Olive Branch/Desoto County

[tlg30]

I also forgot to mention that we are looking to spend 150K on a home. It seems like you get a lot for your money down there so I am hoping we can get a good size three bedroom/two bath with a bonus room in a good neighborhood. If anyone can give me a list of good neighborhoods in this price range it would help me a lot. I am trying to narrow the search a little bit before we fly down there.

[tlg30]

Relocating family, please help!

Originally Posted by tlg30

Hello everyone. I am a thirty year old mom with two small kids, a six year old boy and a one year old girl. We are relocating to the Memphis area because my husband's company offered him a job transfer. We are currently living in northeastern PA. My husband was previously in the Army so we have lived in California and Virginia but have never even been to the southern part of the U.S. Anyway I am looking for some specific information about the area. From reading all of the messages on city-data for the past two weeks, I get that we should not live directly in Memphis. The relocating company that we are working with(Crye-Leike) has been sending us emails of homes in Hernando, Olive Branch, Horn Lake, and Southaven. It is impossible to know where to start because of the numerous subdivisions and not knowing if they are in a good area or not. Obviously we are looking for good schools but my son also has asthma so I would like to be either in driving distance of medical services or at least by good emergency services. We are also not used to living around any crime so I would not be comfortable in an area that has regular criminal activity. I also want a neighborhood with lots of young kids for my children. We will be flying down within the next few weeks to "look around" and moving over Christmas. Any information would be so appreciated. I feel like the real estate agents can't be very honest with me so somebody please help.

We are looking to spend 150K, if anyone can give me a list of safe neighborhoods with homes in this price range.

[Robert_J]

As a Southaven resident, I am a little biased towards here and Desoto Central Schools. No, I have no kids but the ones in my neighborhood go there.

Check neighborhoods on Getwell south of Church road. There are also some nice neighborhoods on Pleasant Hill north of Goodman. But that area goes to Pleasant Hill Elementary. I still think it is Desoto Central for middle and high school though. Once you get information from your realtor, you can post it here and we can confirm what they are telling you.

-Robert

[pegmomof4]

TLG30
As you are moving from Pennsylvania, and have also lived in California and Virginia, let me clue you into a law that you may find shocking in the state of Mississippi, one that is very different from the law in the states that you have lived in. Teachers are allowed to pick up wooden boards and beat your children for any reason deemed necessary. Even if bruises are left on your child, you will have no recourse. Your consent is not mandated. Just go into this state with your eyes wide open.
Even though some parts of the United States have banned the use of corporal punishment in schools since the 1850's, that is not a typo, 1850's, Mississippi leads the nation in the percentage of children struck at school, 7.5% of all Mississippi school children were paddled last year. Why? Does it create a better learning environment, higher SAT's, lower drop out rates? Absolutely not, in fact, quite the opposite it true.
Just move into the area armed with the facts. Perhaps this will be a perk to you if you parent in this way, and you will be able to join hands with the educators in your community. I cannot entrust my children to the care of an adult who promises to maintain order with an act of violence. I would not hire a babysitter who hit my children, nor would I stay married to a man who beat our children. Why are teachers allowed to do this? Is this not 2008 and the land of the free? Know what you are walking into.
Good Luck in your move!

[obhsgrad]

Let me tell you about a little thing called the truth. Some kids need corporal punishment. That is what is wrong with Memphis City Schools. They did away with corporal punishment and look what happened. With that being said, Parents of Desoto county school students can sign a waiver so that their child cannot be touched. Most parents do not sign it because they know that there is nothing wrong with paddling a child. However, parents do have that option.

[chevyman]

ya know, it sounds like someone on here has some sour grapes towards olive branch and southaven. its true if you are in the city area of these 2 there is more crime than in the country ( that is true everywhere ) . i live north of goodman rd and we have very little crime in our neighborhood. olive branch high school is a good school but the jr high has had several problems and doesnt score well on the state tests.. the highest rated school in the area and probably in the state is pleasant hill elementary ( which just happens to be north of goodman also ). desoto central has the highest rated middle and high schools in the area. if schools are your main concern i would recommend every school in desoto county with the exception of olive branch intermediate.. they have a new principal there and are definitely pointed in the right direction but it might take a while to be back on track

[jriecke]

I was going to say at Desoto County Schools at least at my son's school - there is a waiver that you sign if you do not want your child paddled. Secondly, teachers can't just paddle a student if they feel like it. It is handled through principal and a specific administrator is assigned to administer corporal punishment. 9 times out of 10 they call the parents before hand even if they didn't sign the waiver. It is not done in the "heat of anger" and the teachers do not adminster paddling.

just my two cents.

We've lived here in Olive Branch almost 3 years now and we love it.