Westpark Elementary vs. Plaza Vista Elementary

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irvinenester

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Which would you choose for a nice normal little kid?  Definitely not a genius or anything.  Hoping that my child will qualify for GATE someday, but very doubtful that APAAS is in the future for us. 

Anybody know of any particular pros and cons of one school over the other?
 
The major difference is Plaza Vista services the newer Westpark II vs Westpark Elem servicing the older Westpark I.

There are threads here that point out the differences in older vs. newer neighborhoods and quality of education but when it comes down to it... it's really how your child interacts with the teachers and the other kids, as a few points difference in API scores isn't as impactful as long as they are above par.

Both are year-round schools if that means anything to you.
 
Thanks irvinehomeowner.

We just got called today off the waitlist at Plaza Vista and they are giving us until tomorrow to respond. 

Both are good schools, so our decision isn't going to be based upon the API scores.  The input I'm hoping for here is info about the culture and the teachers.  We've already scoured the school review websites.  We just want to gather all the data points that we can, to make a somewhat informed decision.  I realize that assessments about culture are inherently subjective as it is based upon a user's personal experience or upon hearsay of another person's personal experience, but some information is better than no information.

So if anyone has information about either school: 

-How is the front office?
-Anybody know of any bullying problems? 
-Are there really weird arbitrary punishment systems at Plaza Vista? 
-Does the 7th and 8th grader presence on campus detract from the 1 through 6th grade experience?  Are their raging hormones a corrupting influence on the younger grades? 
-How are the teacher student ratios? 
-How are the first grade teachers?
-Are there any problem teachers that I should be aware of?
-How is the physical campus?  Do the classrooms feel cramped?  Does it feel like a rabbit warren inside?
-How supportive are the PTAs? 
-Is volunteering mandatory in order for your child to be treated well? 
-Are kids with working parents discriminated against because they don't have as much time to volunteer in the classroom? 
-How nice are the parents?  Are the parents super-competitive? 
-How are the fund-raisers?  Is it super annoying? 
-If my kid isn?t a super-star genius, will the kid be given second class citizen treatment?
-Is this an environment where an average first grade kid can flourish?

Some of these questions are tongue-in-cheek, but I'm just trying to get a feeling for the environment/culture of the two schools.

So if anyone has anything to contribute, please share! 
Thanks!
 
Those are all great questions and I want to know the answers too.

One of our concerns about Plaza Vista was also the presence of 7/8 graders. Heck... nowadays even 4-6 graders seem to have drama.

Some of your questions can be answered by a school tour. Most of the IUSD ones are having them this time of year and you can physically check out the classrooms to get a feel of the environment.

I don't like the openness of the IUSD campuses... especially for Elem age students.

It may be hard to get answers about specific teachers/classes on this forum. I've posted similar subjects in the past (one specifically about any of the year-round schools) and either the parents aren't members of this site or are just not willing to answer. I would try to meet any prospective teachers first... to me, that's an absolute considering our past experience.

As for teacher/student ratios... it's gone up in IUSD, I think they are over 30 per class now so to me that's a con.

Many of your questions regarding volunteering, PTA and other parents may not get answered until your kid is actually a student there. That's how we had to learn.

Good luck... and let us know how it goes.
 
We moved from another part of Irvine to an area served by Plaza Vista.  I always thought (wishful thinking?) that if you lived within the boundary served by the particular school, that your kid had a right to attend that school even over others that are already there because they cleared some waiting list.  How true or untrue is this?

So far I'm one for three.  Two of my kids are still on a waiting list for Plaza Vista.  I hope more slots open up over the next few months.

 
irvinehusky - wow...which grades are you waiting to open up?  Did you just move in the neighborhood within the last school year?  Or have you been waiting for YEARS? :-\
 
I remember when we were looking at Plaza Vista that there was a waiting list and I was surprised because it doesn't seem like many people like year-round schools (other than us).

Vista Verde is also hard to get into (also a year-round school) but that's in Turtle Ridge so there are other reasons it's a "good school" (as opposed to Woodbury Elem which is also year-round).

As for the waiting lists, while in-neighborhood kids get priority, it's not over kids who are already in the school (and I think siblings of in-school kids get priority above everyone else).

That's also an indication of which schools are "better", just check the IUSD site for enrollment restrictions. Is there a wait list for Westpark Elem?
 
