Union county advice (Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius: wedding, best school, quality of life)

[FireJackie]

Can you please provide me with info on Union County in relation to the Huntersville area in Mecklenberg County? Schools, education, living and recreation. Also how far is it from each other?

Many Thanks

[marvinnative]

Originally Posted by FireJackie

Can you please provide me with info on Union County in relation to the Huntersville area in Mecklenberg County? Schools, education, living and recreation. Also how far is it from each other?

Many Thanks

Here are a couple of links to get you started on Union County:

Union County Schools
Union County Public Schools

Union County Government - Quality of Life
Quality of Life

[marvinnative]

Town of Huntersville
Town of Huntersville, North Carolina

[ugaillini]

We live in Cornelius (which is very close to Huntersville), and it takes us about an hour to get to Waxhaw and Stallings. When they finally finish the last section of 485 (which will hopefully be within the next few years, but who knows?) it wil probably cut the time down a little.

[FireJackie]

Which plasce would you recommended between the two areas and why?

[poeticjustice]

Mecklenburg County is having serious budget issues right now and are laying off hundreds of teachers. Union County schools are awesome!!!! Curriculum is very challenging.....as close to private school as you're going to get. Students learn a lot!!

[jordysmama]

Our children attended UCPS for four years. We did like it and found the gifted program they have to be exceptional. The school had great teachers. The elementary was just SOOO crowded. Unfortunately, a high population of ESL students were also hindering my first grader. He had six children in his class unable to read on a very basic level. Even a midway through the year some of these kiddos were struggling on even a conversational level. My son was reading at a 3.9 and was often stuck in the corner with a chapter book because the teacher had so many other kids who needed more help and instruction. Finally, we had to ask for him to go to a second grade classroom for reading as we thought he was not really growing as a reader, just staying stagnant. His teacher was great and really tried with what she had to work with. The UCPS will not recognize a 'gifted' student until third grade, so I kind of feel as if they may be missing out on those early lessons.

On the flip side, my oldest was a part of the AIG program and it was amazing. Very challenging, but not overwhelming for us. That resource is a huge positive.

Some UCPS do not have an issue with a booming ESL student population, ours just happened to and it will only get worse. Among the parents their was talk they would be taking $ from the AIG program to add resource ESL teachers, although that may not be true. We did not want to run the risk, so we moved on.

Weliked it, just do your research about the actual school.

*and I am not trying to offend anyone with the ESL talk, I am just stating it was a disadvantage for us*

[jlat]

Originally Posted by poeticjustice

Mecklenburg County is having serious budget issues right now and are laying off hundreds of teachers. Union County schools are awesome!!!! Curriculum is very challenging.....as close to private school as you're going to get. Students learn a lot!!

The budget issues will soon hit Union County as well. UCPS takes the biggiest piece of the pie in the county budget and the county has already reduced the schools budget by about $8 mil for next year, on top of what the state will take back. There's a very good chance, unless the BOC passes a significant property tax increase that there will be cut backs in the school system. Reality is about to hit the UC big time.

I have disagree with the comment about curriculum being challenging and the schools being close to private. That's a big stretch. I find that being just the opposite. The math curriculum in the elementary levels is just plain terrible. (google Trailblazers math) There's not a teacher in the system that likes teaching it. I suppose schools like Marvin Ridge, Weddington etc. are good schools but I don't think that has much to do with the school system other than the fat checks they write. There's a huge gap between schools in the western sector and schools in central Union and the eastern part of the county

[NCN]

http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/

[Carolinagal1995]

Mecklenburg-When my family moved to Charlotte in 1989 I was a junior in high school. My mom did all the research and placed me in the best school she could find in Meck. I was there a total of 3 days before she shelled out the cash for Providence Day school. It was the best money she ever spent. To my family $5800 in 1989 was a sacrifice. However, the public schools were the abyss. Kids smoking dope on campus and teachers at odds with each other. It was obvious that most of the teachers were facing burn out. The public schools in Mecklenburg Co. have not changed much.

Union County is supposed to have a very good school system. Porter Ridge and Sun Valley have great reputations. It is an unwritten rule, if you want good schools leave Mecklenburg County.