Madison/Huntsville (estate, house, employment)

[Reactionary]

Charles, then I apologize. Your comment just struck a nerve and I went off. I can't stand people who move here for a better quality of life, then immediately want to change us to what they left (which may have been trashed by the same policies they promote). Again, sorry to misinterpret your comment.

The low property taxes do mean that fewer services are available. HSV and Madison both pay a higher millage for schools than unincorporated Madison County. State and local sales taxes usually total about 7% - 9%, including groceries (although the Legislature is looking at removing State sales tax on groceries.

This might be a good time to point out that Alabama is a conservative place. More than half the state is dry. Also no lottery, no casinos, no sex toys. The State Constitution Defense of Marriage Amendment passed by almost 90% of the vote. The State 'Forever Wild' Land Trust passed by about the same margin. We use the Death Penalty. People like guns.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

Charles, then I apologize. Your comment just struck a nerve and I went off. I can't stand people who move here for a better quality of life, then immediately want to change us to what they left (which may have been trashed by the same policies they promote). Again, sorry to misinterpret your comment.

The low property taxes do mean that fewer services are available. HSV and Madison both pay a higher millage for schools than unincorporated Madison County. State and local sales taxes usually total about 7% - 9%, including groceries (although the Legislature is looking at removing State sales tax on groceries.

This might be a good time to point out that Alabama is a conservative place. More than half the state is dry. Also no lottery, no casinos, no sex toys. The State Constitution Defense of Marriage Amendment passed by almost 90% of the vote. The State 'Forever Wild' Land Trust passed by about the same margin. We use the Death Penalty. People like guns.

No problem. I completely understand how you feel. And the last thing I want to do is come across like "You do it this way here...well back in [wherever] we did it this way...."

I'm with you guys. It's very likely we will be moving there. I have nothing but positive feelings for and experiences in Huntsville; That's why we're taking this so seriously.

[Huntsville_secede]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

This makes absolutely no sense. School spending in HSV doesn't appear to be broken, why raise taxes? You're not making friends with statements like that; you certainly won't make friends here IRL with an attitude like that. You point to broken systems and say that's how we should be? No way.

I've mentioned to you in other threads that given an opportunity to vote on taxes, Alabama residents vote NO.

And Alabamians certainly don't want some outsider moving here telling us how to fix something that ain't broke.

Actually there is a problem with overcrowding in certain schools, with all the BRAC people moving here they are going to have to find some way to fund new school construction. I know people fear taxes being raised but its unacceptable for school zones in the county like Sparkman's (middle school or elementary school on Jeff) to have more than 10 trailers in the county with the second highest income in the state, only trailing Shelby by the way which is a county made up entirely of Birmingham's wealthier suburbs. Sparkman had to build an entire new high school just for the 9th grade and its still too crowded there

There are crowding issues at other schools in the county where growth is like Buckhorn, and the middle and elementary schools in NE Madison County. Madison city will experience this overcrowding problem too if new schools aren't built. They are planning a new high school on County Line road in Limestone though now.

Hopefully Huntsville will be able to keep up with its projected growth and do a better job of tackling school and road construction in the future.

[NicoleC]

Huntsville is also closing and merging schools for lack of students -- the problem isn't not having enough schools or teachers.

[Huntsville_secede]

Originally Posted by NicoleC

Huntsville is also closing and merging schools for lack of students -- the problem isn't not having enough schools or teachers.

Yeah I agree with this statement concerning Huntsville city limits, but for the most part it doesn't get much new growth except in Jones Valley/Hampton Cove and West Huntsville in the Columbia school district. Most of the growth is occurring in the County and Madison so thats where you would see the most visible problems with school problems. I'm pretty sure they aren't closing many schools in Harvest/Monrovia Madison area or Buckhorn or in the growing Merdianville/Hazel Green of the county for lack of students its mostly the schools in areas that are less likely to see new students. They have had to adjust the grades in schools like Sparkman Middle and Monrovia elementary and even Bob Jones and Liberty Middle in order to accommodate overcrowding in some schools. I just don't think more than 10 trailers is acceptable for a middle school like Monrovia Middle School or Monrovia Elementary school, or any trailers at all for that matter. Classrooms at Sparkman High typically have had 40 students in a classroom in the past. But like I said before they have been making progress in addressing some of these problems. Alabama just needs to greatly improve its educational system, I don't think people should be content with being 2nd to last in education in the entire United States, although Huntsville's schools are much better than a lot of other places in Alabama.

[Reactionary]

Huntsville_secede - you're right about the County schools. But the County voters continue to vote down tax increases. Huntsville taxes at 58 mills, Madison taxes at 57.5 mills, Madison County taxes at 36.5 mills.

Huntsville: Community Profile

NicoleC - HSV is fixing to think about talking about school consolidation

Huntsville City Schools (school - capacity%)

Schools with more empty chairs than kids:

Academy for Science and Foreign Language (44%)
Butler High School (35%)
Chaffee ES (47%)
Davis Hills MS (45%)
East Clinton ES (33%)
Lee High School (49%)
Morris ES (42%)
Ridgecrest ES (48%)
Rolling Hills ES (44%)
Stone MS (35%)
Terry Heights ES (40%)
Westlawn MS (27%)
West Huntsville ES (41%)
West Mastin lake ES (39%)

Schools with more kids than chairs (at overcapacity):

Columbia and New Century HS (101%)
Grissom HS (140%)
Hampton Cove ES and MS (110%)

Schools at capacity:

Blossomwood ES, Huntsville HS, Monte Sano ES, Providence ES and MS.

[Mariafromny]

Hi OCCASPARKY,
Just wondering--did you accept the job at brownsferry & did you find a house? If so where and how is your commute. We should be down next week house hunting as my husband has been offered a job with TVA also.
Thank You

[TimG]

Hi All,

What an interesting thread discussing a wide variety of topics!!! We are considering building a new home (have never done that before) so we are in the process of shopping for a neighborhood and a lot.

We moved to Huntsville 7 yrs ago from Seattle, WA for employment reasons (yes I am an Engineer lol) and bought a home in Madison. We have been very happy with our decision. We have two daughters (15/21) and they have adjusted well.

Coming from Seattle it is true that Huntsville (perhaps to a lesser extent than the rest of the state) is very conservative in its politics and religion. I will never forget one incident during our house hunt trip when my oldest (then 14) in utter surprise and with great volume explained, "Oh my God, that's a Church!!!" ...Coming from a community with small neighborhood Churches she had never seen the "Mega Sized Church" phenomena. ...Welcome to the Bible Belt I said with a chuckle. Nevertheless, our experience has not been one of people being in your face, although I am sure that it happens. Overall it was not a huge cultural adjustment for us but might be for others.

We have been happy with the Madison schools although Bob Jones is quite large and the city does need an additional high school. Schools are funded with property tax and sales tax. Our property tax in Seattle was ~$5700 and $2100 here with a larger home here in Alabama. I received a blog post the other day in my Google alerts (thanks Charles) that discussed a vote coming up in June for a 0.5 sales tax increase and also listed the expansion plans that the funds were going to target. Thought it might be of interest to this conversation.

Kind Regards,

Tim

[Southlander]

Actually, Huntsville, Decatur - really this area - doesn't have any of what I'd call a "megachurch" - a church with several thousand members. You should see Belleview Baptist Church in Memphis. Or drive north to Nashville.

[rnc76]

Mayfair Church of Christ and Whitesburg Baptist look pretty "mega" to me. Those are a couple that come to mind. I'm sure there are bigger in other bigger cities, but when you drive by a church and you aren't sure whether it is a church or a large high school, I think you can safely call it a "megachurch".