Rose Creek....Should we pick the Edmond or Deer Creek side?

[3Labs2ResQ]

Hi. My husband and I will be moving to Edmond this coming June, along with our 11 year old daughter and our 8 year old son. We love the area and can't wait to get there!

This past week we came to Edmond to look at neighborhoods and kind of get an idea of where we should focus our home search. It's still a little early to buy...we'll be back in February or March for that. We have a wonderful Realtor who took us to just about every subdivision in town, and we finally settled on Rose Creek. My children are going to love that aquatics center!

Here is my question: Should we choose a house on the Deer Creek side or the Edmond side? School is very important to us, and both of the children are in gifted programs here in Florida.

We had a chance to visit Rose Union and Deer Creek High School, both of which we liked. We still need to visit Deer Creek Middle School, as that is where my daughter would be attending next year. I've been able to find out a lot about Deer Creek schools through the internet and I believe my kids would like it there, although it is a much smaller school than they are used to.

On our next trip down, we'll be visiting the Angie Debo Elementary, Summit Middle, and Santa Fe High schools. I can't seem to find as much information on these schools online. The elementary school has a very poor website, but that doesn't mean it's not a great school. I'm just having a hard time finding anyone talking about these schools.

I've been to the sites that have the 2005 test scores and both school districts seem acceptable. Test scores don't tell the whole story, though. Does anyone have any experience with these schools, and if so, would you recommend one over the other?

One final question...Is there a better resale value living on one side of Rose Creek as compared to the other side? We aren't planning to move again for many many many years, but I'd like to think I'm making a good investment. I understand that real estate in Oklahoma hasn't skyrocketed like it has here in Florida, but I certainly don't want to lose money on the house.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Kellie

[upisgr8]

Hi Kellie,
I can only give you some people to talk to as this is a debate that will go on forever. First it is good to have you choose Edmond I moved here from Colorado and like it here alot.
I have a business associate who researched things for a very long time and will not consider anything but Deer Creek. I would be happy to put you in touch with them. Let me know.

[3Labs2ResQ]

Thanks,upisgr8. I'd love to talk to anyone who has an opinion about this. I keep hearing "You can't go wrong with Edmond or Deer Creek" and I'm sure that's true. However I need to find the right fit. I'm dragging my kids away from their friends and the only lifestyle they know here in Orlando, so the least I can do for them is pick the schools with the best fit for them.

The kids are used to going to school in a very urban area with huge schools. Deer Creek is such a small district that I'm just not sure they'd like that. Plus, I wonder how the kids in such a small district accept newcomers. I may just be worried about nothing, but that's why I'd like to here from other people who understand the dynamics of these schools better than I do.

Thanks for the reply and for offering to put me in touch with your friend who's done so much school research. I'd love to talk with them. Many thanks!

Kellie

[traxx]

I used to live in OKC and once considered moving to Edmond but my job took me down to the Norman area. But if it were me, I'd choose Deer Creek. They have a great school system, one of the top rated in the state, and being a smaller school means smaller classes so it would be a better teacher to student ratio.

For Edmond you need to consider which Edmond schools your children would be attending. What are your children's interest? Do they play sports? If so, Edmond Santa Fe tends to be quite good in football if that interests your son. These are the things I would think about. Find out what schools your children would actually attend and see which district better fits your children's needs, likes and desires.

I can totally understand being worried about a school being too small for you kids considering what they're used to. And if that's a deal breaker then go for Edmond because the districts are pretty equal as far as quality of education. In my opinion, though, I think Deer Creek beats Edmond by just a bit in education quality.

[3Labs2ResQ]

Thanks for your input, traxx. I know the Deer Creek test scores are a little higher, but I'm just not sure it's enough to make a difference.

One thing that really bothered us was the portables being used at Rose Union. The school just opened this year and they are already 25 students over capacity. I wonder how overcrowded it will be by the time my son would start there in the fall.

Here in Orlando, portables are used at just about every school because we are way over capacity. I guess that is the kind of thing we were hoping to leave behind us.

As for sports....that's really not my kids' thing. My daughter is strictly a "brainiac", but she'd like a school with a good drama program. We need a school with lots of advanced placement (AP) choices for her. We need to choose between Summit Middle and Deer Creek Middle for her.

My son likes "extreme" sports like BMX, skateboarding, dirt biking, etc. I can't imagine him playing football, but that could change. He's only 8. His choices are Rose Union or Angie Debo. We are looking for an elementary school with a good gifted program for him as well.

Thanks for taking the time to post. I appreciate all of the input I can get. This is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I think they are both good choices. I guess it could be worse...I could be trying to choose between two BAD schools!

Kellie

[Spartan]

Deer Creek is the best suburban district in the state.

[Karried]

Edmond is a great place for a family. We moved from CA a few years ago and really like it here in Edmond.

