Pierre Van Cortlandt School

Excellent. My son came out of this school as a good person and at the same time with good education. My daughter still has three more years to go at PVC.

The academics are sub-standard at best. There is no expectation of excellence, no tracking and they teach to the middle if you are lucky. The poor teachers far, far outweigh the good ones and for all the taxes that are paid and the small class sizes there is VERY little return on our investment.

I really don't understand where these school ratings come from - the standard tests or the real estate sales people? PVC is sub standard when it comes to academics. The schools are in beautiful condition and all present well but they are very limited. All of my daughters contemporaries left in Middle School for private schools or home schooling. Socially, it is so small and so cliquish. There is not feeling of community. Go to the Black Cow and talk to locals before you buy here.

PVC is a terrific school if you have a child who is above average as a student or an average learner. It may be great for struggling learners, too, but I don't have any direct experience with this. This year, the school featured wonderful learning oppostunities in math, science and literacy, and compared quite favorable to the "gifted programs" in Manhattan. The students seem happy and the small size of the district really gives everyone a tailored learning experience. We also enjoyed the FRE afterschool program that included chess, lego robotics, math olympiad, theatre and art. The school day music program allows the children to take two instruments or chorus for free.