Cerros de Gurabo is one of the nicest residential areas of Santiago. Typical of Dominican cities, the entire neighborhood is divided into smaller neighborhoods all named "something" Gurabo and a number at the end (ie. Cerros de Gurabo I, Cerros de Gurabo II, etc).
Safety, eh, its safer than most neighborhoods, BUT you need to take the normal simple precautions and use common sense. Plus, keep in mind that while much of Santiago has a feeling of a provincial town, its the epicenter of a region that has around 1 million people; so while it may feel at times like a small town... its not.
Gurabo is the eastern part of the city (east of the Sadhala Avenue) and the most desirable stores, the Centro Cibao Internacional mall is located nearby, fast food franchises, etc. It's the nicer part of the city, so obviously businesses that cater to the moneyed class are scattered in the area, especially on the Juan Pablo Duarte Avenue and on shopping plazas along Sadhala Avenue.
The neighborhood has a more suburban feel, but certain parts are becoming comercialized.
Regarding schools, I'll let someone who lives there to answer that one.
My response comes from my own experience with Santiago since I grew up not too far away from the city and I still got family members and acquaintances who live in Santiago as well.
Good luck!
-NALs