The Rose Creek area itself is gorgeous.. but what has bothered me about that location is that the homes surrounding the development are all smaller tract homes. Block after block of homes everywhere! Not that that is a bad thing on it's own, it's just when it was first developed there weren't any other homes out there and people all built gorgeous custom homes, it was 'out in the country' almost... I'll bet they didn't expect all of the hundreds and hundreds of homes to be built all around them.

It still is beautiful and I have friends who really enjoy living there.

There have been a few discussions on the boards about Deer Creek and Edmond schools.. you will be able to do a search and find a lot on the subject.

Do you rescue Labs? What part of Florida are you coming from?

Welcome to OK.

[3Labs2ResQ]

Hi Karried. We are coming from Windermere, which is just south west of Orlando and so close to Disney that we hear the fireworks every night. We've been here for the past 6 years and the crime is just getting to be too much.

We came to Oklahoma last year to visit my brother and we just fell in love with Edmond. It's so quiet and laid back. The traffic is NOTHING compared to here. The people were all so friendly and the schools were fantastic. There's actually breathing room there. Orlando is just wall to wall people. We just thought it would be the perfect place to finish raising our kids.

The reason I picked the name 3Labs2ResQ is because we have 3 yellow labs. They all came from a local shelter for abused and neglected animals. Each one we chose for a different reason. Peanut was almost 10 and had some scars on his body from previous abuse. His age and the fact that he wasn't beautiful made it tough for him to get adopted. Titan had spent his first 6 years tied out in someone's yard with no human contact. His manners,the fact that he was 35 pounds underweight, and the fact that he needed heartworm treatment made him less desirable too. Jessie is our 3 year old and we've had her since she was a puppy. So, no, we don't actually rescue the dogs. We just adopt the hard to place ones.

I'm so glad you posted because it's good to have someone's viewpoint that wasn't born and raised in Oklahoma. Some places aren't that welcoming to newcomers, but I don't think Edmond is one of those places. I'm glad you like it. We can't wait to get there for good.

Kellie

[Karried]

Oh.. you will really enjoy living here.. it might take awhile to adjust to a move but if you expect that, you'll do fine .. I have a Black Lab which is why I asked about your user name.. he was a handful when he was a puppy but now he has mellowed and is a big fat roly poly who loves to sleep in the sun!

Welcome again... if you want to send me a PM, I have some info on some of the schools you mentioned.

[TStheThird]

I would check into the advanced placement options at both if I were you. When I graduated from Edmond North, I had a lot more advanced placement options than my friends at Deer Creek. I mainly hung out with Deer Creek kids. I cannot speak for the here and now. The Edmond schools offer every AP course under the sun.

[Tim]

Welcome to Edmond! From personal experience, Summit Middle is fantastic, but Deer Creek produces some incredible test scores. It is much smaller than Santa Fe, however smaller classes can be very beneficial. As to your "extreme athlete", you might let him know that Edmond is the home of BMX legend Matt Hoffman, and home to the Mathis Bros Skate Park located in Mitch Park on Covell. We also have a very nice indoor skate park, complete with it's own great shop, Altered Skates.

[3Labs2ResQ]

Thanks for the "heads up" on AP classes. I have a list of which ones DC offers already. I'll check online to see if I can find out what Santa Fe offers. If it isn't available online, I can get the list when we visit the school in a couple of months. We are coming back down then to actually find THE house and put an offer in on it. I'm pretty certain we'll want to be in Rose Creek, though. It was a tad too early to buy something on this trip.

Thanks for letting me know about the skate parks and Matt Hoffman, Tim. My little guy will be thrilled to know that! I know that our Realtor took us by a middle school in the Edmond district that had a little skate park built outside next to it. I thought that was pretty cool. It was small, but it looked like fun. I'm just waiting for my pictures to be developed so my little boy can see it. Thanks!

Kellie

[Karried]

The City of Oklahoma City

There's not many pics here but you might show him the website just for fun..

[3Labs2ResQ]

Thanks a bunch, Karried! I showed the photos to my little boy and he loved them! As big as Orlando is,you'd think we'd have something cool like that here, but we don't. We have an indoor place called Vans, which we take him to pretty often, but it certainly isn't free. What a great place for kids to go. Thanks for sending the link!

Kellie

[Spartan]

Can you explain what your username is supposed to mean??

[Karried]

The reason I picked the name 3Labs2ResQ is because we have 3 yellow labs. They all came from a local shelter for abused and neglected animals. Each one we chose for a different reason. Peanut was almost 10 and had some scars on his body from previous abuse. His age and the fact that he wasn't beautiful made it tough for him to get adopted. Titan had spent his first 6 years tied out in someone's yard with no human contact. His manners,the fact that he was 35 pounds underweight, and the fact that he needed heartworm treatment made him less desirable too. Jessie is our 3 year old and we've had her since she was a puppy. So, no, we don't actually rescue the dogs. We just adopt the hard to place ones.

