Are Jefferson County Schools really so bad?? (Louisville, Radcliff: real estate, 2010)

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by stx12499

With the system in flux in JCPS, nobody can answer that question honestly as of TODAY even if they may tell you how it was this year or five years ago. The only people that can answer your questions about JCPS for sure are the administrators there. You really need to call them and ask. Don't worry, they won't mind.

You are correct. Don't worry, they won't mind, because they can't predict the future either. STX, fyi, there is a JCPS website which can give people the school clusters, home-schools (JCPS term), and even which school bus route.

If for no other reason, the need to guess about what schools a child will attend makes for a good reason to not plan on attending JCPS. I recommend again, if you choose to buy in Jefferson County, and if the quality of school your child attends is important, budget for private/parochial.

[CatManDoo]

Don't let these posts scare you away from JCPS schools. I'm a product of them, as are many of my friends, and we turned out fine. I went Dunn--> Kammerer--> Ballard. There are some very good schools in JCPS, on par with any you'll find in OCPS, particularly elementary and high. Manual is superior to any high school in Oldham. Dunn, Norton, Bowen, Greathouse, etc are up there with OC elementary schools. HOWEVER, everyone wants their kids to attend them, and that's where it gets messy. The assignment plan is a cluster****. I don't even want to begin to get into it right now. Suffice to say that, as a whole, OCPS are more consistently good, but SOME JCPS are as good or better. If you end up in those, you're good. My rule of thumb would be if you move to the NE and E side of JC, you're not going to gain much schoolwise by moving to Oldham County. But if you're trying to decide between Oldham County and the other parts of JC, it's a no-brainer -> move to OC.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by tomocox

You are correct. Don't worry, they won't mind, because they can't predict the future either. STX, fyi, there is a JCPS website which can give people the school clusters, home-schools (JCPS term), and even which school bus route.

If for no other reason, the need to guess about what schools a child will attend makes for a good reason to not plan on attending JCPS. I recommend again, if you choose to buy in Jefferson County, and if the quality of school your child attends is important, budget for private/parochial.

JCPS SchoolFinder

If you recall, I have linked this site before. JCPS is in flux. It has bad schools, but it also has some schools BETTER than Oldham or anywhere in the state. As I have proven with statistics based on scholarships earned to major colleges and test scores, the highest ranking schools are actually in JCPS, its just there are some schools so terribly bad that it weighs the average down.

Explore your options, and be proactive. Call JCPS. I would take what I read on the internet from a few people with a grain of salt, whether it is from myself, or tomocox or missy and others who have personal experience with children in JCPS.

Anecdotal evidence is valuable, but it can only go so far. One must ultimately weigh that with personal preference as well as choice and experience and hard facts. For example, it is well known on here that I think Wal-Mart is crap. They build cheap, wasteful, sprawling big box stores on the edges of cities that contribute to sprawl. They have lawsuits against them for mistreating women and minorities, and they do not provide their "associates" with adequate healthcare plans, contributing to the national crisis as the nation's largest private employer....on the flip side, Wal-Mart is cheap, often located conveniently for those living in sprawly areas, and does provide some jobs. So, my point is to the orignal poster, do your homework, weigh the FACTS (by calling JCPS), and then make a decision for you and your children based on your preferences of home, lifestlye, and needs for diversity in your child's lifestyle. Please don't do the knee jerk reaction and say, "well I read JCPS is ghetto" so I'll just move to Oldham, even though Louisville offers me many more amenities without contributing to sprawl and wasting gas.

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by CatManDoo

Don't let these posts scare you away from JCPS schools. I'm a product of them, as are many of my friends, and we turned out fine. I went Dunn--> Kammerer--> Ballard. There are some very good schools in JCPS, on par with any you'll find in OCPS, particularly elementary and high. Manual is superior to any high school in Oldham. Dunn, Norton, Bowen, Greathouse, etc are up there with OC elementary schools. HOWEVER, everyone wants their kids to attend them, and that's where it gets messy. The assignment plan is a cluster****. I don't even want to begin to get into it right now. Suffice to say that, as a whole, OCPS are more consistently good, but SOME JCPS are as good or better. If you end up in those, you're good. My rule of thumb would be if you move to the NE and E side of JC, you're not going to gain much schoolwise by moving to Oldham County. But if you're trying to decide between Oldham County and the other parts of JC, it's a no-brainer -> move to OC.

You are exactly correct, but what you are missing is the odds. What are the odds that if your child starts in one school's kindergarten class this fall, that child will be allowed to stay in that school and its progressively similar middle and high schools their entire 13 year normal primary and secondary education?

Parents moving into Jefferson County just need to know those odds. While they may be almost if not 100% likely, wouldn't you want to know if you were moving into JCPS?

[mbd722]

This is a little late in posting, sorry I've been out of town.

My son went to Kammerer. We also have an older daughter who went to school in Kirkwood, and our son went to the same middle school there that she did. So although I only had one other middle school to compare to Kammerer, I could immediately tell a qualitative difference.

Now Kammerer has a different principal than when my son was there, so maybe it is better. I hope so. Yes, 8th grade is a terrible time to move, I agree, and I'm sure that had a something to do with his experience.

He is a junior at Ballard now, and it is a much better situation, comparable to our daughter's in Kirkwood.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by mbd722

This is a little late in posting, sorry I've been out of town.

My son went to Kammerer. We also have an older daughter who went to school in Kirkwood, and our son went to the same middle school there that she did. So although I only had one other middle school to compare to Kammerer, I could immediately tell a qualitative difference.

Now Kammerer has a different principal than when my son was there, so maybe it is better. I hope so. Yes, 8th grade is a terrible time to move, I agree, and I'm sure that had a something to do with his experience.

He is a junior at Ballard now, and it is a much better situation, comparable to our daughter's in Kirkwood.

Thanks mbd, although anecdotal evidence, we appreciate your outlook.

[shannonKY]

My child is in one of alternate schools here and is making straight A's. One thing about JCPS, if your child doesnt graduate, it is no0t the school's fault, any child can graduate if they want to. I think the schools are exactly what you and your children put into them.

I would suggest making a point of attending all school functions, volunteer at school, and make yourself KNOWN to be an involved parent to all the school teachers/staff. That way your child will be remembered by his teachers.
Good luck.

[Sonny Crockett]

Yes, most of the Jefferson County Public Schools are the pits. There are a few good ones but do mandatory busing the vast majority are nothing but training grounds for the state penal system.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by Sonny Crockett

Yes, most of the Jefferson County Public Schools are the pits. There are a few good ones but do mandatory busing the vast majority are nothing but training grounds for the state penal system.

.....says the new poster from miami

[tomocox]

The poster from Miami is obviously exaggering, but lets just suggest that the fish only weighs 5 lbs rather than 10. He still caught a fish, just not as big as he said it was.

Mr. Crockett, its exaggerations such as yours that prevent reasonable people from having an effective discussion which can bring reasonable change and improvement to most any governmental agency.