Please Help Unionville/chadds Ford

[Wanna Leave Penciltucky]

A school system without a zero tolerance policy for a student "poisoning" other students, a criminal act, is not so great a school district. Children's safety is the most important issue. The inquirer reported it weeks later. That school district has issues with safety. No one questioned their educational quality. Paramount is the safety issue and the zero tolerance for student on student violance and crime. I would question a school board that would allow that child back to school, I would question them and their decisions. Answer is simple, expolsion. No brainer.

[joyphilsearch]

Just to set the facts straight---I just read in the paper last week (Aug. 27, Chester County Press) that the students in both these Unionville HS incidents were expelled for one year. They can return to school for the 2007-8 school year. They were also charged appropriately by the police.

[Jen38]

I have just stumbled across this thread. U-Chadds is our school district, and yes, there is a lot of money here. Similar to my neighborhood in NJ when I was growing up, we had kids in our high school that were getting stoned every day in their cars in the parking lot. I was at a New Year's Eve party where a kid overdosed on acid, very scary. However, I've never taken a drug in my life, I hung out with cool kids, was an athlete and went to a good college. I have grown up to be a normal "soccer mom" just like most of the other moms in Chadds Ford. We have two amazing babysitters that are Unionville High students and both have their sites on Ivy league colleges. Very responsible, bright, athletic young girls.

You will have these problems everywhere. It's what you do at home that will help guide your child in the future. I would never move away from this school district which has been rated #1 in PA for three years because of a few misfits. This school district is the reason we moved to this area four years ago!

[Tracyet]

After reading all the posts, I must add that I, too, moved to this area (Chadds Ford) mostly for the schools. We have been extrememly happy with the quality of our childrens' education thus far. We have children in elementary school and have been pleased with the level of instruction and attention to detail that they get. We happen to have some very unique children who are involved in very different sports and have different interests. One has a learning disability and one is advanced in his learning. Most are athletic, but in different areas. All of our children fit in well in their school and have many great friends. We live in an older neighborhood with a mixture of older folks and also young families. I think this fact is key to our happiness. Our neighborhood is one of those warm, well worn neighborhoods where not all of the homes look so great, but we all love being here and are all working on our homes. We could have afforded a more expensive home, but loved the family feel of our neighborhood right off of route 1 in the heart of Chadds Ford. I think that this feeling of community is what might be lacking in some of the newer neighborhoods in our area. Here, you will find Dads out front on the lawns playing football with the kids, tacky blow up Eagle's team yard displays, cul-de-sac parties, above ground pools, and even weeds here and there, BUT you won't find a nicer, well-rounded group of people anywhere else. We all watch out for each other's children and we all help one another out and support the kids in all they do. I think this raises well-rounded people. The area is great, with lots to do. It would be a great choice if you know how to keep your head above the water and not keep up with the Jones's.

[Jen38]

Tracyet-
You sound like you live in my neighborhood but when you said right off of route 1, we are up Ring and off Ridge. You can really find some great older neighborhoods with younger kids. We love it here!
Hope you voted today! Yes for UHS! If not, run to CFE and vote especially if you have young kids.

[Dave M.]

We also moved here in 1994 for the great schools. We have 4 kids, the oldest just graduated from Unionville High. We have 38 student years (and counting) of experience with our 4 kids in these schools.

It's typical suburbia with a twist, and it's a good twist. We live out with the horses and the cows, yet we are all near shopping malls and there is not any traffic congestion. There is farmland all around, very historic area. The famous artist Andrew Wyeth only lives half a mile from us and we see him sometimes at the convienence store. The Brandywine River Museum is very impressive (wyeth paintings and such) as well as Longwood Gardens and Winterthur Mansion. Truly the best of all worlds. There are houses costing a few hundred thousand to multi-million dollar mansions. Your kid will get a wide exposure to wealth levels. None of my kids ever mentioned any wealth envy showing up among the kids at school.

All white kids with a good number of Asians, very few blacks or Hispanics, so racial diversity exposure is not good. The neighboring school district, Kennett Square, has the Hispanics for some reason. Probably because of migrant workers for the mushroom farms are all in Kennett. Kennett Square is known as the mushroom capital of the world! It's deserved as well.

I highly recommend this place to raise a family. It can't be beat. Beautiful scenery, great shopping, great historic restaurants, great schools (ranked #1 in Pa. for SAT scores!)

Any questions? I'll be happy to answer.

Dave M.

[aswedc]

I'm not sure I agree with Dave M.

Traffic is not yet bad, but is noticeably worsening by the year. The roads were not designed to handle the population growth this area is experiencing and expansion will not be easy. Take, for example, the primary route to Philadelphia, which is one lane each way. Or the primary route to shopping in Delaware - 202 - which is frequently becoming congested even outside rush hour. I expect traffic to become a major problem here within a decade.

I strongly disagree with any statement which tries to present Unionville as ethnically or economically diverse. The only economic diversity is adjacent Kennett Square school district. There are very few Unionville families which are not at least upper middle class white collar professionals. A good number of Asians? As far as I can remember I could count the Asians in the entire high school during my time there on one hand (definitely no more than two hands). Black or hispanic, even less.

[pennquaker09]

Generally, the Philly suburbs are not diverse. But, I have personally found them to be welcoming. I've only had one bad experience. I'm biracial (mom black, dad white) and I was shopping at a store in the Main Line area and this lady asked me about my curly hair and I replied I suppose its curly because my mom is black and she gave me what I call the look of death. Other than that, I have no complaints.

One thing I will agree with some of the others on is the competitive environment. I was raised in an affluent Birmingham, AL suburb and I went to a great high school. But there wasn't a huge focus on getting XXXX on your SATs and parents don't expect their kids to go to the Ivy League. My parents both went to Harvard but never once did they tell me where to apply.

My uncle is lives in one of the main line areas and I've been over to his place at dinner parties and he always introduces me as his nephew that is getting a masters at Penn. It's like a badge of honor or something. I understand he does this because I'm certified to teach Princeton Review test prep courses and what not, and these people will pay LOADs so Bobby and Julie score high. It's kind of vomit inducing.

[Dave M.]

Originally Posted by aswedc

Take, for example, the primary route to Philadelphia, which is one lane each way. Or the primary route to shopping in Delaware - 202 - which is frequently becoming congested even outside rush hour.

This is just not true. Why make things up? First, the primary route to Philadelphia is I-95, which is THREE lanes each way, sometimes FIVE. If you want to go the slow way, you have US Route 1 which is TWO lanes each way. Everyone knows this.

Second, 202 is NOT congested outside of rush hour. I drive it every day.

I strongly disagree with any statement which tries to present Unionville as ethnically or economically diverse.

I didn't say that. Please read the posts for content next time. I said it was "not good".

[Blue Collar Worker]

I graduated from unionville in 1995 and have to say i was a real hard case . but the teaching staff got me throught it. They sent me to V-tech tought me a trade and i have made money in that trade ever since. as far as drugs well they are in every school . I currantly have three boys in oxford school right now. I could honestly say if the housing market wasn't so messed up i would sell my house a move back to unionville in second