How do you get your child enrolled at a school you're not zoned for? (Madison: to rent, neighborhood)

[33458]

Originally Posted by Charles

Zip code zones and city limits aren't necessarily the same. I live in Huntsville but my zip code zone maps to Owens Crossroads. It's fun when I order stuff online and I enter Huntsville for city and 35763 and I get the big nasty, condescending red block letters: "Invalid zip code and city combination".

That happens to me, too. 35811 is both Huntsville and Madison, so I often get the neurotic red text...

OP. We sympathize with you. But where I moved from they already had the MEGA Gang-busting, uber PC dress codes you speak of in place, so I expected such silliness here and was glad when there wasn't quite as much of it. Untucked shirts can hide weapons as well as look slovenly...two birds, there.
(I don't have a problem with dress codes, only when the rules are ridiculous, like her 'jacket' example. Members Only for EVERYONE!)

I just showed my age. Dinosaur.

If you are stuck with that school, I would suggest getting a thorough explanation of things like winter coats and accessories...some won't allow hats, gloves, scarves. Back packs...last I heard it was all about the clear plastic, everybody had to be translucent. None at all? (well, I never used one, had a book strap and a purse...but purses are sketchy now, too.)

[vanllabean81]

Desegregation? That makes no sense. My child is the minority there, so how exactly is this supposed to work. It isn't mixed at all, not even close. I'd say 90%.

[financelife]

Originally Posted by vanllabean81

Okay, now I'm confused. Are you saying I could have a Madison address, but really live in Huntsville? Why the hell would that be, I mean I know I'm in Alabama, but...never mind. Sorry, but I'm getting super annoyed with retarded zoning crap everywhere I go. We just came from Raleigh, where my son's bus picked him up at 6:15am to bus him over 11 miles away to school. Very good school, but unneccessary. Well, I'm new to Alabama, so how the heck am I supposed to know if my address, which says Madison, is actually Huntsville? Arch Street apartments is where I'm at, so can anyone answer this question for me. I would never have even considered that my address could be "wrong." Ridiculous. Grrrrr.

It's like that in many places. School ZONING doesn't necessarily have to do with the postal service's zip codes. And you have to understand that there is always some annexation going on ever so often, so zones change. And your mail can say Madison or Huntsville for your exact location, and the Post Office doesn't care because they know where you are and just let it slide. However, officially, you live in Huntsville and pay Huntsville taxes, and you are zoned for Huntsville City Schools.

Usually people find out what school district they are in BEFORE they buy a home or rent an apartment. And sorry that we all can't have a school that is directly on the other side of the street we live on here in Alabama. A true tragedy.

[vanllabean81]

Originally Posted by financelife

It's like that in many places. School ZONING doesn't necessarily have to do with the postal service's zip codes. And you have to understand that there is always some annexation going on ever so often, so zones change. And your mail can say Madison or Huntsville for your exact location, and the Post Office doesn't care because they know where you are and just let it slide. However, officially, you live in Huntsville and pay Huntsville taxes, and you are zoned for Huntsville City Schools.

Usually people find out what school district they are in BEFORE they buy a home or rent an apartment. And sorry that we all can't have a school that is directly on the other side of the street we live on here in Alabama. A true tragedy.

I did know which school he would be attending before we moved here. I had just heard better things about it.

[vanllabean81]

Originally Posted by financelife

It's like that in many places. School ZONING doesn't necessarily have to do with the postal service's zip codes. And you have to understand that there is always some annexation going on ever so often, so zones change. And your mail can say Madison or Huntsville for your exact location, and the Post Office doesn't care because they know where you are and just let it slide. However, officially, you live in Huntsville and pay Huntsville taxes, and you are zoned for Huntsville City Schools.

Usually people find out what school district they are in BEFORE they buy a home or rent an apartment. And sorry that we all can't have a school that is directly on the other side of the street we live on here in Alabama. A true tragedy.

Oh, and most people DO have a school directly on the other side of the street - they're just not zoned for it.

[Mawoods]

This is not a n issue that is limited to AL. As stated, school zonings can be quite different from the post office in other areas that I have lived in. That is because everything sort of blends together in developement. And here I have a Gurley address out of the post office there but live in the Huntsville city limits, so Huntsville schools. It is strange but again, when you look to buy make sure you know what the school district is and research the schools. It would be an ideal world if we could all go to neighborhood schools but we unfortunately do not live in an ideal world.

[financelife]

Originally Posted by vanllabean81

Desegregation? That makes no sense. My child is the minority there, so how exactly is this supposed to work. It isn't mixed at all, not even close. I'd say 90%.

First, there are school zones. So whomever the 90% represent, they probably live in the school zone. Your child lives in that zone as well.

Now, let's say your child is white, and you wanted to transfer to another school in another zone. Your only options are to transfer to another school where whites are a minority.

If your child is asian, then you could probably transfer to any school since asians are a minority anywhere in Huntsville. If your child is black, then you can transfer to a school where blacks are a minority. The idea is to help with desegregation if parents choose so, but most of the time parents will choose the school they're zoned for because they don't want to drive 10-20 miles just to drop off and pick up their child everyday.

[Mawoods]

By the way, did the apartment management tell you what school and their reputation? They didn't have your child's best interest - just wanted to rent. I don't know anything about the school but I do know that unless I see it in writing and talk personally to many I don't trust what they would tell me. Now if they misled you, could you get out of your lease? You might be able to make a case. yell loud enough and get some results?

[vanllabean81]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

By the way, did the apartment management tell you what school and their reputation? They didn't have your child's best interest - just wanted to rent. I don't know anything about the school but I do know that unless I see it in writing and talk personally to many I don't trust what they would tell me. Now if they misled you, could you get out of your lease? You might be able to make a case. yell loud enough and get some results?

No, the apartments didn't tell me any details about the school. I'm not sure that they're allowed to. But I had heard that it was a good school from other sources. And I'm not saying that it isn't. I'm just a little concerned academically, for the reasons stated in my first post. However, on the bright side, my son has moved around a lot, and he is shy, and finds it difficult to make friends sometimes. But here, he is pretty comfortable and seems to find the children friendly, for the most part. So although academics are very important to me, his social development is equally important, especially since I feel like he hasn't been able to make many friends at our last home. So if the children here are nice and he feels comfortable making friends with them, then at this point, I think it would be worth it to stay at Providence for the next two years. If I feel they are behind in math or whatnot, I can always teach him a little at home as well.

[financelife]

Originally Posted by vanllabean81

No, the apartments didn't tell me any details about the school. I'm not sure that they're allowed to. But I had heard that it was a good school from other sources. And I'm not saying that it isn't. I'm just a little concerned academically, for the reasons stated in my first post. However, on the bright side, my son has moved around a lot, and he is shy, and finds it difficult to make friends sometimes. But here, he is pretty comfortable and seems to find the children friendly, for the most part. So although academics are very important to me, his social development is equally important, especially since I feel like he hasn't been able to make many friends at our last home. So if the children here are nice and he feels comfortable making friends with them, then at this point, I think it would be worth it to stay at Providence for the next two years. If I feel they are behind in math or whatnot, I can always teach him a little at home as well.

Good to see you've calmed down, and are taking a proactive approach. Having friends will be good for your son, and it will boost his confidence and give him motivation to compete academically with his peers.