Owens Cross Roads - Hidden Cove (Huntsville, Madison: 2011, house, transfer)

[Mistybader]

We really like a house in Hidden Cove in Owens Cross Roads. We may even put an offer on it next week. Does anyone know of anything about the subdivision that we might need to be aware of? We narrowed it down and we want to be in the Hampton Cove area of Huntsville. Mainly because I want new construction and I like to being close to downtown and Baily Cove and the Whitesburg area. All the homes in Hampton Cove Proper that we can afford need to be updated so we decided to buy in the Owens Cross Roads area across the way instead.

I am a little nervous about the new school they are building mainly because not knowing how it will effect zoning for middle and high school as well. Has anyone heard anything new about the school situation. I have a 3 1/2 year old so if what I am hearing is correct she should start kindergarten the year it opens.

[Charles]

Have you verified your target home is zoned for the new school (Huntsville City Schools)? There were two individuals who posted recently who thought they were in Madison School District and thought they were zoned to a specific school and it turns out they were not. Double check.

Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary school is expected to open Fall 2010.

If you are zoned for Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School then your kids will flow to Hampton Cove Middle School and Huntsville High School.

Hampton Cove Middle School is a Great Schools 10/10
Hampton Cove Middle School - Huntsville, Alabama - AL - School overview

Here's a video of Hampton Cove Middle School (right click, save as):
http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/dept/etv/Sc...on_Cove_MD.wmv


Huntsville High School is a Great Schools 9/10
Huntsville High School - Huntsville, Alabama - AL - School overview

Here's a video of Huntsville High School (right click, save as):
http://www.hsv.k12.al.us/dept/etv/Sc...ville_High.wmv


Board approves Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School | Breaking News from The Huntsville Times - al.com - al.com

Here are the site plan and elevation for the new elementary school:

http://blog.al.com/ht/2008/10/Big%20...Elevations.pdf
http://blog.al.com/ht/2008/10/Big%20...ite%20Plan.pdf

[zenjenn]

Those going to the new school (Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary School) will for the forseeable future be attending Hampton Cove Middle and Huntsville High. I don't believe there is any reason to think the new school won't be every bit as good as Hampton Cove - after all it will have a very similar demographic. Several teachers from Hampton Cove Elementary will be moving to the new elementary school next year, and according to my mother who was a teacher herself for 20+ years, that in these situations usually some of the best teachers and administrators are assigned to the new school as the district wants competent faculty on the job when it comes to getting a new school established and started on the right foot. Not to say there won't be growing pains (I think that's a given), but I for one am excited about the opportunity to be involved in the establishment of a new school. My youngest daughter will be starting Kindergarten next year so she'll be in the first group to go through all 6 years at the school!

Important note is that is that's not really Owens Cross Roads. The mailing address is OXR because of postal zones, but the land was annexed by the city of Huntsville, so it is still Huntsville.

I live in the "OXR" area and I love, love, love it as do all my neighbors. Many wanted to live in Hampton Cove proper originally, but now wouldn't move even if you offered them to trade up to a bigger house in HC for free.

[Mistybader]

Zenjenn that was my thinking on the new school. Will the school be open in Spring of next year or the next?

[zenjenn]

They are actually aiming towards next fall (Fall 2010), which is possible if weather doesn't make them lose too many construction days. If not, then the plan is for the following spring (Spring 2011). Basically kids in our zone will start at Hampton Cove in the fall, but will be placed in classrooms such that the kids will transfer with their classes and teacher to the new school, and thus be with the same teacher and classmates when they come back from Winter Break in January.

Some people are skeptical that they will be done by Spring 2011, as was I, but if you drive over there you'll see they have made an impressive amount of progress very recently. I don't see why they'd need more than a year.

[jwldcrisp]

I discovered this blog while doing a google search for Goldsmith elementary zoning lines. I didn't find the exact zoning (approximately divided by US 431), but thought this blog was interesting nonetheless...

Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School