A lively Cheltenham School District-centric forum on Reddit.com was recently shared by resident and NPR journalist Jeff Brady.
The forum’s original post from yesterday, titled “Looking to buy a home in Cheltenham, concerned about schools“, asks for input on the quality of education at Cheltenham High School.
From the post:
Hello all so im looking to buy my first home in Cheltenham and while i now know that taxes are much higher than anywhere else in the area I’m still considering it since the houses are decently sized and it is close to Philadelphia where i currently and will continue to work. My biggest question/concern is about the schools. The current house im looking at would have my daughter going to Cheltenham High when she starts high school in a years time. I guess what im asking is this; is Cheltenham High bad enough to not buy a home over? Should i just be looking elsewhere entirely? PA as a whole seems to be expensive and im just trying my best, thank you all.
The thread’s responses have been mostly positive:
My kids both graduated from CHS within the last few years (attended Cheltenham schools k-12). Both had a great experience and were well-prepared for college. Both had excellent extra curricular experiences and made good friends. They also had the advantage of going to school with a diverse array of students from all walks of life that prepared them well for living in our world. We intentionally chose this over private school and would do it again in a heartbeat.
A similar sentiment:
Cheltenham has been great. My oldest, the one that needed the iep, got so much support from teachers, counselors, and school therapists. He is mid 20s now and still keeps in contact with them.
The teens have attended CSD their entire lives, and I have no real complaints. Of course, there are normal school problems that arise here and there, but they have always been handled swiftly and well.
We recently had a death in the family, and the teachers and staff have gone above and beyond for my children. I know they’re keeping an eye on them for me, and I feel safe with them there.
Others include mentions of a “subpar school district” (and “woefully mismanaged township”) from someone claiming they have since moved to another district.
“anytime someone in the community brings up the fact that there is room for improvement, they get attacked for being racist,” the response says. “The community seems perfectly content with the 4/10 rating and there’s obviously no interest in improving, so we moved.”
A second thread on the topic created from the same account can be found here.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.