can anyone from Tampa help me out?

[Maleficient]

We are in the process of narrowing down where to start looking for a rental/house for our move to the Tampa area, and we've heard really good things about the Dunedin area (pinellas cty). But, it looks like the Hillsborough County School District has a lot more to offer my 3 kids as far as magnet schools, so that's where we feel we need to live. Can anyone with kids - and I have one starting high school in the fall, 7th grade, and 2nd grade - give me some insight as to where would be some of the best places to focus our house search? I may be going on ahead to secure a job either in the hospitals (I'm an RN and NP) or in pharma sales and living off my severence while I do that. I do have quite a few leads, but all tell me that I need to be down there to be interviewed, so we are making the leap. Any opinions on schools and neighborhoods? TIA!!

 

[tlmdisney]

Plant High school is the best high school in the Tampa area. It is ranked in the top 20-25 high schools nation wide so if you find the feeder schools that go into Plant they are also ranked A schools. We moved to Florida last summer, my husband works in St. Petes, but Pinellas County schools seem to have a lot of issues. We Chose to live further south in Bradenton though, it is closer to the beach and the commute was about the same.

 

[Maleficient]

Thanks for the reply timdisney - so you felt that going the magnet school route wasn't necessary? The kids are in public schools up here but I've heard such horror stories about the education system in Florida I was really feeling like a bad parent for considering moving them down while they were still in school!
So you live in Plant City and like the area?

 

[tlmdisney]

No we Live in Bradenton, fl. It is an hour south of Tampa, 30 to 45 min to St. Petersburg. My kids go to public schools down here, both rated A, we moved from Montana so I was unfamiliar with the Magnet school system. My Husbands Boss did the research on the Tampa schools and Plant High out ranks any of the magnet or private schools they have around here, and a lot Nation wide. We are not quite big city people just yet and I felt nervous moving into a city. I am a chicken driver. We also like that we are so close to the beach, if you look up Anna Maria Island and Holmes beach they are the beaches that are 5 min from our house. Florida is messed up as far as what the legilature puts the schools through, the lack of funding, but the teacher we have experienced so far have been great. My children are in 2nd, and 6th grade.

 

[Kit'smommy]

Plant High School is in Tampa, not Plant City. Plant City is east of Tampa. Several things here are named after Henry Plant, a railroad tycoon. Plant is a very good school and many of my friends and coworkers' children go there.

I live in Lithia which is south east of Tampa and have about a 45 minute commute to work in downtown Tampa. I love the area where I live, and have lived for nearly 23 years, but it has grown up in the last few years.

My child is only in K-5, and goes to a private school. The schools in Lithia are supposed to be very good, I just prefer for him to be in the Baptist school he is currently attending. When he is older, he will probably attend Tampa Prep as his father did.

Good luck to you!

 

[Pilar322]

I live in North Pinellas COunty (Palm Harbor, Dunedin area). Palm Harbor University High is a great school. It has a medical magnet program and an accelerated University program. Tarpon Springs High School has a Vet program and a music conservatory. There are a lot of great fundamental schools (Coachmen Fundamental for example). Countryside HS has a great theatre program. East Lake is great for academics.

Safe area, I have lived here since middle school, now raising my son in this area as well. I love it.

 

[Maleficient]

So looking at the Tampa, Clearwater, Bradenton, St. Pete area, as far as schools and job opportunities, would it be better to focus on the more metropolitan areas? I just want to have the kids in the best possible schools without making it crazy difficult as far as traffic, commute, etc. Plus the older ones definitely wanted to be close to the bigger area and I found an Irish dance school that they may want to join in Lutz - and my little guy is a hockey player so I need to find a youth hockey league which I'm guessing would be in Tampa. I'm so overwhelmed.....add that to selling my house here and trying to find a job there and knowing I have to make a trip or two down there.... Can you hear the screaming from NY?

 

[Maleficient]

Pilar322 - can you tell me anything about how hard it is to get kids into the magnet schools in Pinellas County? Especially since they aren't enrolled yet? TIA!