I was curious too...

[metro]

Deer Creek and Edmond are both excellent school districts. It's personal preference really. What is one man's trash is another's treasure. Deer Creek is a smaller school system so you're kids won't get lost in a huge school. Edmond is a large school system so the schools are bigger but is still a great school district. I'd pick Deer Creek personally.

FYI, real estate is always a good investment. Either way you can't lose, you're house is going to appreciate. It may not be 200% or whatever Florida is appreciating at, but it is a notable gain here in Oklahoma and that trend is continuing upwards thanks to all the coasters moving and investing in our market.

[3Labs2ResQ]

Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, Metro. I guess my kids would be happy in either district. Both districts are so much better than the district they are in now. Either way we go, it's a giant step up.

You are right about the Florida housing market. Our house has more than doubled over the past six years. I understand that won't happen in Edmond, but a slow and steady increase would be nice.

We are coming back to Edmond in March and will be purchasing a house then. We really like Rose Creek, but I am still open to other neighborhoods.

Thanks again,
Kellie

[julieriggs]

Kellie-
Rose Creek is Troon golf - tough course, fewer trees. Some absolutely beautiful homes in there!

As far as Deer Creek vs. Edmond Santa Fe...

Edmond:
25 to 1 student/teacher ratio
15% 'free lunch' participants
74% white, 15% black, 3% hispanic

Deer Creek:
16 to 2 student/teacher ration
2% 'free lunch' participants
86% white, 4% black, 3% hispanic

Edmond Santa Fe is comparable to Putnam City North. The Deer Creek demographic is a cut above both on the economic scale, but I have heard realtors discuss it being too hard for some families to "keep up with the Jones" causing them to move back out of Deer Creek to put the children in Putnam City or Edmond schools. I hear wonderful things about Angie Debo Elementary in Edmond, but most seem to think Edmond North is preferable to Edmond Santa Fe HS.

Personally, I think all of the above are wonderful schools with great academic programs.

[jman253]

Me and my wife built in the Deer Creek school district before we had any kids. We built there for the simple reason that they are a smaller school with great scores as well as the property value for Deer Creek is better. Deer Creek is growing so much that there are always newcomers to the district, so I dont think you would have to worry about your children being outcast because they are newcomers. I have new neighbors that have a boy who is in the 7th grade and a little girl who is in the 8th grade. They have been here approx 2 months and they love it. All the neighborhood kids get along with each other and they took them in like they have been life long friends. The new neighbor kids told me they were scared at first but now that they have been here for a few months they love it. On another side note every realtor we talked to stated we would see an almost 15% increase in the housing market just for being in the Deer Creek district. The sports at Deer Creek are not bad they have a great baseball and football program. I am out at Deer Creek schools admin building every day due to my job. They have existing plans to start a new elementary school at 192nd (Danforth and Portland) next year as well as a new middle school in the vicinity of 234th (Sorghum Mill) and MacArthur. They are also expanding the high school building in the next year to adjoin the middle school (which will all be moved to the new middle school once completed) with the high school. So LOTS and LOTS of changes in the Deer Creek district over the next few years because of growth. SO my 2 cents is buy your property on the DEER CREEK side. Good Luck and welcome to Edmond.

[jbkrems]

Kellie,

Keep in mind there are also good private Christian schools that you can send your kids to in the Edmond area. Oklahoma Christian School, Faith Christian Academy, and Crossings Christian School are probably three big examples. If faith and values are important to you and your family, I would recommend sending your kids to a private Christian school, rather than a public school.

What do you think about that???

Blessings,
Jonathan

[Tim]

While I agree that all three are good schools, I take exception to the implication that if one attends public schools they somehow place less emphasis on "faith and values". Hey, you asked!

[jbkrems]

Tim,

I never implied that. I just believe that private Christian schools are in a better position and a better place to inculcate faith and values into children. Public schools cannot do this because of the separation of church and state. The point I was making is that if Kellie ALSO sees faith and values as an important priority, then private Christian schools is something she should consider. There is no implication here that if you send your kids to public school, you somehow de-emphsize faith and values. I know parents who do that. A lot of times it is an issue of money and time (they cannot afford private tuition, etc.) I understand that completely. However, I don't know the SES background of Kellie, and so I am not making any assumptions here. I am just giving some additional advice for her consideration. That's all.

Blessings,
Jonathan

[PUGalicious]

I just believe that private Christian schools are in a better position and a better place to inculcate faith and values into children.

Who's in the best position to "inculcate faith and values into children"? How about the parents?

[jbkrems]

PUGalicious,

OH I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THERE. I absolutely agree that parents are in the best position to inculcate faith and values in their children's lives.

But that wasn't my point. Some parents do not have time to home school their children, and so they want a school that shares the same faith and values they so cherish. And that's why I brought up private Christian schools. Home schooling, of course, is also an option.

Blessigs,
Jonathan