Douglas vs Arapahoe county schools (Denver, Aurora: apartment, condo, lawyers)

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Ask 10 people on the street - what is the best school district in CO and they will say Cherry Creek - without hesitation. It's a brand.

Yes, I understand that but it's got a reputation that continues to be a "brand" because it is a good school district. Your initial response implied that Cherry Creek's reputation has just been around a long time so everyone believes it. Levis is a brand too but that doesn't mean that after many years, they still aren't the perfect jeans.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

Finally, last Fall, there was a school bond/levy election. Schools needed money to pay for building improvements, classroom equipment and extra schools (to avoid overcrowding). CCSD's levy passed. Douglas County's failed. Currently, the school boards are trying to figure out a way to pay for the things they need. At last news conference, they were considering cutting the school week down to 4 days and combining the junior high and high school students on the same bus routes. With the state budget shortfall, the first thing to get cut is education. At our last PTA meeting, the school superintendent talked to us about how lucky we are that our bond/levy passed. Having a shortfall from the state AND no money from the bond/levy election is going to have some serious consequences for districts like Douglas County.

Don't forget that it's YOU who will make a difference in your kids' education. However, if your child is in a great school district which expects him to compete with kids around the country AND you are involved in their education, there is no limit to where they will go.

The first part of this post is the crux of the issue. DC has a lot of very conservative voters. They are also well-educated themselves, hence the high ratings for the schools. School ratings are directly proportional to the SES of the parents. That is a given. These kids would learn no matter what.

In 1988, Colorado passed the school finance equalization act. The intent of the law was to eliminate the disparity between "rich" and "poor" districts. The state gives more money to the poorer districts. There is a cap on how much rich districts can tax themselves. This act has worked imperfectly, but it has helped. I think that is one reason we don't have as many "bad" and "good" districts as they do in some other states.

Bond issues are for building schools and other facilities. They don't figure in to the state funding formulas. Mill levy "overrides" are votes to raise taxes within the limits allowed by the state. Also, Amendment 23, passed a few years ago, keeps state education monies at inflation plus 1%, so it is not true that the first thing cut is (K-12) education in a budget shortfall. Higher ed is taking a much bigger hit.

Here in the north metro area, Boulder Valley is highly regarded, in case you are thinking of looking north.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

Yes, I understand that but it's got a reputation that continues to be a "brand" because it is a good school district. Your initial response implied that Cherry Creek's reputation has just been around a long time so everyone believes it. Levis is a brand too but that doesn't mean that after many years, they still aren't the perfect jeans.

Levis might not be the best example. I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the last couple pairs I bought and from talking to others, the quality has definitely slipped from what they used to be. So it's definitely possible for a brand to ride a reputation earned years ago while failing to live up to it.

[rkb0305]

I don't know anything about Cherry Creek schools, but I live in Doug Co, and my oldest will start Kinder next year. I am very disappointed that the voters of Douglas County did not pass the school bond at the last election, so the district is looking at making major cuts next year. I think several districts around Denver are in the same boat. Just something else to consider.

[mczabe]

Originally Posted by Katiana

The first part of this post is the crux of the issue. DC has a lot of very conservative voters. They are also well-educated themselves, hence the high ratings for the schools. School ratings are directly proportional to the SES of the parents. That is a given. These kids would learn no matter what.

In 1988, Colorado passed the school finance equalization act. The intent of the law was to eliminate the disparity between "rich" and "poor" districts. The state gives more money to the poorer districts. There is a cap on how much rich districts can tax themselves. This act has worked imperfectly, but it has helped. I think that is one reason we don't have as many "bad" and "good" districts as they do in some other states.

Bond issues are for building schools and other facilities. They don't figure in to the state funding formulas. Mill levy "overrides" are votes to raise taxes within the limits allowed by the state. Also, Amendment 23, passed a few years ago, keeps state education monies at inflation plus 1%, so it is not true that the first thing cut is (K-12) education in a budget shortfall. Higher ed is taking a much bigger hit.

Here in the north metro area, Boulder Valley is highly regarded, in case you are thinking of looking north.

