Eugene/Springfield area public high schools (Dallas, Echo: appointed, section 8, home)

[haggardhouseelf]

I need to know more about the area high schools in Eugene and Springfield.

We currently have a student who attends 10th grade at Sheldon high school. SHeldon is supposed to be a great high school! We are disappointed with the offerings there, or lack of them I should say, and also are not happy with their block scheduling.

The other three high schools in Eugene - South Eugene, Churchill, and North Eugene - also all do block scheduling. Yet... each of the four high schools in Eugene do their own form of block scheduling.

It can get very confusing...

South Eugene and Sheldon both are having trouble giving students classes for each period. Sheldon High School just let 8 teachers go due to budget issues. For example - even though at Sheldon high school there are supposed to be 4 class periods each day for each term, my son is only able to get three classes on his schedule each term. No fourth period at all. On top of that, he only has two core classes for this entire year. All his other classes are electives. He's a Sophomore! This is a big red flag for us.

We have spoken to everyone - counselor, records person, scheduling person, etc; stood in line for 45 minutes three days in a row to speak with scheduling dept, and still they are unable to offer him a fourth period class.
The best they can do is tell us, "Talk to teachers to see if they need a TA."

When I called the other area public high schools in Eugene, South and Churchill said they also have that problem. They also have periods where they are not able to offer students classes. North Eugene didn't answer my question directly.

In fact - when I called North Eugene High School they were very abrupt on the phone and didn't want to talk at all. They were really rude on the phone, actually. They would not agree to give me a tour of the school so that I could check it out for myself in person. That was discouraging. Just from the phone conversation, I just did not get a very good feeling or impression about North Eugene at all.

Today I called Springfield High School. They were very helpful on the phone, very respectful and kind and patient with all my questions.

Springfield high school offers 6 or 7 classes per day. Students have their core classes every day all year. It follows the more traditional sort of schedule. They also have the highest number of College NOW classes in the county and the highest number of Industrial Ed classes (auto mechanics, drafting, etc.) in the state (according to the person I spoke with on the phone). Sheldon high school doesn't even offer auto mechanics or drafting, and the broadcasting and TV classes my son was interested in taking they've had to drop entirely because of budget cuts.

I am interested in checking Springfield high school out further... but you hear so many bad things about Springfield. "Springtucky" or "ghetto", etc. I am from Dallas, TX. I grew up going to school with Mexican kids and Black kids. I see racial diversity as a good thing. If that's all it is about Springfield, then that's no problem. But if it's more than that - gangs, violence, drugs, etc. - then I'd like to know more about that element if it's there. Is Springfield high school safe? Can it be a good, positive learning environment?

I'd love some input from others here who have some kind of familiarity with the high schools in our area. Thanks!

[soarswitheagles]

Sorry that I don't have any helpful information but I can tell you that I was at a client's today whose son attends Churchill and they are facing the same issues. He's only scheduled for three days a week. Crazy. Good Luck.

[haggardhouseelf]

Thanks for replying anyway, These Eugene boards don't seem to have many visitor's but I thought I'd give it a try anyway...

[1208]

Originally Posted by haggardhouseelf

I am interested in checking Springfield high school out further... but you hear so many bad things about Springfield. "Springtucky" or "ghetto", etc. I am from Dallas, TX. I grew up going to school with Mexican kids and Black kids. I see racial diversity as a good thing. If that's all it is about Springfield, then that's no problem. But if it's more than that - gangs, violence, drugs, etc. - then I'd like to know more about that element if it's there. Is Springfield high school safe? Can it be a good, positive learning environment?

I'd love some input from others here who have some kind of familiarity with the high schools in our area. Thanks!

Have you been to Springfield? I don't think it's the diversity that people complain about. I don't see how you can have a problem with West Eugene but like Springfield. On that note, don't forget about Willamette High off 99. Or Thurston.

[haggardhouseelf]

Parts of Springfield are beautiful. And our family actually prefers swimming at Willamalane community center over any of the Eugene community centers (Sheldon, Amazon, Echo Hollow...) though Sheldon is closer to where we live.

