Huntsville vs Madison Schools (Auburn, Butler: relocating, travel, zoned)

[momto2girls]

Hi Guys! We are relocating to the Huntsville-Madison area next year and I am interested in hearing what you say about the differences in schools...Specifically Grissom vs Madison High school (Bob Jones?). Also, anyone with experience (good or bad) on Madison Academy?

Thanks!

Momto2girls

[Reactionary]

Grissom is one of the best high schools in the country. Bob Jones is one of the best high schools in the state (and ranks fairly high nationally). Either one is great - large enough to support a variety of programs, good parent participation, good demographics. Bob Jones has newer facilities. Both are a little crowded.

My little sister went to Madison Academy, but it's been a few years back - I think it's probably better now than it was then - and it was good then.

The best school in HSV is Randolph.

[zenjenn]

Grissom and Bob Jones are the top rated public schools in the area, and are I believe comparable. (If you value ratings, that is.) Other schools such as Huntsville High School rates well enough where I don't really think it is an appreciable difference. Grissom I can tell has an overcrowding problem.. I drive by it every day and there are portables out in front (not even in back), but people I know with kids at the school are happy with it. I have heard some say that due to the emphasis on "high performance" that many schools in HSV City Schools do not provide adequate services for kids with learning disabilities and such. I know there is a school downtown especially for children with dyslexia for example, because apparently the HSV City Schools just do not address the issue at all. (Kids are there on a temporary basis while they learn to manage the disability, with most getting mainstreamed back into public school after a time.) This is something I'm concerned with, my husband is dyslexic and I don't know there if there is a genetic component there. He is extremely academic and high functioning but wasn't at an early age. Dealing with the dyslexia appropriately at an early age was VITAL to his success.

I don't know much about Bob Jones High beyond the scores, but I dismissed Madison as a place to live because of poor road infrastructure and distance from things that are important to me (such as my synagogue and preschool of choice.) We have met many people who live in Madison who are happy with it and thrilled with the school system there. There are many extremely nice housing developments in Madison with beautiful homes, but I did not like the overall arrangement in terms of access to schools, shopping, etc.

Randolf that Reactionary mentions is touted to be an excellent school but it is private and will run you about $10k a year in tuition, per child.

[momto2girls]

I appreciate your replies.. I had read through the archives and know that the two schools are about the same academically...What I really want to know is what I can't see in rankings..is one school more "cliquish" (is that a word) or more "snob" mentality than the other? Its the social aspects you can't get from a website...I heard the rumor about Grissom and drugs- is it valid?

I know great things about randolph (and MA)- but is the extra $ really worth it? Just asking for opinions here..I went to a private school, but that was because the county school really stinked...are the city schools in Madison/huntsville "good enough?"

Thanks so much for your help!

momto2girls

[zenjenn]

Except for the issue with children with learning disabilities, I really havn't heard anyone say any of the schools at least here in South Huntsville are inadequate. I have yet to see myself.

Whether Randolph or whatnot is worth it to you.. of course that depends. I place a high value on education but a low value on academic prestige. I believe the world is full of wonderful opportunities to learn for students who are willing to listen and embrace a spirit of curiosity. As long as a school is safe and has competent staff, doesn't have abysmal scores or anything, clean and organized facilities, I am happy. I believe an enriching education will be supplemented by outside activities, books, religious education, community involvement, hobbies, and travel.

I have heard something of a rumor of a "snob" mentality at Grissom, but honestly coming from California I find that hard to believe. Kids here are so much more well-mannered, decently dressed, etc. But I suppose everything is relative. The house we are buying is zoned for Huntsville HS even though we are just as close or closer to Grissom, and honestly I couldn't care less. Of course we are also YEARS away from HS with our kids. But I've been told that while HSV might score slightly lower, it makes up for it with a more culturally diverse student population, being closer to the amenities of downtown, etc.

I can't see ever paying that kind of money for private school unless the public schools were unsafe, and even then I might consider homeschooling before shelling out that kind of money.

Drugs, I don't know anything about. I actually heard a comment the other day about drugs at Randolph. Who knows?

[knightofeffect]

While Randolph is considered the best school in HSV, the 10k price tag also brands it by far the snobbiest. In all my experience, regardless of whether the randolph kid was actually a snob, it was just assumed that he was by most public school kids.

Grissom is probably the most clique-ish high school in Huntsville proper, but it is big enough that there is a clique for most everybody, heh; however, naturally some clique are "cool" and you get a slight "snob" effect among the cliques.

Bob Jones is massive, but really doesn't have a snob problem due to the rate at which it grew and the variety of people that attend.

Grissom is definitly ahead of Bob Jones academically, but not by drastic measures. I had a couple of friends that graduated from Grissom who had no problems getting in both Stanford and Princeton. At Randolph, I hear going to such lofty college's is more of a common competiton than celebrated event.

[momto2girls]

I guess that I would probably lean toward BJ then. My push is not so much that my kids get into an Ivy league school, but that they grow up to be decent, happy human beings. I feel like the academics can come, but its the social skills that are hard to teach...jmo

I'm an Auburn grad, with a masters from Alabama and since I was the first in my family to go to college, I think Harvard would have been a bit of a shock! LOL

I have also found (having gone to a private school) that sometimes the "rich" kids have more money than parential interaction and that yes, drugs can be a problem. Please don't flame me, i know that is a gross oversimplification...but it seems like the socio-economically challenged and the very upper tier have more drug issues than those in the middle class yet with involved parents...maybe I am making it too simple...

I really appreicate all your responses!

momto2girls

[knightofeffect]

I have not heard of a drug problem at Bob Jones or Randolph for that matter. There was some talks about measures being taken at Grissom several years ago, but I believe it was due to the shear size that some drug control became a little harder to manage.

To equate your generalization a little: I think the situation is more that, in the middle class public schools drug use can become more widely encouraged due to the larger and more encompassing nature of the school community; while in upper-class private schools there is always going to be those one or two "bad kids" that do drugs and make them availible to whoever will fall in step with them, which in turn creates a clique of drug issues, but is never really acknowledged or accepted by a significant percentage. (This can also make the problem much harder to identify and address, especially for parents)

[momto2girls]

much better stated than what I wrote!

I just worry because the best way to know the actual ins and outs of a school is to actually live in the area- but i don't want to move my kids twice-I would really like this last move to be the final one (jobs permitting of course- i just don't want to move just because of schools)

Thanks!

[Reactionary]

I think Grissom and Bob Jones (or any school) have their share of cliquish (if it wasn't a word, it is now) or snobby people.

Drugs are available at all high schools and even middle schools. And it is a problem. Just not one that can be effectively addressed outside of your own family. I mean that school and police officials do what they can, but it is your child at risk and I generally wouldn't trust my family's well-being to Govt.

Some HSV and all Madison schools score pretty well on NCLB. IMO Randolph is 'worth it', if you can afford it and if your kid can get in. IMO Madison Academy is about the same level as GHS or BJHS - but with Bible class.

BTW, here's a thread with all Madison County elementary scores:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/alaba...grade-sat.html

zenjenn - Huntsville High only scores lower than Grissom because of the diversity you mention: HHS has a distinct statistical band of kids who score 90s and a distinct band of kids who score 60s. And those 'diverse' kids don't usually socialize with each other...

The diversity also brings on a diversity in drug problems - more affluent kids seem to use pot and prescription drugs, while less affluent kids seem to use pot and crack. For example, crack is a bigger problem at Butler, Johnson, and Lee than at Grissom.

FYI The Huntsville Times had their 3rd of 3 series on schools this past Sunday, part 1 - elementary, part 2 - middle, part 3 - high school.