Great valley schools, PA

[kalliyan1]

Can anyone tell me anything about this school district, good or bad?

 

[QVCshopper]

It's very good. My husband went there, as did his dad. My neighbor teaches at the high school. We've been thinking about moving there, but the prices are somewhat high for the type of house we are looking for. But, in PA, prices are always higher for the better school districts, yet I think Great Valleys taxes are fairly low overall. If we ever can find the right house at the right price, we might join you over there.

 

[mjbaby]

I live in the district now and have two children in one of the elementary schools. We've been very pleased (as pleased as it's possible to get with a public school system, anyway). Like many districts, there are currently some major budget issues which are going to be a bear to unravel, but even so I've been impressed that the school board seems to be inclined to save as many programs as possible. (Full disclosure: although we are generally pleased, we're considering private for middle and high).

If you do an MLS search on the district, a couple hundred houses will come up - and about half of them are priced at $1 million or more. At the moment there are a a couple dozen between $450K and $700K that look interesting (at the lower end, much aesthetic updating is necessary in my opinion). Depending upon where you live now, you might find these prices outrageously high or reassuringly reasonable.

 

[kalliyan1]

Thanks for the replies. We are considering purchasing a home in that district and I'm not too sure. Whenever we have asked for opinions for that area, the answers were, T/E, radnor, and lower merion. Looking at test scores, etc., great valley is a little lower but not too much.
We did find a house that we like in the radnor school district that is about $140k more (smaller house too) that would be in the radnor school district and about a 10-15 min drive for DH vs 30-40 min. We just don't know if it's worth the difference
You can get all the numbers and research the schools until your blue in the face but that doesn't tell you everything
I just don't know what to do

 

[QVCshopper]

His commute might be worse than 30-40 minutes. I live near GV and there is just no good way to get to Radnor from there. We actually hardly ever go out that way because of traffic. My DH works in The GV Corporate Center and got his Masters at Villanova. To get there at rush hour, he had to go many different roads including the Blue Route. You'll find this area is somewhat congested on the major roads, 422, 202, 30, and the awful Schuykill mess, especially at rush hour.

The school is good though. We live in the school district up from there, and are ok with it, but are thinking about moving to TE or GV because they are better.

Where do people he works with live? I'd start from there. Also, schools are just one factor. Look at the libraries, YMCAs, stores, etc. There's a lot to consider, but I'm not a huge fan of large commutes.

EDIT: My DH said the commute will likely be 45 minutes and your DH might want to consider taking the R5 train from Malvern into Radnor. Good luck!

Feel free to PM me if you want advice on certain roads in TE and GV. I'm quite familiar with them as we've been sorta looking for about 10 months.

 

[mjbaby]

I totally agree about the drive from Malvern (Great Valley) to Radnor - definitely not a good commute. I think that 45 minutes would be what to expect if everything went right (much longer if not) The train might be an option, though, as QVCshopper pointed out. The transit company (Septa) takes a lot of abuse, but I've found the regional trains to be good. Parking at the train stations might be tricky, but it's doable. If he's got the possibility to work from home sometimes that might make Great Valley more palatable from the driving standpoint if he doesn't have to go in every day.

I've lived (and worked) in Radnor and now I live out near the GV Corporate Center and I do like living further west better (although this is about as far west as I'm willing to go). As you point out, the housing costs are higher (it's more "old Main Line" which, in addition to school district, contributes to the difference) and it's more crowded. I can't remember if Radnor is in Chester County, though - maybe only parts of it are. Chester Co. has a more favorable tax situation than Montgomery or Delaware (the latter being the worst).

Whatever you decide, good luck! I hope that you land well and are happy here. I've moved away from the area twice and have moved back each time. It's home!

 

[Karenj2]

I don't know if this will help or not, but the Philadelphia Inquirer usually puts out a "report card" every year before the school year starts. I found 2010's online:
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/report_card/

I've lived in Delaware County (Newtown Square) and now Chester County (near Kennett Square) my entire life, and I must say that I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the school districts you mentioned... The cost of living is MUCH higher in the T/E, radnor, and lower merion areas than out where I live. My sister lives in Lower Merion and absolutely loves it. Personally, I like it here more - I was able to get more house and space for less money. When we first moved here, though, the school system was horrible, but we didn't have children. Now (thanks to our tax $$s) the school system is very good - maybe not as good as what you're looking for, but good enough for me.

I'd check out what the schools offer, and then try to find the closest place to your DH's work - because the traffic that way can be brutal.