Which elementary school in Berkeley's Central zone?
Hi, at this moment my wife and I are on the process of enrolling our oldest son in the Berkeley school system for kindergarten. Our 5yo son is active, happy,a bit shy but always ready to play with friends once invited and speaks mostly Portuguese, but do understand and speak English well enough to communicate.We just moved to Berkeley from Albany and most of our friends have kids in the Albany school system so we don't have much of feedback on schools in Berkeley. Is there any thing that we should be looking at? a way to visit the schools? We are in central Berkeley school district and have to choose between Cragmont, Oxford, Washington, Berkeley Arts Magnet, Malcolm X and truly we don't even know where to start. We live by San Pablo park and definitely a school closer would be more convenient but where should we go. Any input is very much appreciated and will ease our stress choosing the right place.
Thank you for the help
Geraldo
Parent Replies
Hi Geraldo, we are also in the process of enrolling our 5 year old in kindergarten next year and are in the Central zone too (also near San Pablo Park!). Have you been able to attend any of the Zoom info nights? Those were very helpful -- most have already happened but the one for BAM is tomorrow. More info here: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/admissions/information-nights/. We went to the info nights for Malcom X and Washington and I'm happy to fill you in on what we learned.
In my opinion the differences between schools in BUSD are not great enough to really matter. The best thing to do is rank them based on convenience. What is convenient for you will be unique to your situation. Some things to consider:
1) Start time. Some schools start an hour later. If you need before care for a late start school you have to pay for it. However, you can often drop your kid off earlier at later start school with before care than you can at an early start school that begins at 8:10
2) Buses. Do you want your kid to ride the bus to school or not?
3) Aftercare options. The aftercare options vary at the different schools. Some have private companies. Some schools basically require you to pay for 5 days of care to get a spot in aftercare because there is very high demand and other have more flexibility.
4) City after care options. The City of Berkeley runs aftercare options and they are very affordable, cheaper than full price aftercare at the BUSD sites by more than a hundred dollars a month. There is a city run site at San Pablo Park but only certain schools are bused to that site. You can look at the city of Berkeley's site to see which schools are bused to different sites (various parks all over Berkeley).
5) The ease of drop off at the location if you'll be driving. How easy is it to park or use the rolling drop off? When I toured one school we were considering I realized the location would make it more difficult for me to get to work (I have a long commute) just because where it was situated
There are some other things to consider, for example the size of the school, the type of play yard, if kindergartners have their own yard, etc... but in the end these do not really make a huge difference. What will make or break school for your kid will really be the teachers they have and you have no control over that.
It is also amazing to be able to walk to school for quality of life. We go to MX and there is a large group of families near San Pablo Park. Having neighborhood friends is a huge plus!
We live in the central zone and went through the whole school placement process a year ago. If you ask around, most parents would say the elementary schools are pretty much the same (good) quality. Every family I know favored the school that worked best for their family in terms of logistics (start time and location). Our daughter goes to BAM and it's been good. I have neighbors who go to Malcolm X and love it.
Welcome to Berkeley! Our children attend Berkeley Arts Magnet and we love it. It is a friendly and welcoming community and the teachers are phenomenal. We also know families at Malcolm X, Washington, and Cragmont. All are very happy and love their schools. I suggest ranking the schools in order of convenience for your family (location, start time, etc.).
Hi Geraldo,
In my opinion, all the elementary schools in BUSD are good. Because of the way the zoning works, there is a great mix of kids at all the schools. Since you want a school that is close to home, I would start by looking at the schools closest to you and to rank them higher on your preference sheet. And you can rest assured that wherever your child is placed, he will be at a great school with kind and caring staff.
Best wishes -- the process can be nerve-wracking to say the least...
Like others have said, the schools are all great so think about how the logistics of the school will fit into your life. And it isn't always about choosing the closest school. I would try to pick a school that won't require driving, it's a huge pain for you and for all the people trying to walk and bike safely with their kids. From San Pablo park, it's a long-ish walk to MX especially with the early start time, but a pretty quick and easy bike ride if you bike. But I have a friend near San Pablo Park who ended up at Cragmont and it has ended up being easier than MX because the bus stop is only two blocks away. So the least convenient schools can be the ones that are not quite walkable but not far enough that you qualify for the bus (1.5 miles). Also, there is a lottery and you aren't guaranteed to get the school you want, so it isn't worth stressing about the choice too much, but most people I know are happy where they ended up.