RTP area of NC

[stormi65]

I think Louisburg is in Franklin county.

 

[kellyann]

For anyone still wondering about Wake County schools, there was an article in The News and Observer today. They are going to reassign 10,000 children for the next school year. You can find the article at:
http://newsandobserver.com/front/story/3178628p-2863428c.html

The article talks about Smith Elementary in Garner being the highest poverty school in the county. This is the school our neighborhood is assigned to. This is because they had hoped to bring the level down by assigning us to that school because we are considered a more "affluent" neighborhood. No one in our neighborhood goes there, all the children either go to private schools or a year round. So, instead of lowering the poverty level, it has actually increased at this school. This is just another example of this crazy county school system! The number of high poverty schools has also increased. So much for economic diversity.

 

[onecoolmama]

Kellyann,

Thanks for the post. Yes, I realized that Smith School wasn't great from a different website. However, Cleveland school in Johnston county seems to be doing ok and the neighborhood kids go there...for now anyway. I really hope they work this school system thing out. Between that and the job market, Raleigh is not looking so great!

What a mess for all for your kids. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. The kids and the parents..it is tough. I know how hard it is to be thrown into a system that is trying all different techniques to try to even things out. My cousin was in a class in Virginia that tried on her class..to spell the word as it sounds rather then trying to memorize the word. Well, my cousin can't spell at all. But again, not her fault...she was a part of an experiment that went wrong...just as your kids are with this bussing for money system.

One would think that all the money they are wasting on gas and bussing and the time spending researching what kids will go to what schools that has got to be enough money to help two or three of the lowest income schools. Even raising property taxes half a percent through the whole county..that would be at least one or two more. I dunno, I am not in government and i dont know anything about county budgeting...but there has got to be a better way.

Anyway, thanks for the post. As I said before I will be down there on Sunday to get the big Want Ads section of the paper! At least it will be one more parent to help picket this crazy bussing system!!!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just spent 2 days in Cary, NC with SIL and her family. She lives in a neighborhood called Fox Hunt or Hunt Club or something. She said people in Cary would know neighborhood from neighborhood. They bought in 1993 and it was the outskirts, now they are surrounded. It is a nice 4 BR on a crawl on a cul-de-sac--but almost every street in that area is a cul-de-sac!
My niece (4th grade) and nephew (1st grade) go to year-round school. They are currently out until 1/26. I asked SIL about the things I had read about reassignment. She said Allison would be grandfathered for 5th grade, and they would probably be able to keep Zack with her for that year, but after that Zack could go anywhere. It doesn't really matter IMHO because year-round schools only go to 8th grade--after that they will have the traditional calendar.
The kids in their neighborhood all go to Morrisville Elementary (I don't remember which year-round Allie and Zack themselves go to). No one else by them goes to year-round. Allison won the lottery and then, as previous posters have mentioned, they let Zack in as well.
She has a very nice neighborhood with a walking trail to a complex with a pool and park. It also has a trail to a much bigger park with ball diamonds, etc. They have a swim team just for their subdivision! Her dues for the association are $35 a month. She thinks it is reasonable--I pay that for a whole year and I'm not a big association fan, but she thinks the association keeps things nice, plus the upkeep on the park, pool, clubhouse, etc. She says some subdivisions pay hundreds more a year for dues. She used to work out of her home on computers but is now a SAHM--her husband works for John Deere.
We did have fun there, we went to a Carolina Hurricanes game (nosebleed section, $12 a ticket) and stayed at a nice Comfort Suites. The weather was also nice, although she said they have at least one ice storm a year and the occasional hurricane. One thing she did mention was when my DD was talking about the Christmas song she sang at school, she said there would be an uproar if someone did a Christmas song at a school there. She is catholic and her husband is jewish, so my niece and nephew are being raised jewish, although they also celebrate Christmas (believe me I had fun explaining that to my 8 year old). They are a little overly PC, IMHO. But I imagine there is a lot more diversity in a big, booming town than my little suburb.
And just a side note--we took a walk with them on Sunday 12/28 because it was just gorgeous and 60 outside--they have a golden retriever, although they got him when they lived in NY--I never saw so many other golden retrievers in my life! DH was joking that when you move into Cary, the welcome wagon brings you a golden retriever puppy! Which would be OK with me since we have a golden too.
Robin M.

 

[2bemarried]

Robin sounds like you had a wonderful stay here. The weather was PERFECT for it!!! Believe me...the cold front will be hitting us tomorrow morning and the high will be around 48 compared to 74 today. I believe her subdivision is a couple miles from ours. I haven't seen many golden's in our neighborhood. So funny at the difference between the two. I don't have kids but I'll do some snooping tomorrow at work and find out what coworkers who have kids in the Cary schools think of the "PC policies".

 

[cynsaun]

Hi!,

I am very new to this site, lured by all the talk about Wake County Schools. My husband and I have lived here for 4 very LONG years, and we are looking forward to moving to New England as soon as possible.

We lived in Cary for three years, but moved we moved just outside the Cary limits to a one-acre home almost a year ago. When we were looking to move four years ago, we did all the research, and thought we were making the best decision moving to Cary. The school that our oldest child first went to here had really great scores; unfortunately, these scores were outdated. The school was horrible!!!

My children (2nd and 4th grades) were lucky enough to get into year round school. Although my children are attending an excellent school, I fear for the outcome of next year. We, too, received our assignment papers stating that our school assignments were "to be determined", and we have heard that more than half the students at our school are facing reassignment. Even if my children "survive" the reassignment, most of their friends will be moved to another school.

I actually laughed out loud when Money Magazine voted Cary the number one place to live in the Southeast. If you ask most people here, it is not all that it is cracked up to be. Sure it's very beautiful and the weather is nice--we were wearing shorts two days ago!!--but when you add in the school factor, it's a different story.

The ideas regarding "diversity" that the Wake County School system push are not only outdated but ridiculous. They force children to go to schools that are sometimes a 45 minute bus ride each way, some even have to get on the bus at 6:45 in the morning!!

Anyway, there is a group here called ABC--Assignment By Choice. This is a big (and growing bigger by the day!!) group of parents fighting to keep our children in their neighborhood school. Unfortunately, during the last election, most of the school board members were re-elected, so I personally don't expect much change.

Although we will be paying much higher property taxes when we move north, we feel it is worth it to have higher education standards for our children, not to mention a neighborhood school.

 

[cynsaun]

My oldest was in the fourth grade choir and at their holiday program, they did sing some religious songs.

And, we do have a golden retriever--Duke. We have had him for 10 years, and yes, he's named after the university. My husband is an alumni of Duke, and he is from New Jersey (the comment that Duke is the University of New Jersey at Durham!!)

 

[onecoolmama]

I have a Golden too. His name is Gonchar (named after a Washingtron Captial Hockey player.) And, while i was highly impressed with the area...the school situation has me rethinking Wake County. If we decide to move there, we will have to pick another county to live in...and yes, I will still join the ABC to help the rest of you! I feel that something has to give for all of you...that is NUTS! Please keep us all updated on if all your kids get reassigned or not. I really am hoping for all of you that it all works out. In the meantime...Clayton is going to have to do..or the part of Garner that is zoned for Clevland Elementry.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

cynsaun,

Welcome to The Dis!

Lori

 

[cynsaun]

Thanks Lori!

 

[cynsaun]

Onecoolmama,

Yes, we were quite taken with the area when we first saw it, too!

We should be finding out the reassignment results mid-January. Keep your fingers crossed!