Comments on: More Home for Your Money: San Carlos or Belmont?

By: Riku

Riku — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:19:32 +0000

The knock on Sequoia is their API score which is definitely a step down from Carlmont. Depending on where you are in SC, you either get Sequoia or Carlmont. For high school, I would definitely take Carlmont.

By: hk

hk — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:45:51 +0000

“the other way around in Belmont”??
Are you kidding or just uneducated about the elementary schools and middle schools in Belmont? If you take a look at the scores and the funding for Belmont schools, they are right there with San Carlos schools. I’m not saying they are necessarily better, but definitely not inferior, as your comment implies.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:20:56 +0000

I’d have to say Belmont (or the areas of San Carlos that attend Carlmont)are the better deal because it has it’s own high school. I love San Carlos, especially white oaks, but the lack of a high school in San Carlos is a problem. Yes, San Carlos has good schools for k-8, but Sequoia is not a good school for the average San Carlos student and Belmont has equally as good of K-8 schools. Sequoia has a wonderful gifted program, but for the average student (which most are) it simply will not provide the best education for the typical San Carlos teen. I am a teacher and it’s a hard job. With 150+ students for every high school teacher, most high school teachers target the rigor of their overall curriculum based on the middle student (ie not the highest or lowest). With the backgrounds and needs of the majority of the students attending Sequoia being very different than that of the typical San Carlos youth, I do not think the needs of the San Carlos student are adequately meet. Of course, San Carlos residents have the option to send their kids to a private high school, but this has it’s drawbacks compared to Carlmont. It’s a lot of money, not all the schools are close by, you’re setting your kid up to be split up from many of his neighborhood friends and in my opinion, many of the local private schools don’t compare to Carlmont. They don’t have as many course choices, clubs and activities, or ethnic and socioeconomic diversity as Carlmont. Unless San Carlos resolves it’s high school issue, I definitely think Belmont is the better (and more affordable option) and would guess that home prices over the long term will start to reflect this.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:17:43 +0000

I’m with you…I’m perplexed why so many people still pan Sequoia. It’s a totally different place than it was 10 years ago. Carlmont made the identical transition, but just a few years ahead of Sequoia, yet you don’t hear anyone bashing Carlmont???

We’re thrilled with Sequoia and plan to send all of our kids through the program.

By: White Oaks Mom

White Oaks Mom — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:51:31 +0000

I think that Sequoia is a great option for a high school, although I certainly didn’t feel that way when my kids were in pre-school/kindergarden. Now that I have a middle schooler and know many families with kids at Sequoia who are thrilled with it, I am looking forward to having a student there in a couple years.

It’s too bad that San Carlos does not have it’s own high school, but I’m not losing sleep over it. On the plus side, I think that the opportunity to experience the diversity of students at Sequoia will be valuable for my children, and something that San Carlos cannot offer alone.

On the question of where you get the most for your money, we chose San Carlos 7 years ago because of the community feel that you get from having a vibrant downtown and established community events like hometown days, not to mention the fact that my kids can bike downtown and to the library. That’s worth a premium to me.

By: Heathermom

Heathermom — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:21:50 +0000

Pfft, I’ll take 9 years of solid public school education in SC and pay for private high school vs. the other way around in Belmont.