Socio-economic factors in Lafayette schools?
Hi Community! I'm a single mom with bi-racial kids and am considering a move from Berkeley to Lafayette. My kids will be entering the 7th and 4th grades and I'm a renter making about $150k/year. My daughters are strong academically but the 6th grader has struggled socially. I know the schools are academically strong, but I'm not seeing much about the social environment kids may encounter there, particularly if they are mixed race, divorced household and middle class. I'm especially concerned about my middle schooler, who would be entering in 7th vs. 6th grade when the majority of kids start middle school. I would love your feedback on the socio-economic aspects of living in Lafayette. Do the kids feel pressure to fit in economically? How is it for middle-class mixed-race kids? My kids are currently in a community where there are a lot of kids with socio-economic affinities and where they are thriving academically, so I'm wondering if the higher school rankings are worth the move. Thanks!
Parent Replies
I guess I'm not sure why you want to move. Strictly for academics? BUSD is actually quite good and BHS (where my two kids go) offers so so much in terms of diversity, AP classes, clubs, sports, an award winning student newspaper ... Colleges love these kids - strong academics, social justice focus, and a more worldly outlook. I guess I'm biased but I would never consider a move to Lafayette from Berkeley, especially if it's just for the schools. I know one family who moved from Oakland to Moraga (they're white), and the daughter hated the school situation so so much, she ended up dropping out. I do know some Berkeley families who chose private school just for middle school and then their kids went on to be successful at BHS, so that may be an option, too. But Lafayette? I think Berkeley offers so much more.
My adopted Asian Daughter attended Acalanes High School for Freshman year and found a strong homogeny among the students, racially, and economically and in the way they dressed and vacationed. She felt self pressure to own certain clothes to try to fit in. She ultimately chose to transfer back to our more diverse local HS for the final 3 years.. Additionally, there are a few elementary schools that feed into one Middle School and one High School, so the majority of kids have been in school together throughout. Definitely a disadvantage to a newcomer.
I live in Lafayette and make about the same as you. I am not mixed race or divorced though. I have two teenagers who went thru the school system starting from kindergarten. Lafayette is not diverse in any way. Most of the faces you see will be white. Many of the people are conservative and loud about it. My kids have struggled with fitting in. They are not sporty or academic or musical. (If your kids are, they may find their place) Their friends and friends' families have - private airplanes, vineyards in their yards, entire floors of their villas devoted to fish tanks, private sports coaches that come to their houses for lessons, etc.. Not judging any of that, I wish I could afford it!! But my kids really feel that pressure to belong.They don't invite people over to our house even though I encourage it. I would throw them birthday parties with cake and maybe a video game van but their friends would have horses and huge pool parties and pass out expensive gifts to everyone that attended. Both my kids have told me they feel stupid compared to the other kids and they both have anxiety/depression. It's easy to get drugs in school. The bathrooms are not monitored and kids skip class and vape there, although this can happen anywhere. The kids have so much money some of them give their drugs away FOR FREE. Unlike when I was in school I had to save up if I wanted to smoke pot. It's just so easy now. I want to get my youngest out of Lafayette for her mental health but we can't actually afford to move, because the entire Bay Area is nuts right now. This is just my reality, I bet you will get some responses that are more positive.
If you are in BUSD, I don’t think it makes sense to move for the schools, as BHS students go to many top colleges. Also, student’s families are very diverse, so it is relatively easy for most to find friends. There may be other reasons to move, but that’s probably not one of them.