Sure there are areas of Springfield that we don't like, just as there are areas in Eugene that we don't like, but there are areas of both towns we do really like as well. I honestly don't feel like one town is better over the other. One town has higher taxes and a more uppity attitude and bigger ego over the other absolutely. But I think both towns offer great opportunities for families.

I'm not from Oregon, I have lived in four different states, have extended family all across America, was born and raised in DFW and went to three different high schools - two of which where white was the minority and it was common for classes to be taught in Spanish not because it was an Immersion program but out of necessity due to the student population. What I'm trying to explain is that I take a lot of the negative things people say about Springfield with a grain of salt, because who knows where those people are coming from and what experiences they have to compare things to. It's all relative to what you're used to and what you've grown up with.

Anyway - we know a few families with kids who attend Springfield High School and they have had a great experience so far.

I wish more people with actual experience of the different schools would respond. I'm still checking into the Bethel area high schools as well as Crow/Lorane/Applegate and Pleasanthill...

[1208]

well springfield is a lot poorer than eugene. it's not that much more diverse. i've heard the high school is ok but I'm pretty sure South and Sheldon are better in terms of funding and infrastructure although go with what fits your needs I guess.

[haggardhouseelf]

Yes - the average income is lower in Springfield than it is in Eugene. As are property taxes and home values. And, oddly enough, this helps the Springfield schools because they receive more federal funding because of it.

For example - our youngest son struggles with writing. Only two Eugene schools qualified for a special after school enrichment program that helped kids with writing - it was like an after school tutoring program. Our son did not attend either of those schools, unfortunately, and our school is in a higher income neighborhood so we were not able to take advantage of any special programs. Only students who attended those schools could utilize the program. He also did not qualify for an IEP so he did not get any help from the district for his writing struggles. We have to pay for tutoring out of our own pocket. Which is fine... but... Because Springfield schools receive more federal funding, more services are available to all families in the district.

It's one of those situations where the middle class keeps getting squeezed...

My family pays more taxes than lower income families - so why can't my children benefit from the same beneficial programs that lower income families may benefit from?

[1208]

yeah, why not move to the ghetto and get food stamps and section 8 while you're at it. Just pokin fun. I would think thered be a program where your son could attend these schools for a day and just sit in on classes and see how it works for him.

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by 1208

yeah, why not move to the ghetto and get food stamps and section 8 while you're at it. Just pokin fun. I would think thered be a program where your son could attend these schools for a day and just sit in on classes and see how it works for him.

LOL No I know what you mean. We spoke with Marist - private Catholic high school - and their tuition is about the same as what the state of Oregon spends each year on each student enrolled in public school - nearly $9K annually. (I think, actually, the state of Oregon spends more than that. And yet - they do a MUCH poorer job of educating the kids... which doesn't equate at all.)

Anyway - that's a little steep for us, though we might just have to bite the bullet and do it, but we applied for tuition reduction. A partial scholarship. Just to see what we would qualify for.

Nada. Zip. We were denied, because hubby makes too much money AND (this I find really odd) they say we contribute too much to our retirement accounts. (BTW - we are a single-income family. I'm a SAHM.)

So... we were jokingly talking like we should just like... divorce, work at Taco Bell... sell our cars... eat fast food and quit exercising so we gain too much weight and qualify for disability... (I want one of those scooters anyway...) and maybe acquire some kind of chemical dependency (I hear xanax is great...) and then need state-mandated rehab... then maybe rob a bank and become criminals so that our kids will qualify for all these great opportunities. I am joking. I am totally joking. But really...

I mean - even things as taken for granted as team sports. Kidsports offers scholarships to low-income families. We spend about $1200 a year just for team/club sports fees. $1200. If we were low-income that would go down to 0. We, the hard working law abiding middle class, are subsidizing the low-income families and I see and appreciate the humanity in that, but there are times when I wish the middle class would catch a break.

[1208]

Can't argue with that. I do know lots of people who graduated from Eugene high schools and went to on to high prestige colleges and are doing fine, so I think you may be worrying a little bit too much. As long as your kid is a good student with initiative he should do fine at one of the public schools, Sheldon and South probably being the best.