I think I was ready to sign on for PV, but now am having second thoughts.  I don't want to have to stress out every single year about whether DC1 is going to get bumped because PV is not our neighborhood school, and I have a second child to worry about in a couple of years.  I don't want to be trapped in the opposite version of irvinehusky's situation...wondering every year if DC1 is going to be bumped, and then when DC2 is in elementary school, wondering whether DC2 is going to get in first of all, and then whether or not DC2 is going to get bumped.

irvinehusky, PV's front office told me the same thing they told you, which is the official line on IUSD's website, that Neighborhood Kids get absolute priority over non-neighborhood kids, including currently attending non-neighborhood kids and their siblings.  In the following school year, the school has to bump out the non-neighborhood school kids to make a place for your kids.  So I guess that means that their entire third grade for 2012-13 is entirely comprised of neighborhood kids.  This is what is striking fear in my heart.  If my kid gets bumped out in third grade, and Westpark is full (which is a very likely probability) that means we'll have to go to Culverdale Elementary which I definitely know that I do not want.  I was talking to a friend at Vista Verde, and she was telling me about overhearing an upset parent in the front office who was asking, "So you're telling me that my child who has been going here since first grade can't go to 7th grade here this fall because you need their spot for a new neighborhood kid that just moved into the attendance area?"

 
Interesting... I didn't know they bumped out non-neighborhood kids that have been in the program.

My neighbor has 2 kids who go to a non-local school (I've even signed their residence verification form) and they haven't been bumped out (and I think it's been a number of years now).
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Interesting... I didn't know they bumped out non-neighborhood kids that have been in the program.

My neighbor has 2 kids who go to a non-local school (I've even signed their residence verification form) and they haven't been bumped out (and I think it's been a number of years now).
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I think IUSD hasn't had to kick too many kids out up to now.  With the budget cuts and overcrowding, things are definitely changing.  And, I'm sure it depends on which non-local school the kids go to.  I know most of the Irvine schools are fairly popular.  Once a lot of "residents" storm the schools when their kids can't get into their expected schools, IUSD is going to have to take action.

 
I hear you.  I definitely feel more sympathy for your situation than my situation.  You paid the premium and made the commitment to live in the PV attendance area, so I don't think it is unfair that I am not guaranteed a spot forevermore at PV, even once we get in.  These are high demand schools, so we all have to take the good with the bad.

Best of luck getting your twins in!  I'm rooting for you!
 
irvinenester said:
I hear you.  I definitely feel more sympathy for your situation than my situation.  You paid the premium and made the commitment to live in the PV attendance area, so I don't think it is unfair that I am not guaranteed a spot forevermore at PV, even once we get in.  These are high demand schools, so we all have to take the good with the bad.

Best of luck getting your twins in!  I'm rooting for you!
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Thank you.  I hope things work out for you too.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Vista Verde is also hard to get into (also a year-round school) but that's in Turtle Ridge so there are other reasons it's a "good school" (as opposed to Woodbury Elem which is also year-round).
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Hi, irvinehomeowner, can you elaborate more on "the other reasons"? I'm new in town, I know turtle ridge is an upscale neighborhood, that means they have better teachers?
 
Just to update my situation, we did get a call from Plaza Vista and now all our kids will thankfully be going to Plaza Vista from this fall.

I don't know if they had to bump others to do this but when I talked to the teachers during Open House, the class sizes are expected to be large again.
 
coldland said:
irvinehomeowner said:
Vista Verde is also hard to get into (also a year-round school) but that's in Turtle Ridge so there are other reasons it's a "good school" (as opposed to Woodbury Elem which is also year-round).
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Hi, irvinehomeowner, can you elaborate more on "the other reasons"? I'm new in town, I know turtle ridge is an upscale neighborhood, that means they have better teachers?
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There is a running joke on TI that "good schools" is more related to socio-economic reasons than educational ones.

There seems to be some correlation but there are myriad of factors that go into quality of a school.
 
Irvinenester, so what have you heard about Culverdale?  :-\

"If my kid gets bumped out in third grade, and Westpark is full (which is a very likely probability) that means we'll have to go to Culverdale Elementary which I definitely know that I do not want."

My little guys are zoned to go there eventually so wanted to get your insight?  Thanks!
 
bearman81 said:
Irvinenester, so what have you heard about Culverdale?  :-\

"If my kid gets bumped out in third grade, and Westpark is full (which is a very likely probability) that means we'll have to go to Culverdale Elementary which I definitely know that I do not want."

My little guys are zoned to go there eventually so wanted to get your insight?  Thanks!
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Culverdale is the lowest API scored elementary school for Irvine I believe.
 
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