r/Kirkland • u/Alternative-End7757 • 3d ago
Moving to Eastside WA – How safe are public middle schools in Kirkland/Redmond/Bellevue?
Hi all,
We're planning a move from Irvine, CA to the Eastside (Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue or nearby areas) for software work. We have kids in elementary and middle school, and school quality and safety are really important to us.
I’ve heard some mixed things — that while public schools are academically strong, there are concerns about drug use and other issues, especially in middle and high schools. Some say a lot of people end up putting their kids in private schools because of this, but we’d really prefer to stick with public schools and not pay for charter/private if we can avoid it.
Can anyone share their experiences or insights about how safe public middle schools are in terms of drugs, bullying, and general environment?
Also — any specific neighborhoods or school districts you'd recommend (or avoid) for a family with kids?
Thanks so much!
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u/tonjohn 3d ago
The schools are fantastic and any issues are the same issues that affect every school in America.
I grew up in Dallas TX where a senior at a public school received the same education as a 5th grader in private school. That’s not what it’s like here. We had a teen at Juanita, one of the lowest rated LWSD schools, and were blown away by the teachers, coaches, and staff.
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u/ProfessorPickaxe 3d ago
My daughter went to Juanita and is now a Dean's list student at UW.
I'm not convinced OP isn't a private/charter school astroturfing account.
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u/Alternative-End7757 3d ago
Thank you for sharing that — really appreciate the perspective! That’s actually very reassuring to hear, especially about Juanita, since I’ve seen mixed reviews online.
Totally agree that some issues like drugs or peer pressure are pretty universal — I think we just wanted to understand how well schools here handle those challenges, and whether the environment still feels safe and supportive. Sounds like LWSD schools do a solid job overall.
Glad to hear your experience with the teachers and staff was so positive — that makes a big difference. Thanks again!
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u/No-Archer-5034 3d ago
My kids are in the LWSD. If my options were a free private school that was a 20 min drive, or the public school right up the street with kids that are in our neighborhood, I’d take the public school hands down. The issues you’re concerned with, drug use and safety, the differences will be negligible compared to a private school. With that being said, there are a few exclusive private schools in the area that will be on par with college tuition, I’m not talking about those.
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u/Alternative-End7757 3d ago
That’s super helpful, thanks for the honest take.
I think that’s a really good point about the community aspect too. We’d love for our kids to go to school with kids in the neighborhood — that kind of connection matters. And yeah, we’re definitely not looking at the $30K+/year private school route - more just trying to make sure we’re not walking into a situation where we have to go private to feel safe or supported.
Really appreciate hearing from someone with kids in LWSD, sounds like it’s a solid choice and the concerns we had may be a bit overblown.
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u/freakdageek 3d ago
Your kids will be fine in public schools on the Eastside. I’m very happy with the education that both of my kids received (one at LWHS, one at Juanita, both attended KMS and Peter Kirk), and found all teachers and staff to be caring and capable. My daughter was on an IEP, and I’ll say that there are some awesome people in the district who do amazing work with kids on the spectrum, etc. Every school has some amount of drugs/alcohol/whatever floating around, but in my experience, it’s about parenting kids to make the right choices no matter where they are, rather than trying to fence them in. These are good schools in a wealthy area, they’ll be fine.
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u/gmm20201 3d ago
Have a kid who went KiMS and LWHS, yes there are drugs, there are drugs everywhere there are teenagers, including pricey private schools. Talk to your kids about drugs, be honest with them about your own drug use and explain to them that "when I was a kid, drugs were not potentially laced with fentanyl" TALK TO THEM. Pay attention to who they are hanging out with, keep your door open to conversations about drug use, don't freak out, listen. We moved here when he was an infant and the feedback we saw about which schools were the best was pretty ridiculous coming from NorCal /Bay Area, the public school he would have gone to in the East Bay was taken over by the state because it was broke and mismanaged. The public schools here are excellent. You need to parent your kids though.
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u/jessbepuzzled 3d ago edited 3d ago
(this got long, sorry)
We live in the Lake Washington School District. My kids were at Franklin Elementary, one is currently at Rose Hill Middle and the other also went to RHMS and is now at Lake Washington High School. We have been happy with all three schools so far. In all the years that we have been at the the schools, we have had only two instances of bullying (that we know of). I'll go into some specifics below but in both cases we were satisfied with how it was handled. Edit: on second thought, in cutting that part for length and confidentiality. DM me if you're interested.
Pros (for these schools in particular): *We have been fortunate to have teachers who seem invested in helping our kids make the most of their potential and supporting the accommodations in their 504 plans *Admin is open to communicating with parents and generally prompt about responding to questions and concerns *Parental involvement has been high at Franklin. PTA usually has no problem meeting fundraising goals. Classrooms usually seem to have good response when parent volunteers are needed. It drops off a bit in middle school (which I'm told is typical for moisture schools in general) *Franklin and the nearby high school have been recently refurbished and new classrooms added as part of a now-expiring construction bond passed in 2019.
Cons (for these schools in particular): *The Franklin area is expensive as fuck. Although maybe not in comparison to Irvine? *Enrollment has dropped a bit recently and consequently some teachers and staff have been let go or transferred to other schools *The elementary 4th and 5th grade band and orchestra programs are being eliminated next year, which means that kids won't have the opportunity to start band and orchestra until 6th grade *All four high schools in the district are moving from a 7-period day to a 6-period day next year. This is going to reduce the scope of electives that students will be able to take, especially since the state requires a minimum of 24 credits to graduate.
Okay, I've written a novel here but after all that if you're interested in hearing more about our experience with this district or these schools, feel free to DM me.
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u/kentgent1 3d ago
OMG stay in Irvine please
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u/Alternative-End7757 3d ago
Can you be more specific why? Thanks
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u/Shield_Lyger 3d ago
It's something of a stereotype that the locals don't want anyone else moving to the area (to the point of absurdity, at times). I don't have school-aged children, but I find the upper Eastside to be pretty sleepy, all things considered. They're your average suburbs.
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u/tonjohn 3d ago
I think it’s less about that stereotype and more that someone is worried about safety in one of the wealthiest, safest suburbs.
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u/Shield_Lyger 3d ago
Fair enough... although people around here can also get pretty worked up about it...
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u/Alternative-End7757 3d ago
Haha, yeah I’ve definitely picked up on that vibe - the “don’t move here” sentiment is strong 😅. Totally get it though, especially with how much the area has grown. Note that we lived in Kirkland for 1 year and want to come back but we don't have knowledge about middle schools.
Appreciate your take on the Eastside being on the quieter side. That’s actually kind of what we’re looking for — a peaceful, suburban setting where the schools are solid and the community feels safe. Sounds like we’re on the right track!
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u/3third_eye 3d ago
Public schools on the eastside can vary by district, but generally are some of the best/safest public schools in the state. Especially where I grew up in Kirkland. People can be quite dramatic about this stuff. The schools are great IMO.