May be Relocating to Holden Beach (Wilmington, Southport: elementary school, gated, living in)

[lisarn]

We are possiblly moving to Holden Beach. I am a nurse and wondering about local health care facilities in which to work. We have 2 kids, 11 and 8, who will most likely be going to public school. However, we might be able to afford Christian or Catholic school. Can anyone tell me about the hospitals and schools? The internet searches can only tell me so much. I need word of mouth!
Thanks.
Lisa

[gonetocarolina]

Originally Posted by lisarn

We are possiblly moving to Holden Beach. I am a nurse and wondering about local health care facilities in which to work. We have 2 kids, 11 and 8, who will most likely be going to public school. However, we might be able to afford Christian or Catholic school. Can anyone tell me about the hospitals and schools? The internet searches can only tell me so much. I need word of mouth!
Thanks.
Lisa

Hello Lisa,

I spent quite a bit of time, often and on, living in the Holden Beach area. Within about a 10 minute drive, you have Brunswick County Hospital. It's your average smaller city hospital. There is also Dosher in Southport, about 20 minutes or so away. There are two larger hospitals - the largest being New Hanover Regional, in Wilmington, about 40 minutes north - and also Grand Strand Medical Center in No. Myrtle Beach, about 45-60 minutes south.

There are also lots and lots of doctors offices and smaller clinics - with more seemingly popping up every day. Personally I feel this is due to the great influx of retiree-age people into the area. Those of that age-range tend to see the doctor more often than those younger. (duh)

To be quite honest, the public school system is not the greatest in Brunswick County. But that may be comparatively speaking - depending on what the schools are like where you are coming from. I have heard some better things about the Virginia Williamson Elementary School near Supply, which is relatively newly built. (Supply adjoins Holden Beach area )

I moved from West Virginia, where my then 9-yr-old daughter was a straight-A student and wonderfully adjusted. She was placed in Union Primary in Brunswick County. I had to take her out after 2 months because of constant ruckus with some of the other children who wanted to pick on her. They would get rough with her, and she hit them back - but never instigated. The school's curriculum was behind what she was doing in West Virginia, as well. I placed her in West Christian Academy - which I would highly recommend. It has a very, very small teacher-student ratio. She did wonderfully there - even better than in the WV schools. The teachers were very good, as I remember ( of course, that has been about 9 years ago). My daughter loved it - and to this day, talks about the great time she had at that school. It might be "dinky" by alot of people's standards - but if it still has the people it had back then - don't let it throw you. It was a really good school.

I'm pretty sure there are some other very small, Church-run schools in the area, as well.

Hope that helps a little,

[lisarn]

Thank you for the info!