Thanks for this info. I was wondering why so many programs were seemingly "paying no price" when the bond didn't pass - seems to be mostly bus issues from what I've seen so far. But then, I'm focused on the elementary schools so the DC high schools may be more obviously hurting.
Your note helped explain part of that.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Levis might not be the best example. I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the last couple pairs I bought and from talking to others, the quality has definitely slipped from what they used to be. So it's definitely possible for a brand to ride a reputation earned years ago while failing to live up to it.

Ha! Well, I can only speak from personal experience and say that I've been wearing Levis since high school and they are still my tried and true jeans. I have about 8 pairs and stick with my 501s. I know they have a Levis store where you can get all kinds of specialty pairs, but I'm a traditional girl and don't mess with the classics.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by Katiana

The first part of this post is the crux of the issue. DC has a lot of very conservative voters. They are also well-educated themselves, hence the high ratings for the schools. School ratings are directly proportional to the SES of the parents. That is a given. These kids would learn no matter what.

You're right. The children are going to learn because their parents understand the value of an education (even if they vote against it). The pain is felt by the individual schools and their staff. As a member of my school's PTO, the amount of scrambling each year is exhausting. Who's going to move to a different grade, who's going to be in the portables, should Kindergartners get to go to art class, etc etc. I imagine the kids won't even know the difference (unless they cut the school week to 4 days or combine bus schedules), but the school staff will definitely notice.

I feel lucky that at least at our elementary school, there are "extras." The Kindergartners who aren't reading at grade level are given I-Pods (yep, I-pods) with their teacher going over sounds, letters, sight words, etc. The amount of improvement has been remarkable and it's a good possibility that their parents weren't going to do it, so their teacher will. Perhaps it's just a bonus, but I am glad that my elementary school daughter will have the opportunity to be in choir, marching band, international club, plus go to music, art, computer lab, etc. She will learn no matter what because I value education. What I find fortunate living in Cherry Creek SD are the extras she gets in addition to the 3 Rs.

[Moonwalkr]

To the OP: My kids are in CCSD, specifically Cottonwood Creek ES - Campus MS - Cherry Creek HS. While their education is top-notch, I do have to say that the parental involvement here is stellar likely due to SES. I can't speak for other school districts, so I only know what I've experienced (and some long-time posters here may be opinionated about some school districts despite the fact they nevere attended that system or been to one of their PTO meetings).

The OP noted that he is Korean-American, and I do have to say my kid's elementary school is about 85% caucasian and 13% Asian (you can look up the demographics of schools), so if you don't wish for diversity then this place is to your liking. I'm just throwing that out there because most of my Asian friends find comfort in larger Asian communities.

Oh, and I myself did fine in a tough 'urban' East coast school, with a good early foundation and guidance.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by Jeedad

What is important for my family, especially for my children may be an environment with more diversities and cultural experiences since they were born and raised in northern CA.

The state of Colorado (Denver in particular) is not that diverse. The heavy majority of its population is white. Like every city in America, there are also "pockets" of ethnic minorities who tend to live in the same area. That being said, the area I live in has schools that boast that they have the same diversity as the rest of the US. My daughter's Kindergarten class has quite a few children from Africa and the Middle East as well as a few Eastern Europeans. We're in CCSD. Next week, our elementary school is hosting their annual Cultural Fair where kids from different ethnic groups get to make booths with information, art, food, whatever they like. There was such a high demand for space that they actually had to combine kids into the same booths.

For me, the key in deciding on a decent place to live is the economic level of those in your neighborhood. I knew that I didn't want to live in a "rich" area because I don't want my kids thinking that a new car and a Dooney & Burke $400 purse are "rights of passage" when they turn 16. I also know that in economically poor areas, there tends to be a higher crime rate and poorly performing schools. We live in a distinctly middle class area. With that comes those who can afford nicer things and those who are just getting by. It also means that many of us have seen the benefits of education (either because we have one or we realize we should have pursued one) and therefore are more involved in what our children are learning.

[ramanboy33]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

The state of Colorado (Denver in particular) is not that diverse. The heavy majority of its population is white.

Denver (proper, not metro) is a minority majority city. In other words, it's less than half white.