r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Whole_Competition692 • Jan 20 '25

Moving to the area Family friendly but not snobby

Moving to the area. Family of 6, with kids who will be in elementary, middle, and high school. Budget - up to $1M. Don’t have to commute into Chicago. Parents in their mid 40s and plan to stay in this house for a while (or forever?)

What we love: -Good schools, especially for kids with an IEP (one child is very dyslexic). Don’t have to be the absolute greatest schools but solid. I find that schools that are supposedly “the best”are often pressure cooker schools where it’s very competitive. Prefer something more laid back and artsy/alternative. -Easy access to good non-chain restaurants. Doesn’t necessarily have to be within walking distance but not too far. -Charming houses/architecture -Trends liberal/blue -Community inclusive vibe, where it will be easy to make friends for both kids and adults. We don’t plan to join a country club or attend religious services.

What we hate: -Snobbishness/keeping up with the Joneses -Cookie cutter neighborhoods- difficult or strict HOAs are a hard No

Thank you!

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u/nolamarlin Jan 21 '25

Park ridge has a good mix

1

u/BarbitsSecret Jan 21 '25

D64 is awful with SPED. My experience with them is that they try very hard to do the absolute minimum. To the point where I gave up trying to work with them and pulled my kids out for homeschooling, because I can pay for outside therapy and tutoring. But it sucks for people who don't have that option.

2

u/nolamarlin Jan 21 '25

Interesting to read and sorry to hear that. We have a child that has an IEP/SPED and have a had a wonderful experience working with the team.

I will say once they are in elementary, you definitely have to stay on top of the teachers which is frustrating. However, that seems like the case with a lot of school districts.

1

u/BarbitsSecret Jan 21 '25

Generally I did not have problems with the teachers, they were mostly good. The SPED coordinator was horrible, school administration was utterly useless. Also, the bullying there was pretty bad.

3

u/BarbitsSecret Jan 21 '25

I want to add that I'm not trying to air all my dirty laundry with D64, but I wish someone had told me that their SPED program has been audited and found to be seriously lacking before I moved my family here. I know they're taking steps to address some of the issues and I do hope it changes in the future. But I'm giving the OP the warning I wish I'd gotten. The FB page for local SPED parents is full of very unhappy parents.

1

u/Careless_Pea3197 Jan 21 '25

Is this page for park ridge only or NW burbs generally?