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Lexington area Fayette County
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Old 12-16-2014, 06:40 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,900 times
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My husband is being flown to Lexington tomorrow for an interview with a pharma company in Winchester. We are from an affluent (aka costly) suburb in lake county Il. I would be thrilled to move to Lexington. We would be closer to my family by three hours rather than six, great weather, smaller city, less congestion, lower cost of living (namely, property taxes but everything really) but we have two children; one 14 and the other is 7. We are coming from nationally highly ranked phenomenal schools and i would miss them terribly. My main concern is finding good schools and hockey. We understand we will need to go travel for hockey as it isn't a main stream sport there however we did note that Henry Clay offers HS hockey. My 14 yr old is an honors student and wants to continue with the German language as well (it seems most public schools have this program) but I'm getting conflicting info online about the schools. According to US News there in only Henry Clay that is adequate? Then i read Dunbar is the best from another online source and lafayette from another source? However, Dunbar doesn't seem to be ranked at all nationally. I am from small towns/terrible schools originally but have lived in Lake co for more than 20 years. I really just want my gets to have the fabulous education and opportunities they are accustom to as this move will be especially traumatic for my 14 year old who is thriving right where he is ;( please help.
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Old 12-16-2014, 08:14 PM
 
Location: Lexington Ky
891 posts, read 3,045,429 times
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I think that all 3 of these schools have strengths. Dunbar and Henry Clay have advanced programs within them that students test into. Lafayette has an engineering program in addition to a performing arts program. Bryan Station would not be a consideration for you. Can you visit and go to each school to get the feel of it? Meet with the principal and a counselor if possible.
Our son attends Henry Clay and loves it. It is overcrowded but there is a niche for any kid. I have had friends whose kids played hockey at HC. Most of them did also do travel teams. Some of these boys cross over in the spring and play lacrosse.
I'm not sure if HC still offers German. It did at one time.
Are you also considering private schools?
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Old 12-16-2014, 11:00 PM
 
Location: Caverns measureless to man...
7,588 posts, read 6,590,532 times
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There are some good reasons for moving to Kentucky, but coming here to find good schools systems would not be one of them. Yes, there are some good public schools here, but they are the exception, and even when you find one, it typically pales in comparison to what you're used to finding in the Midwest. I moved here from Minnesota, and grew up in Wisconsin. Education is just nowhere near the priority we're accustomed to in the Midwest, and it never will be. It's just not part of the local/regional culture.

Have you considered whether you can afford private schools?
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Old 12-17-2014, 07:00 PM
 
Location: Lexington Ky
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Wow Albert. That's harsh. Not part of the culture? Do you know that Lexington is one of the top 10 cities in the nation for population with a bachelors degree?
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Old 12-17-2014, 10:55 PM
 
Location: Caverns measureless to man...
7,588 posts, read 6,590,532 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lexingtongal View Post
Wow Albert. That's harsh. Not part of the culture? Do you know that Lexington is one of the top 10 cities in the nation for population with a bachelors degree?
No, I didn't know that. It's quite impressive, I'll grant you that.

But that's just Lexington. For the state as a whole, the importance of education is not very deeply engrained in the culture. While Lexington may have a lot of walls with degrees hanging on them, the state of Kentucky ranks 45th in the nation for number of adults with college degrees, and 43rd in the nation for the number of adults with barely basic or below basic literacy levels - an incredible 54% of adult Kentuckians are illiterate or barely literate.

So no, I don't think it's harsh at all. It's just a fact of life in Kentucky. There are a lot of good things about living in Kentucky, but people who are thinking of moving here from areas where education is a higher priority ought to know what they're getting themselves into. For people who grew up in states with higher education levels, it can come as a very rude shock when they get here and find out how different the culture is.
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Old 12-18-2014, 02:11 PM
 
Location: Near L.A.
4,108 posts, read 10,766,816 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albert_The_Crocodile View Post
No, I didn't know that. It's quite impressive, I'll grant you that.

But that's just Lexington. For the state as a whole, the importance of education is not very deeply engrained in the culture. While Lexington may have a lot of walls with degrees hanging on them, the state of Kentucky ranks 45th in the nation for number of adults with college degrees, and 43rd in the nation for the number of adults with barely basic or below basic literacy levels - an incredible 54% of adult Kentuckians are illiterate or barely literate.

So no, I don't think it's harsh at all. It's just a fact of life in Kentucky. There are a lot of good things about living in Kentucky, but people who are thinking of moving here from areas where education is a higher priority ought to know what they're getting themselves into. For people who grew up in states with higher education levels, it can come as a very rude shock when they get here and find out how different the culture is.
Brilliantly put.
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Old 12-18-2014, 07:07 PM
 
Location: Florida
7,224 posts, read 7,011,208 times
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Very true.

I attended the public schools in affluent Fairfield County, CT. I had an excellent education. But when my daughter started school in KY I only looked at private schools. I would never have sent her to a public school in KY. By high school I could see that she was 2 years ahead of the public school children.
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Old 12-19-2014, 07:00 AM
 
12,003 posts, read 11,834,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albert_The_Crocodile View Post
No, I didn't know that. It's quite impressive, I'll grant you that.

But that's just Lexington. For the state as a whole, the importance of education is not very deeply engrained in the culture. While Lexington may have a lot of walls with degrees hanging on them, the state of Kentucky ranks 45th in the nation for number of adults with college degrees, and 43rd in the nation for the number of adults with barely basic or below basic literacy levels - an incredible 54% of adult Kentuckians are illiterate or barely literate.

So no, I don't think it's harsh at all. It's just a fact of life in Kentucky. There are a lot of good things about living in Kentucky, but people who are thinking of moving here from areas where education is a higher priority ought to know what they're getting themselves into. For people who grew up in states with higher education levels, it can come as a very rude shock when they get here and find out how different the culture is.

The OP intends to move to Lexington, so your other comments are not particularly relevant. I am not defending Kentucky's less than stellar education record, but would like to know your source for your claim that "54% of adult Kentuckians are illiterate or barely literate", as I have never encountered this figure before.
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Old 12-19-2014, 08:18 PM
 
28 posts, read 53,730 times
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A couple of the high schools in Lexington that have good records are Dunbar and Henry Clay. Many students graduate and move onto great colleges, etc. There are good private options as well in Lexington. My children attend Lexington Christian Academy and my wife and I have been very pleased with the academics. While Kentucky overall is in lower ranked states in terms of education, Lexington does a pretty good job placing an emphasis on education, and it's true the city is itself comprised of a high percentage of college grads. It sounds to me that you'll be involved in your children's education, which is the most important factor of his/her long term success, no matter what school they attend.
In terms of living in Lexington, it's a great place to raise a family. A growing downtown, a major university, decent shopping and improving dining options, good healthcare options, and an airport for travel. My wife and I and my kids are very happy here. Our only drawback is the 9-hour drive to the coast (Hilton Head, SC)! Good luck with your upcoming decisions.
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Old 12-20-2014, 04:29 PM
 
53 posts, read 94,111 times
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The caliber of hockey you may seek will not be found in Kentucky. the rest is possible in private schools.
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