Heather green/Oldham

[tomocox]

Meanwhile back a the ranch... The OP was about Heather Green, not about the pitiful policial manner JCPS assigns students to schools rather than an educationally appropriate formula.

The OP was seeking information about Heather Green and Oldham County places to live. During this thread, one concern was overcrowding of Oldham County schools. I must point out that most of the reporting sites that would mention overcrowding are based on 2004-05 era issues. In the early 2000's, Oldham County Schools were so good that they drove development at such a pace that between 450 & 600 new students per year were coming to fill schools faster than new buildings could be designed and built.

As of the opening of schools for the 2008-09 school year, there will be one new school opening, with an entirely new building coming on line Jan 2009. This will mean that only three of Oldham County's entire school system will have facilities more than 20 years old, one of which is due for replacement in the 2009-2010 school year. That will mean that only LaGrange and Centerfield (Centerfield was built in the 1970's) are older buildings with new educational tools.

Students living in Heather Green will be about 1 mile to Buckner Elementary, Oldham County Middle and High Schools. Oldham County High is in the final stages of a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation.

It should be noted here that the OCBE has already bought or located land to place two more high schools and three additional elementary schools. I don't remember the exact year, but circa 1988, Oldham County High School, at the time the only HS in Oldham County, produced 12 National Merit Scholarship finalists.

I don't know if it still stands but I know that in 2006, OC had more board certified teachers than any other district in Kentucky. I think it also should be noted that one elementary school in the county has nearly 35% free and reduced lunch ratio. (Free & reduced lunch ratios are a guide of student performance for some reason.) Even in that school, the performance makes it a Kentucky leadership school.

[kellib]

Thanks tom, it sounds to me that the district is and has been addressing the overcrowding issue. I feel confident that I can find something here that will meet my needs. I still am puzzled how to discern if there is an area in oldham that may not return the investment as well. Is there any town plans of fututre constrution of roadways or such that will create a positive or negative impact? Really anything that could upset this area?

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by kellib

My my stxx. fast women , fast horses and fast bourbon,my heart is racing! I really enjoy your comparisons of st.louis as it helps me to get somewhat of a feel for the area. A smaller St.Louis is just what I am looking for. Born and raised a midwest girl, I have lived in the carolinas for almost 10 years now and have developed a taste for the finer southern things. I am thrilled to see grits and fried green tomatoes on your restaurants menus. Now can Louisville also offer me some of that St.Louis toasted Ravioli?

Yes. Several places have it. Here is one that is very reminiscent of some STL places:

HOME

Don't let the location fool you (located in a working class industrial area) as the food is great. What is odd is the location is just west of the Highlands and some rapidly gentrifying areas nearby.

We also eat our chili with noodles in it here. This is very odd for me, being that I usually prefer Texas style chili, but I have grown to like it. There is a great food scene and many local traditions as well, from the Hot Brown to Derby Pie.


Now, back to the point of the thread. Oldham County is wonderful and I certainly don't think it would be a bad investment anywhere, but it IS sprawling suburbia. Please realize that there ARE options in JCPS and it is not the nightmare that many want you to believe. Please come to the city and make an educated decision yourself, and I would also speak directly with JCPS officials. They are well aware of the confusion that exists for newcomers. Let me give an analogy. Oldham County is very good and has very good schools. You know what you get, kind of like going to Carraba's. However, some of the best Italian is at a locally owned place off the beaten path in an art gallery district east of downtown. There is some grit in this area, along with some art. And maybe a few homeless. But the service and food at this restaurant is far superior to Carraba's. In general, however, many Oldham County people prefer Carraba's. JCPS is certainly the same way. If you find the jewel schools, they are MUCH better (higher scores, better teachers) and more diverse than anything in Oldham. What am I saying? Keep your options open. And realize 4-5 dollar gas and 20-25 mile communtes one way into downtown may be detrimental to your personal life (high gas and commute times) as well as the life of others (read pollution, sprawl encouragement, using viable farmland for development, and the rising greenhouse gas effect).

