Myers-Wilkins and Lincoln Park Experiences

BJames Jan 12, 2016 5 Comments

My family and I are currently considering a home in the Myers-Wilkins / Lincoln Park / Denfeld school boundary and are looking for some first-hand experiences. We definitely do not want to open enroll. We like the idea of our daughter going to school with her neighbors and I don’t want to be driving her to and from school every day.

I have heard mixed things about Myers-Wilkins, but as of right now, we feel OK about potentially sending our daughter there (she is 1, so it’ll be a few years). Same for Denfeld, but I would love to hear some first-hand experiences.

My mom used to work at Lincoln Park Middle School about 15 or so years ago and her experience left much to be desired. I have heard recently of some people pulling their kids out of Lincoln Park (all second hand stories) because of bullying problems. We are of the mentality that if she has good parents at home, she will do fine anywhere; however, we don’t want to send her somewhere we know could cause problems during middle school, and we all know how awesome middle school is…

I am hoping to hear of some positive experiences, since I have pretty much only come across negative opinions (none of them first hand), but any and all opinions are welcome and appreciated!

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5 Comments

hbh1

about 9 years ago 

Schools change over time, so what is right now and has been in the past may not be so when your child is six y.o.  I have spent a lot of time at M-W and it's a great school with great leadership and a great community culture. However, do note that its beloved leader (the principal) is likely to retire by the time your child hits Kindergarten. That doesn't mean it will change for the negative, but it does mean that it will change. 

I cannot comment on LP because I don't spend as much time there as M-W. It does have a reputation  that you have heard about; however, there is also a lot of pressure on the school to improve. By the time your child gets there, its staff and teachers will have spent ten years trying to make things better.

yoniohno

about 9 years ago 

My daughter started and Nettleton, stuck with them through the transition to Myers-Wilkins, finishing out her elementary career there. That school gets nothing but raves from  me.

She is now in her second year at Lincoln Park, which has been just fine. 

Some advice I heard recently could apply to your concerns: "Don't take it too seriously when people warn you about things they haven't actually experienced."

There are real problems in every school. But it seems like it's been a protracted game of Telephone that has contributed to the white flight from LPMS.

BJames

about 9 years ago 

Thanks so much! Both posts are great food for thought. I felt like it couldn't be as bad as people seem to think, but I had never heard anything first hand (other than my mother's experience a significant time ago). We were already leaning toward it not being an issue that affects our decision, but I feel much more assured now. I think younger families may start migrating west because of more affordable housing, so that could affect things in the future, as well. Which is what brings our search to that area!

MJ

about 9 years ago 

My family moved this year and we've chosen to open enroll to keep our kids at M-W.  It's a fantastic community and we wouldn't want our children anywhere else.

However, I do agree that a lot can change over the course of many years - which is what you're attempting to plan for.  There are always options, so take things as they come. :)

Hope you enjoy the neighborhood!

rev

about 9 years ago 

We have two sons, one in second grade and one in preschool. We moved out of the East Hillside, into Kenwood in October. We moved out of the M-W area, but we've kept our second grader there via open enrollment. I think that speaks to how we feel about M-W more than anything else I could say here.

As HBH1 says, there will be changes at M-W by the time your daughter is school age. As it is now, we love the school. Excellent teachers, excellent leadership, great community, and small class sizes. I love having the Collaborative at M-W, they do a ton of good work. 

In the off chance the other house falls through and you're interested in the neighborhood, here's the link to our old home. We really loved it, and hope to see another young family move in. Really only two neighbors, who are great. The house is in a cool location, an isolated dead end with woods backing up to the back yard/drive way area.

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