EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA BEACH

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1 EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA BEACH One of the great challenges for a family that is moving or relocating, whether across town or across the country is selecting the best schools for their kids. It can be a formidable challenge to find the right city, and then match the best school to the perfect home. Our nation has so many wonderful places to buy a home and settle in to raise a family. Many of these excellent areas boast about their schools in brochures, press releases, and of course, official school system web sites. Logically, the first thing to do is pick the metro, and then the specific community for your "best schools" research. OK, you've done your homework, as suggested above. You have decided that the Greater Hampton Roads metropolitan area is right for your family. After all, there are reasons it has grown and prospered. And even better, within the Hampton Roads metro, Virginia Beach seems to be the most likely place to buy your dream home. Yes, you love the Virginia Beach accolades, and by touring the town and viewing homes with your real estate agent, you have gotten a sense of the good life here in as expressed so well on the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce website: "Virginia Beach is gaining quite a reputation as a great city for business. In addition to the incredible lifestyle expected from one of America's favorite vacation destinations, Virginia Beach also boasts a skilled, educated workforce, strategic location, low tax rates, and a dynamic, diverse economy; STIHL Inc., Amerigroup, and Lifenet located their U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach. 1

2 "Virginia Beach s proximity to the world s largest naval base and Pentagon makes it an excellent candidate for companies associated with the Department of Defense or Homeland Security contract firms. "Low tax rates and water-oriented lifestyle are also attractive to employees of engineering and management firms, business or professional service companies, corporate regional offices, information management centers, computer and dataprocessing services or just about any company that wants to attract people who enjoy living as much as they enjoy working. "Virginia Beach has a variety of office, industrial, and commercial property encompassing almost 35 million square feet of total enclosed space. Affordable office park space and existing buildings are available to house sub-sets of those industries. A diversified economy based on a blend of professional office manufacturers and advanced technologies helps keep Virginia Beach a recognized international business location. "The Virginia Beach MSA is home to 12 major military installations representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the world s largest naval base and the home of the Atlantic Fleet. The bases located in Virginia Beach are Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dam Neck, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and Fort Story. These bases employ more than 32,000 military and civilian employees with a combined annual payroll of more than $1.8 billion." But it isn't just the written opinions of others that give you the nudge to make Virginia Beach your new home. One of the most important Virginia Beach benefits is that it's also a bright spot in education. You feel confident that you will find the best schools for your kids in the charming Virginia Beach community. But you have kids and they need a school that gives a sense of security and confidence associated with the Virginia Beach home you are going to purchase. Now, the issue of education has to be decided - how to go about selecting the right Virginia Beach schools? What will be your criteria? 2

3 It seems to be a tough situation for parents to know their options when it comes to choosing the right school for their children. Will it be a public Virginia Beach school, or a private school in Virginia Beach? With Virginia's recent initiatives, public charter schools have become another option in the great school hunt. Whew, it's not easy, but making an educated decision about a school is so important in the buying of a new home The best school selection starting point is the Internet. Use your browser to look for Virginia Beach schools. You will find non-profit sites such as greatschools.org, and the official website of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, When researching the local school system websites, parents may encounter confusion. Parents can find a school search time draining and frustrating because school systems are notoriously nonstandardized. It is amazing and discouraging to realize that even neighboring school systems use different terminology for the same department or service. Even worse, most school system websites are not organized the same. It can be hard finding information and even harder comparing individual schools. In order to start your search for the best Virginia Beach schools, consider these helpful questions to guide you in your school search: 1. Will it be a public school, private school, or charter school? 2. What is the enrollment -small, medium or large student population? 3. Is the calendar year traditional (9 months) or year round? 4. Is there a dress code? Are uniforms required? 5. What is the transportation, and how long is the drive? 6. Are special programs available, like gifted education, arts, athletics or special needs? 7. How safe is the school? 8. What is the student-teacher ratio? 9. What are the test scores? How proficient is the teaching? 3

4 10. Is the best home for the family also in the best school's attendance zone? In addition, the following information can significantly help you know your options in Virginia Beach education. EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA BEACH PUBLIC SCHOOLS To better help you select the best schools in Virginia Beach, Virginia, read what Virginia Beach Public School system says on its website: "Our mission is to raise private sector support to fund innovative and creative learning programs for the students of Virginia Beach City Public Schools and to reward educational excellence. "The Foundation is a vision that has become a reality for making a difference in Virginia Beach City Public Schools through gifts and donations. Community volunteers comprise the nonprofit organization whose mission it is to encourage support of our schools through tax-deductible contributions. The measure of achievement is continuous improvement of student academic performance. Please take the time to learn more about the education foundation and how you can become involved!" LIST OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH A VIRGINIA BEACH ADDRESS Schools in Virginia Beach belong to the Virginia Beach City School system. The following public schools are available in Virginia Beach: Elementary Schools in Virginia Beach: Alanton Elementary School Arrowhead Elementary School Bayside Elementary School 4

5 Birdneck Elementary School Brookwood Elementary School Centerville Elementary Christopher Farms Elementary School College Park Elementary School Cooke Elementary School Corporate Landing Elementary School Creeds Elementary School Diamond Springs Elementary Fairfield Elementary School Glenwood Elementary School Green Run Elementary Hermitage Elementary School Holland Elementary School Indian Lakes Elementary John B. Dey Elementary Kempsville Elementary School Kempsville Meadows Elementary School King's Grant Elementary School Kingston Elementary School Landstown Elementary School Linkhorn Park Elementary School Luxford Elementary School Lynnhaven Elementary School Malibu Elementary School New Castle Elementary School Newtown Elementary School North Landing Elementary School Ocean Lakes Elementary School Parkway Elementary School Pembroke Elementary School Pembroke Meadows Elementary Point O'View Elementary School 5

