Possible move from Castro Valley to new homes in West End Alameda
Hi BPN!
My husband and I currently live in Castro Valley, we moved here when our son was born 1.5 years ago from Oakland. We chose Castro Valley for it's affordability and school ratings, and proximity to our jobs in Oakland and Berkeley.
My husbands father passed recently, so we are now in a position in which his mother will be moving in with us to help take care of our son, and us take care of her. We were looking for a larger home in CV, but inventory here is scarce! We toured the new homes at Alameda Landing over the weekend and they seem to be lovely and offer a lot of what we need. From what I know and read about Alameda is that people love living there!
My question to those who are familiar with Alameda: How are the schools on the West End? I saw one of them rating a 4 for elementary school. Also, how does that area fare in comparison to the rest of Alameda? It seems to be developing quite a bit. We primarily like these new homes because we do not want to deal with the issues of the older homes on the island.
Any advice about the area, schools and Alameda overall as a whole is greatly appreciated!
Parent Replies
That area of Alameda is zoned for a newer school that has lower ratings. However, I've found that the school district is great and that the schools with lower scores are more reflective of the student population (such as populations with more non-English speakers or less affluent communities) that will test worse due to lack of resources rather than the deficiency of the school staff. Alameda has a bit of a crisis with the sudden closure of Lum elementary. That means that the population of many schools throughout the district will be changing next year and this might change test scores. It also means that school enrollment might be a bit complicated as well. I'd call the district to ask. If you are interested in a charter school, at least two are located on the West End (NEA and Alameda Academy). If you want a new home, the area around Alameda Landing is decent. It is lacking of some of the charm of the rest of the island but has easy access to the rest of the town, and is close to the ferry (and Target!). There will be a lot of new development on the Naval Air Station in the coming years, so expect more people and more traffic. Alameda has a great sense of community and we love it here, so you won't be sorry if you move.
The west end of Alameda has a lot to offer, along with many school choices. There is no one right school for every kid, so you'll want to check out the different models. Some AUSD schools include Ruby Bridges, Paden, and Maya Lin (arts magnet), and charter schools include Academy of Alameda and Nea. AUSD schools tend to me more traditional, with the exception of Maya Lin, while the charters have their own unique models. We are lucky to have so many choices in Alameda, and it's a great place to live! One bit of advice - if you are moving to the west end and are interested in the charters or Maya Lin, apply ASAP! They often have waitlists.