Ok, we like Haines City itself. It's growing and there's a lot to offer. Like anywhere, it has good parts and parts to steer clear from. However, the schools are not good. It is a far reach to say they are. Especially Boone Middle. It's a case where the 'inmates are running the asylum', so to speak. TERRIBLE bullying and so overcrowded. ANd the staff is so overwhelmed. Those who care can only ride it out because nothing real is being done to change it. They just brace themselves and hope the day goes ok. There were over 30 kids in our son's class! Kids can't use the restroom when they need to because they keep them locked to avoid all kinds of awful goings on. Oh, they'll offer you the Hope Scholarship to change schools, but the other middle schools are just as bad, and the private school option takes 6-8 weeks to 'process'. And that's if the useless assistant principle fills out the form correctly. If not, you go to the end of the line and wait another 6-8 weeks to even see IF there's funding left. Meanwhile, your child continues to be harassed incessantly. We really like the community and love our new home. But the school problem is horrendous. And, if your child needs any extra assistance, as with dyslexia, the district just doesn't have the resources to help enough. Don't get me wrong, they have some wonderful individuals. But not enough resources. And they do NOT have a true Gifted Program. All there is is two ladies who 'oversee' the gifted kids. It's nothing but a lie. There is a School Choice lottery every year, but that's nothing to depend on. Unless you're coming in in kindergarten, there's very little chance of being selected because the good schools (Davenport School of the Arts, Ridgeview, etc) stay full. Rightfully so. We moved here with our children (9 and 11) from Winter Garden/Horizon West as an investment. We could have and should have continued driving our children to their schools up there. It would have been totally worth the time and expense to avoid the amount of literal heartbreak our whole family has endured because of the school situation alone. But we thought, it may not be quite as good as what we were coming from, but it couldn't be that bad, right?...Ohhhh, but it is. Be very mindful. Please do your research/due diligence and check things out for yourself so you can have your ducks in a row for your precious children. Don't make the school mistake we did. Oh, yeah, and the drive times to the parks/Orlando that are given in this video are very misleading. The 45mins/1hour drive to WDW or Universal are never the norm. These may be true if you are traveling well before dawn or late at night. Maybe. More accurate for the times when you would actually be going to a park (or LBV/Orlando) are much higher. Add at least 30 mins to both. Now, once I-4 eventually gets itself straightened out, whenever that happens (they're working on it), it could possibly be closer to the times stated. But not yet.

I love this community. Thinking of a move this year!

I’m sorry but I just went to look at a new sub division in Haine city literally 8 mins away from what looks like crime hill. Not worth the price to just get robbed terrible location, lake county is the way to go. Unless you have a lot money to get deeper into Haine city where it’s actually nice.

Ridge community high school is not the only high school in Haines city! Haines city high school is right down the street from lake Eva and you failed to show or cover that.. ? SMH🤦🏾‍♂️