Monday, August 25, 2014

6 Great Schools to Move Near in Pittsburgh

Today we have a guest post, sponsored by Zillow.com, that shares some helpful info about local schools!
 
6 Great Schools to Move Near in Pittsburgh
By Emily Creswick of Zillow
Pittsburgh may be the perfect city to raise a family. The economy is steady, job opportunities are abundant and crime rates are low. Pittsburgh also offers a unique mix of family-friendly neighborhoods, close to highly-recommended elementary and high schools. 
Review these six premier educational facilities within the Pittsburgh School District. They’ve been recognized by GreatSchools.com for impressive test scores, high parental ratings and optimal teacher-to-student ratios.
 
Elementary Schools

Crafton Elementary School
Crafton Elementary is a public school suitable for kindergarteners through 6th graders. It is located five miles northwest of downtown Pittsburgh. Crafton Elementary School has a GreatSchools rating of 9 out of 10 and is located five miles southwest of downtown. Crafton is a charming town with many beautiful & affordable homes and has easy access to Downtown & Robinson Township!

Highcliff Elementary School
Highcliff Elementary is a public school suitable for kindergarteners through to 6th graders. The school has a GreatSchools rating of 9 out of 10 and teaches 524 students. Highcliff Elementary is located in West View, less than 9 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh. West View is a part of the Ross Township where the median home price is $137,500 and rent $1,403. Public transport offers convenient buses to downtown every 20 and 30 minutes. Additionally, the neighborhood is close by to convenient retailers and amenities including Sam’s Club and the Shannopin Country Club.

Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary is a public school for children starting in kindergarten to 5th grade. The school has an impressive 10/10 great school with 413 students and 14:1 student to teacher ratio. Lincoln Elementary has a technology emphasis, providing students with the solid foundations allowing them to succeed in technology programs in highschool and further education. The school is located in South Hills, close by to the affluent family friendly neighborhood of Mount Lebanon where the median home value is $240,000 and rent $1,899. This neighborhood is known for its 14 highly rated primary and secondary schools with GreatSchool ratings of 9 or higher.

High Schools

Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Pittsburgh CAPA is a Creative and Performing Arts high school for children in grades 6 to 12. Located in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, the school aims to nurture student’s creativity through a special curriculum of dance, music, literary arts, production technology and visual art. The school services 877 students and boasts an impressive GreatSchools rating of 9 out of 10. Homes available in downtown Pittsburgh include a mix of apartments and condos. Families living downtown enjoy the spoils of the fruitful Pittsburgh cultural scene and the scenic Allegheny River. For close by residential living, look in the northern neighborhood of Perry South with an affordable median home value of $59,700 and monthly rent of $800. 

City Charter High School
City Charter High school has a solid GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10 with an impressive 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The 574 students enjoy a technology-focused curriculum fostering solid foundations for college education or higher training. The school is conveniently located in Gateway Centre Park in downtown Pittsburgh and is easily accessible by public transportation from the surrounding neighborhoods. Located a convenient five miles northeast of the school is the family neighborhood of Shadyside. This neighborhood, conveniently located near grocery stores including Whole Foods and Trader Joes, has a median home value of $285,600 and monthly rent of $2,044. Shadyside is also home to elementary schools Pittsburgh Obama 6-12 (GreatSchools rating of 6) and Pittsburgh Liberty K-5 (GreatSchools rating of 5).

Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy is a public high school teaching grades 6 to 12. The school is located in Oakland, four miles east of downtown Pittsburgh. The academy, which has a GreatSchools rating of 7 out of 10, teaches 358 students. The curriculum is tailored for children passionate about science, technology, engineering and math. Oakland is the ideal neighborhood to raise an academically-minded family. The neighborhood is home to prestigious universities, museums and impressive architecture. Schenley Park is also close, which is perfect for family visits on weekends. Oakland has a mix of single-family homes and condos. The median home value is $102,300 and rent is $1,289. 
 
Before buying a new home or signing a lease, take a tour of preferred schools in the neighborhood and visit local business areas to determine suitability for the family. Commute time is another major determining factor for those searching for homes in Pittsburgh. Investigate the local public transportation options and complete commutes during peak hours before purchasing properties.
 
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Zillow.com was a huge help to us in our recent home search! Whether you're looking to buy, rent, or just checking out details for a house you love (and dream of buying!), it's an easy one-stop shop. Find pictures, price, history, & taxes, as well as neighborhood & school district details + more!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I would LOVE to find a good comparison of local schools. We live in the city with our 3yo, and are trying to figure out if we will move to another district, or try to navigate the city magnet school system (which is a bit overwhelming to me), or possibly pay for a private school (probably cheaper than moving to Mt. Lebo!). This article unfortunately was not very helpful. It incorrectly stated that all the schools are in the pittsburgh school district. None of the elementary schools are, and 1 of the high schools is not. All 3 high schools do not serve a neighborhood, but are 2 magnet schools within the Pittsburgh SD and a PA charter school. The schools have a complicated lottery and audition/score based admissions. The elementary schools summaries are ok, but no middle/high school info, and seem like a random choosing of 3 decent elementary schools among the 191 public Allegheny County elementary schools. Also, the 14:1 student/teacher ratio is the state average so not stellar, and really does not reflect class size anyway since there is so much variance between schools in for example special ed programs offered.
Sorry to be negative. Making education choices is just hard, and is just going to require time and lots of research. No criticism to you Momtourage!!! I love your site and have especially loved your reviews of fun places to bring kids! Just tried the Upper St Clair pool and snapology based on your recommendation and will make both of them regular stops. So much fun!

Unknown said...

Not sure who did their fact-checking, but you might want to ask them to re-write. There's a lot of incorrect information in there that I noticed but won't summarize because it has already been pointed out in the comment above. You're doing a great job, Kelly, and I loved reading about you in Next Pittsburgh yesterday!

Kelly Hughes said...

Thank you, Jessica & Christina, for taking the time to comment! I agree, making education choices can be very, very hard! Zillow has greatly apologized for providing us with some incorrect information and is seeking to change their fact sources. That being said, I have also edited out some parts of the article that were deemed incorrect info. We always seek to be a site of good & accurate information, so we apologize for anything that was inaccurate. Thank you!