schools. We moved to Summerville 2 years ago from the West Ashley area and love it! We moved because of the school system and, an added bonus is that you are able to get more square footage in a home for your dollar here as well. Summerville has a small town feel but all of the conveniences of the city. As far as private schools, I'm only really familiar with the ones in Summerville, but Pinewood is terrific (I believe it's a nationally accredited prep school) and I've heard great things about Summerville Catholic as well. Best of luck!
Dorchester 2 schools are good. My recommendation would be Mt Pleasant Academy. I have one in private school at Trident Academy and one who isn't school age yet. Home values are lower in Summerville. Let me know if you need any help with areas to live--used to be in real estate. Best of luck!
R., I live in Summerville so i dont know where you are moving exaclty. my kids are not in school yet but we live in Dorchester 2 school district because it is supposed to be the best in the state. hope that helps you.
If you are open to moving somewhere within the Charleston metro area, then I'd like to recommend Summerville, and living in Dorchester Country (there are three counties in the city limits of Summerville). We recently relocated here from the midwest, and I have heard wonderful things about the Dorchester County School District Two. There is also a great private school, Pinewood. I can't give personal advice, since I don't have children in school yet, but I thought this would give you a start. Good luck!
Hi R., my little one isn't school age yet but I have lived in the area all of my life and I am a Realtor in the Summerville area. So I meet a lot of people like yourself that are coming but dont' know where to go! Most folks choose the Summerville Dorchester District 02 area. Dorchester District 02 schools are not leaps and bounds above the rest but they are great all the way across the board. Not like some of the other counties where the great schools are hit and miss. A lot of folks also like the Berkeley County Westview Elementary area. This would be around Crowfield Plantation. I have had clients in the past that after doing some research and visiting the schools they chose this area. Private Schools - Northwood Academy, Ashley Hall (girls school) and Pinewood are all great choices.
You may find www.greatschools.net helpful. This site will give you insight on the budgets, populations, student per teacher ratios, and test scores. Also look into each schools "Report Card." South Carolina has a report card system and grades each school yearly. Hope this helps. If you need help on the home search feel free to search the MLS listings on our site www.mulliganteam.com. Good Luck! S.
