transitioning from UK to USA school
 

I am just trying to get my head round school system in the USA, I can see that if our move goes to plan next summer my 14 yr old will be starting high school and my 12 yr old will be starting middle school but I am overwhelmed somewhat with the terminology (let alone the process of the transition). What is a charter school? what is a magnet school?
I have emailed a few schools in the area we are planning to be in but heard nothing back. I just needed some advice please on how to transition them over as smoothly as possible ....
thank you

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

There's a wiki that explains about the different school types.

Education: What do I need to enroll the kids in school? : British Expat Wiki

The schools are probably waiting to know if you will be in area for them or not - you may not get any responses until your kids are registered. Schools are assigned according to address and until you have a lease for a house you can't be sure which school you are going to.

It's always important to suss out the good schools before getting your heart set on a particular area - this is expecially important for High School.
https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/pr...hools-rankings
Is a good place to start looking. Great Schools is a another one ( google it).

It's not difficult to do.
Choose your high school
visit it if possible
get a rental house in the school boundaries ( check and double check this)

Register the children
Bring as much information about previous schooling as possible. School records and detailed course descriptions
Vaccinations must be up to date according the State in which you will be living. Ask us if you need help finding this information
Full birth certificate.

That's it. The hardest part is choosing the school.

If you let us know roughly where you will be living, then maybe someone can help you with choice.

The other thing to consider is where your kids want to go to University. US university is expensive....

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

thank you so much

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

looking at North Miami - probably Aventura. Not the best reputation for schools!

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

I spent much of my childhood in Miami and know the schools there.

Aventura schools should be OK. That suburb has changed enormously over the past 20-30 years, and is not the caution sign it once was.

Quite often an issue with "magnet schools" is that they can be housed in otherwise terrible schools, but the magnet kids are effectively walled off and are "a school within a school." If the magnet program is good it doesn't really matter if the rest of the school is terrible. The major publication high school rankings used to be a joke because of this, some schools were ranked extremely highly because of the quality of their magnet program or IB program but the 85% of the school that didn't inhabit that world and was awful, no place you would want to send your children. But two worlds apart and never did they meet.

As PF says schools won't bother replying to you unless they know you are moving into their intake area.

Something to also keep in mind: the State of Florida has a program where if your son or daughter gets a certain cumulative grade point average (that is their average mark, score etc) in their coursework, they will get a full 100% tuition scholarship plus housing costs if they attend a public university in the State of Florida. The mark required is also not a very high bar. The State of Florida funded that with their tobacco settlement money in the 1990s as well as lottery proceeds. Not certain though if your children would qualify as it would depend on their immigration status, but if they do it would easily be achievable at either North Miami Beach or Krop Senior Highs.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

that is really helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to reply, thanks!

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

Wow, been here 18 years, my son is in his first year at FSU.
He achieved extremely high marks in HS, even doing dual enrollment at FSU during his HS final year.
But nowhere did he get a free ride for school and accommodation.
What program are you referring to? Bright futures? That pays a percentage, certainly not 100% tuition and housing.
They added book stipend this year, that helped.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

The Bright Futures info suggests 100% of tuition fees, just doing a quick search.

"Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) will receive an award to cover 100% of tuition and applicable
fees and $300 for both fall and spring semesters for additional educational expenses. Students
attending a public institution will have tuition and applicable fees covered. These fees include
activity and service fee, health fee, athletic fee, financial aid fee, capital improvement fee, campus
access/transportation fee, technology fee and tuition differential fee"

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

My kid received the FAS, but my 18 years of Florida prepaid payments paid for his tuition/classes.
Still had housing and mandatory meal plans of almost $5K per semester. I guess the FAS payments went into a award package that he was offered.
I will have to figure this out before the next semester.

Back to the original post, your child probably won't qualify for this as there are mandatory public service hours required before applying.
These are logged and recorded during the last two years of high school.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

Bright Futures ABSOLUTELY pays for 100% of tuition and related fees. Please read the handbook.

If you don't have the highest level of grade point average, there is a lower tier that only pays a percentage (that is not new). That would be where excpomea's child came in - he/she did not qualify for the top tier.

The book stipend is also not new. I got that, every semester, 20 years ago.

What is new is that it now provides an equivalent amount if you want to go to a private school! So that would provide some benefit to kids who today wanted to go to (say) the University of Miami, though would not cover 100% as those universities set their own tuition levels separate from the state levels. It used to be that you only got Bright Futures if you went to a public university.

I did mix up the housing that was a separate award. However, all public universities have their own awards and scholarships they give out and most people who score high enough to qualify for the 100% tier of Bright Futures - again, not a high bar - will qualify for additional prizes and scholarships which will cover housing (or at least substantially reduce it). Many of these don't even need to be applied for, you are automatically entered when you apply or are given admission.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

I'm almost offended! He was awarded the 'Florida Academic Scholars'

I think that's the best they can do. There is a lower award, the 'Florida Medallion Scholars' this requires less and pays less.

Notwithstanding, no recent immigrant is going to qualify within the first year due to having to be a Florida resident for twelve months and having to complete the 100 or 75 hours community service. (I read that in the Handbook)

But the OP has a few years for her kids to meet all the requirements. There should really be no bar to going to University in Florida if they so wish .

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

With regards to schools not being bothered as you don’t have an address in the state I disagree on personal experience. I emailed schools all over Massachusetts and they kindly replied, just gave them an addresses off Zillow or Realtor. I wouldn’t recommend greatschools tbh I used the state public school website for the state.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

I agree about greatschools -it's a bit hit and miss. I think the USNews one is better and is certainly very accurate for where I live.
You could also go and ask on Citydata forum.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

My heart goes out to you karenkaren1.

We've just moved over to Philly this year. My children are 11 and 13, and moving schools was serious consideration for us.
However, we're here and we've done it. It's harder but also better than we expected. If I can help let me know.

Are you planning to stay or do you have an assignment?
Our plan is 3 years, although we are aware it could change, we have to expect atleast one of the children to be doing the IB when we go back.

Re: transitioning from UK to USA school
 

Oh and Citydata was really helpful for us.