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by kellib

Thanks tom, it sounds to me that the district is and has been addressing the overcrowding issue. I feel confident that I can find something here that will meet my needs. I still am puzzled how to discern if there is an area in oldham that may not return the investment as well. Is there any town plans of fututre constrution of roadways or such that will create a positive or negative impact? Really anything that could upset this area?

Kellib, I will attempt to help you as best I can. First a bit of history. Oldham County in 1970 was a sleepy community of about 25,000 people. There were about 300 operational dairy farms and the county was recognized as the world's number 1 producer of a nearly perfect hay making grass, Orchard Grass. There was no I-71 running up the middle of the county, and the only good way to get from Cincinnati to Louisville was typically US Hwy 42. It just so happened that Hwy 42 also had farm lands that couldn't grow corn or soybeans, but were excellent pastures for horses, so over the past couple hundred years, the northern part of Oldham County became a small "bluegrass" area with board fences, manicured pastures, and other scenically pleasing attributes. It is that area that you'll find some of the highest valued homes in Oldham County. It is also those high value homes that have the longest time on the market with the greatest loss of value in both % and actual dollar discounts.

Homes in the middle of the county especially to the western side are holding value very well. They were never the highest valued homes, but they are the most solidly selling homes now.

I hope this helps you some.

[haley06]

My mother-in-law lived on the eastern side of Louisville then she moved to Oldham County and she does not like in at all. Yes I have to agree that the schools in Oldham County are great, but she hates to have to drive back and forth from where she use to live to be able to do anything. So I have to agree with stx that the gas and the commute time may not be good. Sometimes the traffic on I-71 heading into Louisville can get bad. Just something to think about, but I am not saying that Oldham County would be bad for you because all people are different.

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by haley06

My mother-in-law lived on the eastern side of Louisville then she moved to Oldham County and she does not like in at all. Yes I have to agree that the schools in Oldham County are great, but she hates to have to drive back and forth from where she use to live to be able to do anything. So I have to agree with stx that the gas and the commute time may not be good. Sometimes the traffic on I-71 heading into Louisville can get bad. Just something to think about, but I am not saying that Oldham County would be bad for you because all people are different.

For every one with your mother-in-law's opinion, I will show you 99 who love Oldham County. The price of gas from Oldham Co. to downtown vs the eastern and therefor better parts of Jefferson is absurdly insignificant.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by tomocox

For every one with your mother-in-law's opinion, I will show you 99 who love Oldham County. The price of gas from Oldham Co. to downtown vs the eastern and therefor better parts of Jefferson is absurdly insignificant.

Really? Then why do 710k live in Jefferson versus 55k in Oldham? We could not all be wrong could we?

Tom, I do agree the US 42 corridor is pristine and beautiful. It is upscale, and how OC should remain. I feel the growing sprawl may overtake it though....

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by stx12499

Really? Then why do 710k live in Jefferson versus 55k in Oldham? We could not all be wrong could we?

Tom, I do agree the US 42 corridor is pristine and beautiful. It is upscale, and how OC should remain. I feel the growing sprawl may overtake it though....

Do you really want me to answer that honestly? You won't like it.

No, sprawl can never be that dense in OC due to the huge number of 1 or more acre properties and developments.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by tomocox

Do you really want me to answer that honestly? You won't like it.

No, sprawl can never be that dense in OC due to the huge number of 1 or more acre properties and developments.

Tom, sprawl is normally NOT dense. Despite what you say, Oldham has plenty of it (as does Jefferson). I was utterly disgusted to see some of this has made its way all the way into rural Henry County. It is beautiful farmland ruined for cookie cutter subdvisions 40 miles from downtown!

I know of maybe one sustainable development in Oldham with the exception of two blocks in downtown La Grange. I cannot recommend or praise Oldham until this type of living arrangement is fixed. To see a sustainable suburb, look no further than Carmel, IN. It has a walkable downtown with lots to do and is building up. There are also plenty of employment opportunites and the city realizes that large scale, sprawing subdivisions are bad policy for the future.

The schools are good in Oldham yes, and it is a beautiful area especially if you want a farm. Oldham County's wealthiest couple and perhaps one of its largest landoweners, Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, are trying to develop downtown Louisville with Museum Plaza to encourage against sprawl, for example.