Schools in Mahtomedi, White Bear Lake, Shoreview or Roseville

Hi K.
Welcome to the area first of all.
Most of the MN school districts are exceptional-- Moundsview one of the top rated in publics.
Even though we live in that district- we go private for now- at St. john the Baptist (which is affiliated with the catholic church it's attached to) in New Brighton. My twin girls are in second grade and have been there since preschool. Class sizes are 22- no more than 25 and 2 classes per grade. If you'd like more info-- I can send you a DVD they put out- just let me know. Tuition is around 3500/yr per student- forget exact amount.
Success with the right choice for your son.

About me: 49 yo perfusionsist, wellness coach also just starting the New Year's biggest loser online for $$ on Jan. 12, wife, mom to 8 yo twin girls.

B. J

Mahtomedi is one of the best school districts in the state academically. The community supports the schools and passes levies. It is fairly small, so there can be some social cliques. I graduated from there and if I could afford a house in the district to my liking, I would send my kids there. St. Jude's is also a really good catholic school, many many of my friends went there. Roseville is also supposed to be really good, it is much more urban and larger, but seems stable. The other two are fine, but funding from the community is an issue in both. Good luck.

My son is currently in 2nd grade at St. Mary's in White Bear, and we are extremely happy there. We absolutely love it, the school itself was just remodeled in 2004, the classrooms are huge, and the curriculm and teachers are great. They have mass or prayer services weekly. We just started there this year, and everyone has been very welcoming and helpful with the transition.

I also saw your question on preschools, and St. Mary's has a preschool program also. There are many different options for classes. Our youngest will start preschool there next year, so we don't have first hand experience yet, but we have heard nothing but great things about the program. I'm excited for him to start there!

During mid to late January there will be Catholic schools week and most if not all of these parochial schools will have open houses and/or information sessions. I know for a fact St. Mary's does and also St. Pius (also located in White Bear). It's a great way to get more info and a feel for each school. Most registrations for next year start in late January or February depending on the school. But they will let you register later if there are spots open in the class. Good luck!!!

We live and work in Roseville and enjoy the community a lot. Our son is in 1st grade at Harambee Elementary which is a public school that is part of the East Metro Integration District. This means it draws kids from 9 area school districts. We love the teachers there as well as the diverse student body. It has a year-round schedule so the students have 4 quarter breaks spread throughout the year rather than one long summer break. This allows our family many more travel options throughout the year. Students "loop", meaning they stay with the same teacher for 2 years at a time, which has been fantastic for our son. The Roseville school district still provides us with free busing to the school.

We live in Roseville, and although the schools are very good, I am hoping we can move into the Mounds View school district (Shoreview and surrounding areas) before my son enters kindergarten. The schools are phenominal and we will open enroll if we don't move (we are 1 mile outside the boundary currently).

Also, I am a product of St. Odilia school. I LOVED it there-very personal, very educational, etc. I was a whole year above my peers when I later entered a public school. The families are very involved, and every teacher there seems to absolutely love his/her job. If we could afford to send our children there, we certainly would.