Charter Schools & Stems In Boise Proper!

What School In Boise Is Best For Your Child?

Magnet?   Stem?   Traditional Public?   Charter?

Getting ready to buy a new home here in Boise? Will you be relocating to Boise and want the best schools for your kids? Good schools are often a deciding factor when searching for your new home in Meridian or Boise. Of course you are not the only one in this boat, check out the higher average home prices near the best public schools to verify this fact. But I am not talking only about traditional public schools. By considering private schools, charters and stems it opens up some new housing opportunities. By doing this you may get more bang for your buck or a better selection of homes to choose from by not being bounded by a schools boundaries and limitations academically. There is a charter and stem that cater to those interested in the arts, science and even medical fields. The best of the math and science stems and charter schools will hone your child to study the stars and the moon or build the latest in nano technology.

Today, more than ever the choices are numerous. From traditional public schools to charter schools and s.t.e.m.s or magnets. Matching your child to the school were they can excel takes a little bit of work and planning. The right school is going to be different for each child, knowing your child is the key. The future artist or the next great mathematician are not going to reach their highest potential at the same school. Maybe for some staying at the same school and trying to develop lasting relationships is best for them.

We were willing to risk the loss of some lifelong childhood friendships in order to get our son into the best schools we could, so he switched schools more than we would have liked. We left one charter because it appeared that the funding was not there to keep it viable. As it turned out it was set to close and was only saved when the public school system stepped in to do the repairs necessary to keep it open, and itis now a public school. For us first thru 3rd grade was private, fourth thru sixth grade was at 2 different charter schools. Seventh and eighth was Stem. Senior high has been mostly public with some science and math classes at a Stem. We were exceptionally lucky with teachers and support, we won the lottery to get into the Galileo stem! It was a turning point and Mrs. Bentley and her "green sheet" were instrumental in holding our son accountable and getting him on track for great things ahead. Having Mrs. Swanson 2 years in a row at Hidden Springs Charter got us a year ahead in math, we are in calc II as a senior! I am proud of him and his accomplishments. He scored very well on the ACT and he will have his choice of all but the Stanford’s and Yale’s of the world! I guess the question for us looking back is would we have been better to just stick with our neighborhood public school? I think the answer is a resounding no.

For better or worse our son attended every type of school known to Boise. Private, traditional public (Eagle Elementary & Rocky Mountain High School), charter schools (Northstar and Hidden Springs, public now), finally Treasure Valley Math & Science and Galileo Stem's. 
With lots of variety, focus and quality, charter schools offer a different twist on education than traditional public schools. If you are moving to Boise and feel strongly about finding the perfect fit in an education for your child, finding the best schools before finding the house is a smart idea. You can then tailor your mls search to the block so you are near the school of your choice. You may not have charter schools where you are moving from, read on to learn more.

Treasure Valley Math And Science Center Won The Regional National Science Bowl For 2016. Besting Boise High School & West Junior High!

A charter school is an independent public school, not affiliated with a particular school district. It operates and is funded independently of the traditional school district. The organizers of the new school create a charter plan describing the new school's ideals, slant academically and typically includes measures of performance and minimum expectations, entrance policies and detail's with regards to the everyday running of the school. This plan is submitted to the state. Once it is approved the school is funded on a per head basis. One glaring deficiency of charters is that cannot pass school bonds and so it is a continual struggle to keep the schools roof from leaking and staff and equip things like the cafeteria. The per head funding from the state does not cover facilities, just the education part. So in short charters have to do more with less. A Stem magnet or medical magnet is run in much the same manner as far as curriculum, but it is administered by the school district it is in and funded like a traditional school. Typically students will have to sign a performance contract with the school stating that they understand that it is a difficult curriculum and has higher standard than regular school. At Treasure Valley Math & Science, if your grades are suffering you may be asked to leave. 

That said as with any choice in life there are pros and cons to all the different types of educational choices. The stability of the traditional public schools and the magnets associated with a district are appealing. But so is the specialization of the better charters. See some pro's and cons of charter schools highlighted below.

Advantages of Charter Schools In Boise

They have the independence of using their own ways of teaching.
They have greater accountability. If they don’t perform and keep families and the community happy, their enrollment numbers may go down and they could lose their charter status or simply close due to lack of students.
They don’t have to follow government regulations – this is an advantage because they don’t have to deal with the bureaucracy of traditional schools.
They may be able to attract more donations to support specific causes and programs.

Disadvantages of Boise Charter Schools

They may have strict admission requirements that may discourage certain students from applying.
They require that parents cover transportation costs.
They may have less-than-optimal facilities and resources. This is especially true for newly opened charter schools.
They don’t have to follow government regulations – again, this one is both an advantage and disadvantage. It’s a disadvantage because some charter schools may avoid important standards, such as teacher certification.

While there are many great traditional public schools in Boise proper, like the ever popular Highlands Elementary in Boise school district Number 1, and Hunter Elementary in Meridian's West Ada district. There are also a few under preforming schools that are better off being avoided. The schools you have to choose from options many and varied for those parents that care enough and have a child who needs to be challenged in order to reach there highest potential absolutely great education is at your fingertips.