Anyone Buying/ building at Falcon Ridge by M/I Homes?

[muffinman]

PrecociousJewel---My mistake. I corrected my earlier post.

Don't have any experience with Ft. Mill. Could be like comparing apples to oranges because SC and NC are different in regards to curriculum, testing, etc.

Fort Mill is one of 4 sections of York County's school system.

York County, South Carolina SC - K-12 Schools, Education

Charlotte-Meck is a behemoth of a school system.

Sorry again for the confusion.

[PrecociousJewel]

Originally Posted by muffinman

PrecociousJewel---My mistake. I corrected my earlier post.

Don't have any experience with Ft. Mill. Could be like comparing apples to oranges because SC and NC are different in regards to curriculum, testing, etc.

Fort Mill is one of 4 sections of York County's school system.

York County, South Carolina SC - K-12 Schools, Education

Charlotte-Meck is a behemoth of a school system.

Sorry again for the confusion.

Thanks Muffinman, the change was noted. I'd made a mistake with the zip code in my post as well which I changed. This is just a thought because I'm relatively new to the US and it's school education system but is it possible for a student living so close to Fort Mill, SC but technically living in Steele Creek NC to go to school in Fort mill? I ask because they are so close together, the part that's close to lake wylie. We're thinking of buying a house in the area and saw the community we liked as well but am worried about the schools. I don't hear bad things but I don't hear great things about them as well.

[muffinman]

As far as I can tell, this would not be feasible. If someone knows how this works, perhaps they'll post. I'd be very interested to hear first hand account.

The public education system relies on tax revenue. Usually this revenue is property taxes assessed on homes. The schools in Fort Mill are paid for with tax revenues from Fort Mill, York County and South Carolina.

In addition, the idea is to be a resident of a county (I say county because most school systems are administered from the county level) before one can enroll in a school. Residents prove their status through electricity bills, builder contracts or other documents. I know of a situation where a family did not reside within the attendance area of a school and lied about it on the enrollment forms by giving a false address. Eventually they were found out and told to pay a weekly tuition fee. Other systems may have these fees but I don't think it's meant to be a long term/permanent solution.

Addresses are assigned to a specific school within the areas of a county, such as Mecklenburg or York County because the school can only hold so many students. There are methods for opting for a different school than the one designated for the residents of a county. However, alternate school sites may not have equivalent or better programs or may be overcrowded.

If someone could do this over a long period of time I'd think they'd have a difficult time with the following things

a. Busing - only available to those within the school system's boundaries and that means more car travel and more gasoline. The two areas you mention may not be that far away but the traffic patterns during peak hours make all the difference.
b. Voting - If you had a complaint about Ft. Mill's school board or other elected leaders, you couldn't do much if you lived outside the boundaries of that system.
c. Child development - A child would attend school with one group of children and see a different group of children at home. I would think it more positive to have consistency between school and home/neighborhood environments.

Again, maybe someone can offer more insight here. I hope my comments are of value.

[PrecociousJewel]

They most certainly are. Thank you.

I guess we have to weigh our choices now with the school systems. Although we did like the Falcon Ridge community, from what I read, the Fort Mill School system seems to be better than the ones in nearby Steel Creeke.

[Anigirli]

Precociousjewels I did see we sort of missed one another. Many families have bought in The Fort Mill school district for the good schools. I sent you some links for the schools you asked about. For example Chantilly Montessorri is a magnet school, so you don't have to live in the Chantilly neighborhood for your daughter to attend. They have a certain amount of spaces for kids from other areas who can also attend.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by PrecociousJewel

Thanks Muffinman, the change was noted. I'd made a mistake with the zip code in my post as well which I changed. This is just a thought because I'm relatively new to the US and it's school education system but is it possible for a student living so close to Fort Mill, SC but technically living in Steele Creek NC to go to school in Fort mill? I ask because they are so close together, the part that's close to lake wylie. We're thinking of buying a house in the area and saw the community we liked as well but am worried about the schools. I don't hear bad things but I don't hear great things about them as well.

I just copied this from another one of your postings:


I have children that attend Fort Mill Schools and I can tell you that the district is very strict when it comes to registering your children for school. You must reside within Fort Mill (or) Tega Cay either by renting or owning a home (and this does not include being in the process of purchasing a home...the sale must be complete).


Read the section Grappling with Growth
American School Board Journal: January 2007



There's also another article in the archives of Charlotte Observer regarding this matter if interested.

Article 5 of 205; 713 words
GROWTH IS A KEY REASON RESIDENCY IS IMPORTANT

Source: V. KEITH CALLICUTT, PH.D., SUPERINTENDENT, FORT MILL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
EDITOR'S NOTE: Superintendent Callicutt's columns appear in the Observer periodically. Within the Fort Mill School District, questions abound concerning the issue of residency as it relates to a student's ability to attend any of our district's schools. Why is the residency issue such a sensitive subject? To answer this question, one needs to look at the history of our school district. For years, the Fort Mill school district has been

Published on December 4, 2005, Page 9Y, Charlotte Observer, The (NC)

[PrecociousJewel]

Thanks Lovethecarolinas. The article made for interesting reading. This is something that we have to think about. I appreciate your feedback. Anigirli, thanks so much! I'll respond to your PM.

[taniamw]

I don't live in Falcon Ridge, but I have an M/I home in another neighborhood. We have been very happy with M/I. During the building process they let me request alot of special materials that weren't part of their regular selections.

[PrecociousJewel]

Thanks for the input Taniamw..we really liked the finish of their homes too and love that so many of their standard features are offered as upgrades by other builders in their price point. how long have you been living in an M/I home if you don't mind my asking?