6 Princess Anne Elementary School Providence Elementary School Red Mill Elementary School Rosemont Elementary School Rosemont Forest Elementary School Salem Elementary School Seatack Elementary School Shelton Park Elementary School Strawbridge Elementary School Tallwood Elementary School Thalia Elementary School Thoroughgood Elementary School Three Oaks Elementary School Trantwood Elementary School White Oaks Elementary School Williams Elementary School Windsor Oaks Elementary School Windsor Woods Elementary School Woodstock Elementary Middle Schools in Virginia Beach: Bayside Middle School Brandon Middle School Corporate Landing Middle School Great Neck Middle School Independence Middle School Kemps Landing Magnet Kempsville Middle School Landstown Middle School Larkspur Middle School Lynnhaven Middle School Plaza Middle School 6

7 Princess Anne Middle School Renaissance Academy Salem Middle School Virginia Beach Middle School High Schools in Virginia Beach: Advanced Technology Center Bayside High School Cox High School First Colonial High School Green Run High School Kellam High School Kempsville High School Landstown High School Ocean Lakes High School Princess Anne High School Renaissance Academy Salem High School Tallwood High School Technical & Career Education Center CHARTER SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA Virginia charter schools are independent public schools that exist to offer Virginia Beach students, parents and educators choices in teaching, learning methods and environments. An emphasis is placed on innovation and accountability with improved student achievement the common goal. There are now nearly 5,000 public charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia, educating more than 1.6 million public charter school students. Virginia public charter schools are intended to improve the state's traditional public school system. 7

8 Any Virginia charter school, while independently operated, must meet four requirements, like any other state public school: *Tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll; *Non-sectarian, and do not discriminate on any basis; *Funded by local, state & federal tax dollars like other public schools; *Held accountable to state and federal academic standards. CHARTER SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA BEACH There are currently no charter schools in Virginia Beach PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITH A VIRGINIA BEACH ADDRESS: Private schools, also known as independent schools or non-state schools, are not administered by Virginia Beach, Virginia, or the Federal government; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funding. Virginia Beach students can get a scholarship into a private school, which makes the cost cheaper, depending on a talent the student may have, such as a sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship. Academy of Early Learning Anchor Military Ministries K PK-6 Atlantic Shores Christian Elementary PK-6 Atlantic Shores Christian Secondary 7-12 Back Bay Christian Academy PK-12 Baylake Pines School K-8 Beach Montessori Christian Bishop Sullivan Catholic High 9-12 Cape Henry Collegiate PK-12 Chesapeake Bay Academy K-12 Courthouse Academy PK-K 8

9 Courthouse Montessori PK-5 Daniels Christian Academy Gateway Christian School PK-4 PK-12 Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Ivy League Academy Kings Grant Day School PK-6 PK-3 Montessori Academy of Virginia PK-5 Montessori Child Development 8 New Light Baptist School Norfolk Christian School Old Donation Episcopal PK-5 PK-5 PK-K Open Door Christian Academy K-12 Rainbow Christian Academy K-6 Rock Church Academy K-12 St. Gregory the Great School St. John the Apostle Catholic St Matthew School Star of the Sea School Tabernacle Baptist Academy PK-12 Virginia Beach Country Day School PK-1 Virginia Beach Friends School PK-12 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN AND NEAR VIRGINIA BEACH Higher education in the Greater Hampton Roads region is another great reason to live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The local colleges and universities contribute more than just classrooms, by also bringing the best in sports and cultural offerings to the Hampton Roads communities at large. If your life calls for upper level learning, choose 9

10 from the following list of universities, colleges and community colleges: Christopher Newport University College of the Albemarle College of William and Mary Elizabeth City State University Hampton University Norfolk State University Old Dominion University Paul D Camp Community College Regent University The Apprentice School Northrop Grumman Thomas Nelson Community College Tidewater Community College Virginia Wesleyan College And another pitfall is finding the right home, and then determining that the school assignment is not the school you want for your children. Then your home search begins all over again, if a particular school is desired. Many people become disappointed when this happens. COMPLETE EDUCATION DIRECTORY: PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS New Movers Magazine provides a full listing of the schools in the Greater Hampton Roads region: all public schools, most private schools and all institutions of higher learning. You can review each school's website, enrollment figures and phone numbers. But that's not all. You can save a ton of time because we have already done the digging for you. Those hard to find school test scores and safety data are at your fingertips for each public 10

11 school. The facts are the most current available. It's now fast and easy to compare schools and even school systems. Need to find the right school and then the right home in that school's district? In an Internet first, New Movers Magazine can help you find homes for sale in the attendance zone of any Virginia Beach public school, or even private schools by desired distance from your potential new Virginia Beach home. Just click any Home Search Button. It's free, with no obligation. Your name and information is private and secure. RELAX AND ENJOY But it is not just a quality of life, affordable prices, good schools, amenities and accolades that make the Virginia Beach a great real estate market. It is also the attitude of optimism and forward thinking that seems to quickly meld long-standing residents and newcomers into a common sense of community. The bottom line is not why you should move to Virginia Beach, Virginia, but with all these great attributes and benefits, why would you not? Welcome to Your New Home in Virginia Beach, Virginia 11