TODOs: Schools ...

We explored a lot on this topic. Having two kids getting into school, we knew that if kids are not comfortable and get used to the school system quickly, it will be a nightmare. Also, we wanted to send them to a school which has clean premises, less pollution as possible. We used this site a lot, which turns up on the top when we search for Bangalore schools:
http://www.bangaloreschools.net/

We read parents comments but needless to stay we found all variations - from worst school to the best school comment on the same school. We had our parents and brother, who were back in Bangalore, take a look at the schools. Having visited US before and comparing the US setup with Indian setup, it was bit easier for them to make the call. They sent across the pictures, talked to school folks , which helped us greatly in making the call. Finally, after all the search, we settled on Greenwood High on Sarjapur road - it had good facilities, was bit away from the main city, had good bus connections and seem to have a resonably good NRI community. Of course, price was on the higher side as well but this was something we need to pay as an initial setup opportunity cost! Having kids come home depressed and complaining everyday has a much higher cost than the fees we pay at school !

Last but not the least, as I mentioned in an earlier post, we did complete the formalities for admission in US schools for kids (these were public schools) - who knows, the plans may change and you may push the move down the line. With a lost opportunity for move and lost admission to school is the last thing you want. If you do happen to move, you can always drop a note to the school with the update that you are giving up the seat. If your school area is a good one and gets crowded (like in Bay area), having that back-up option always helps !

If you are like me, you will move before kids school starts in India, which is usually the first week of June. And.... US schools close towards end of June. This means that your kids will miss a month of school. This is not a issue but you need to have a chat with school principal in US so that kid's teacher can plan for an early departure. This helps in getting a letter from school teacher which you will need in India, in the absence of class completion letter.

[Update on GW High (05/02/2014): At this time, would like to add a note of caution for R2I parents seeking admission to GWH - since the post above might seem like a green signal for R2I parents to pursue GWH. With the year to year fee increases, I personally think this school is at a stage where paying the level of fees is questionable. They do have good facilities etc but at a certain point, level of fees outweighs the advantages and I think they have reached that point. I would strongly recommend R2I parents to consider other school options as well. Recently, the focus seems to be shifting more towards the new IGSC campus that is being built and various ways of funding that seem to be the priority. Unfortunately, this is the trend with most of the schools here - fees increases are steep, especially as the school gets more and more established.]