 

[lovetonap]

Plant High school is the best high school in the Tampa area. It is ranked in the top 20-25 high schools nation wide so if you find the feeder schools that go into Plant they are also ranked A schools. We moved to Florida last summer, my husband works in St. Petes, but Pinellas County schools seem to have a lot of issues. We Chose to live further south in Bradenton though, it is closer to the beach and the commute was about the same.

I don't live in Florida anymore, but I graduated from Plant High School.

 

[Maleficient]

lovetonap - can you tell me about your time there? the curriculum, music program, etc? My kids are mostly into academics but music important too - thanks!

 

[Longsx3]

Frankly I would not pick a school district based on Magnet Schools because entrance is all based on Lottery. In Hillsborough, South Tampa has what some would consider to be the best schools in the county but the cost of houses is high. BTW my daughter was in an A rated, Upper Middle Class Middle School in Hillsborough County and was miserable. We moved a little further North and found an excellent school system in Pasco County.
There are several new Hospitals near where we live, St Joesphs North is about 25 minutes and there is a new UCH long term acute care hospital 5 minutes from my house, in a few years there will be a new Hospital in Wesley Chapel and a new hospital in Trinity both within 30 minutes.

 

[bgirldeb]

Definitely check out the Tampa forum on city data. http://www.city-data.com/forum/tampa-bay/ There are a lot of threads there about different neighborhoods and suburbs. The decision can be really overwhelming! When we moved down, my DH created a matrix in an excel spreadsheet for different factors that were important to us as far as looking for as far as school ratings, where to live, rent/house price, distance from work, school distance from home, and neighborhood features like community pools, CDD's, distance from relatives in the area. That helps to narrow down the decision making.

 

[AshleyW]

My parents and younger brother live in the Clearwater/Dunedin area and love it there. My mom is an RN (working on her NP right now), and works for Morton Plant Mease. She did NOT have to be down there to interview. They allowed her to do phone interviews, and offered her a job before she moved - she said that they hire a lot of people from out of state and they usually have a lot of nursing jobs open. There's 4 different hospitals through Morton Plant Mease - in Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor and New Port Richey.

I can't give you any advice on schools though, as my brother had already graduated when they moved down there. But good luck with your move!

 

[Maleficient]

Thanks for all the replies! I did a comparison search on schools in both Hillsborough and Pinellas magnet and public and Plant did really well as did Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor. The magnet system did seem a little overwhelming to try to get into - we are in public up here. You just go where you live - but you do try to live where you know the better districts are, which is what I'm trying to figure out for down there. I have been frequenting the Tampa forums, but I always come back to the Dis - I guess I feel like I can trust the opinions from everyone here a little more! I've gotten great advice since 2001 (under another name before!) here, so it just feels safer here.

The school borders for Plant High is downtown, which is a little scary. I called down to see what the elementary and middle schools that are in the same borders, but they are on spring break. Does anyone know? The Dunedin Clearwater area looks like a nicer area to live though....I wish I was more adept at the spreadsheet thing - sounds like a great idea! I was looking into tampa general - guess I will take a look at Morton Plant Mease - thanks!!

 

[momrek06]

I live in North Pinellas COunty (Palm Harbor, Dunedin area). Palm Harbor University High is a great school. It has a medical magnet program and an accelerated University program. Tarpon Springs High School has a Vet program and a music conservatory. There are a lot of great fundamental schools (Coachmen Fundamental for example). Countryside HS has a great theatre program. East Lake is great for academics.

Safe area, I have lived here since middle school, now raising my son in this area as well. I love it.

I can't speak for schools BUT I will say that my parents have a "winter" home in Palm Harbor ... I get there just about every year to visit them. I love Palm Harbor and the entire area around Palm Harbor. It is a very lovely and safe area of Tampa. Great stores, restaurants, hospitals, churches.

Good luck with your move!!! You will only be about 88 miles from DISNEY!!!

 

[Maleficient]

I can't speak for schools BUT I will say that my parents have a "winter" home in Palm Harbor ... I get there just about every year to visit them. I love Palm Harbor and the entire area around Palm Harbor. It is a very lovely and safe area of Tampa. Great stores, restaurants, hospitals, churches.

Good luck with your move!!! You will only be about 88 miles from DISNEY!!!

And the Disney proximity just icing on the cake!!!