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We've been in the Marvin Ridge district for 3 years (our 2 girls are in elementary school) and we are dejected by the complete lack of diversity. We are white and not poor (not rich)...but our low $400K house is near the bottom of house value for the district and we are looked at as the "poor folk" of Marvin Ridge. We feel like our kids are not getting a well-rounded life experience (not to mention have a complete lack of appreciation for what they do have) and are looking to move towards a more diverse school district. I grew up solidly middle class in a lower-middle class are and feel like that cultural awareness helped immensely. We are viewing culture as more than just race...moreso along income, culture, heritage, etc, and there's just not much of that in Marvin Ridge.
All that said, we're looking to move up into the South Meck/Myers Park area and had a few questions on the schools. We're looking for a place where our children can achieve from an AP standpoint, while still fitting in with the non-AP student population.
- Why is Quail Hollow Middle school rated so low? Should we avoid places like Quail Hollow estates and only focus on Carmel & Alexander Graham Middle school?
- I've heard good and bad about Myers Park. Some say it's a great school, and others say the police show up at least once a week. This is concerning. Conversely, we've seen nothing but wonderful things written about South Meck on here. Is it purely based on expectation? (people build up South Meck b/c it's historically rated lower, and tear down Myers Park because it's historically rated higher?)
- We're between Quail Hollow/Park Crossing, Beverly Woods/Carmel, Olde Providence, and Sherwood Forest/Cotswold. Any thoughts advice on crime, safety, allowing mid-elementary aged kids to go out and play in the street on their own safely in those areas is greatly appreciated.
And if y'all think we're just crazy to give up the reputation of Marvin Ridge to give our kids a more balance cultural experience, we're open to hearing those opinions too. We're quite torn on whether to move or not.
The Carmel middle school neighborhoods are quiet. I lived over in the apartments at Quail Hollow on Carmel for a while. If you can get a house there do it. I'm hoping to get back in the area with a house but for just me it's expensive. The traffic is ok there is a plaza with a grocery store but otherwise not a heavy flow of cars. The mall is a few miles up the road if you like that one. Either side of Carmel north of Quail Hollow is a good place for a house.
I personally like the neighborhood's in the Beverly Woods Elementary zone. From Montibello, Quail View, Carmel Valley, Kingswood, Rockbridge, Belingrath, Sharon Hills, Beverly Woods, etc... you have many beautiful and established neighborhoods lined in mature oaks. The location is great for these neighbohoods too as you are between Uptown and Ballantyne, and at the doorstep to SouthPark.
I really like the Cotswold area as well. It is gaining value rapidly due to its choice location though.
My kids are at a well regarded magnet school with a middle school track, but I've been exploring Quail Hollow because they will actually have better opportunities for extracurriculars and honors courses there. I recommend that you go to a meeting or two and get a feel for it. Go to a tour, but more importantly: go to meetings that are for current parents and talk to them. The website is kept up to date on those. They don't track the numbers anymore, but QH was ~70% free and reduced lunch the last time they did. You typically get lower test scores with that. Scores have been improving. For me, I have a favorable impression of the principal. She's aware of the reputation, but seems energetic and committed. The parents I talked to were open about their reservations beforehand, but were happy with the experience their kids were having. One of the mothers said the worst part was the teasing that her son got at his "better" elementary school because he had to go to "that" school. I would feel comfortable sending my (middle class, high achieving) children there.
Love Park Crossing. Packs of roaming children, no cut through streets.
We thought of moving up into Charlotte last year, we even got our house close to ready to put on the market.
Here is what held us back:
It is MORE EXPENSIVE to live up in Meck. County!
We are on a well, so $0 water bill
Tax increases would be around $150-$200/mo for property taxes
So monthly bills would go up, but also, the houses are more expensive up there. We were looking at a significant downsizing.
I get the diversity thing. I really do, and not all my kids are caucasian.
But we will stay here either until my youngest graduates OR until we move out of state,whichever comes first. We are currently looking at moving out of state, but that isn't because of MR.
Re: South Meck v. Myers Park, I think what you read on here or hear in the community speaks to how nebulous the concept of school reputations are in CMS. Some people live and die by test scores, and some people rely on reputations that are rooted in the past, and sometimes those manage to be the same people, and of course most people are partial to the one that they've had actual experience in. You may decide that you're open to homes in either one. Myers Park has the IB program in addition to AP. Not all kids are suited to it, but it seems like a great program if they are.
28226 is a good zip code to look in. I lived there with somebody but don't anymore and have been trying to get back. 1 bedroom apartments are pretty high and getting a house seems like the better choice if I can find one at a decent price. That's been tough because the neighborhoods are nice and I can't afford nice.
We've been in the Marvin Ridge district for 3 years (our 2 girls are in elementary school) and we are dejected by the complete lack of diversity. We are white and not poor (not rich)...but our low $400K house is near the bottom of house value for the district and we are looked at as the "poor folk" of Marvin Ridge. We feel like our kids are not getting a well-rounded life experience (not to mention have a complete lack of appreciation for what they do have) and are looking to move towards a more diverse school district. I grew up solidly middle class in a lower-middle class are and feel like that cultural awareness helped immensely. We are viewing culture as more than just race...moreso along income, culture, heritage, etc, and there's just not much of that in Marvin Ridge.
All that said, we're looking to move up into the South Meck/Myers Park area and had a few questions on the schools. We're looking for a place where our children can achieve from an AP standpoint, while still fitting in with the non-AP student population.
- Why is Quail Hollow Middle school rated so low? Should we avoid places like Quail Hollow estates and only focus on Carmel & Alexander Graham Middle school?
- I've heard good and bad about Myers Park. Some say it's a great school, and others say the police show up at least once a week. This is concerning. Conversely, we've seen nothing but wonderful things written about South Meck on here. Is it purely based on expectation? (people build up South Meck b/c it's historically rated lower, and tear down Myers Park because it's historically rated higher?)
- We're between Quail Hollow/Park Crossing, Beverly Woods/Carmel, Olde Providence, and Sherwood Forest/Cotswold. Any thoughts advice on crime, safety, allowing mid-elementary aged kids to go out and play in the street on their own safely in those areas is greatly appreciated.
And if y'all think we're just crazy to give up the reputation of Marvin Ridge to give our kids a more balance cultural experience, we're open to hearing those opinions too. We're quite torn on whether to move or not.
Thanks.
Who your kids will become depends a lot on what they see happens at home, why would you think a good neighborhood will make them disregard the less fortunate?
They are your kids after all and since you seem to acknowledge that there is a large diversity in the world, so will your kids.
I would not worry, many good parents wish to be in your shoes.
Yes. Who they become is what they experience at home. What they know is also heavily based on what they experience both at school and in their social circles, and down here it feels like it's hard to for them to get a more representative view of what America really is like.
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