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Our family resides in Chesapeake VA and we are considering a move to Briar Chapel. My husband works from home so we're exploring cities on the East Coast (to stay close to family). In order to afford a home in Briar Chapel, we are thinking I will need to work at least part time. I work in the mental health field so good jobs can be hard to come by. I currently work for Value Options, which has an office in Morrisville, NC inside the triangle. I'm wondering if it would be worth it to commute from Briar Chapel to the triangle, how bad traffic might be? Google maps says it's about 35mins, but not sure with traffic what that might be like. Right now my commute is about 10 minutes so I'm nervous to consider a move with a lot of traffic-- my first priority is our family, we have two preschool-aged boys. We'd love any other feedback about Briar Chapel. We love the green values, but wonder about getting really comfortable in the community, no trees on the lots. Is it really a sustainable community? And also wondering how the Woods Charter school works with the lottery-- is it a lottery for the family or might our sons have to go to two different schools? Do Briar Chapel families get any preference due to being so close to the school? Does it help increase odds if you start out in kindergarten? My husband was also wondering about utility costs. Any feedback about Briar Chapel would be helpful, including developer reputations. Thanks!
Commute time estimates are probably accurate for non-rush hour times. Depending on the time of your commute, you could hit some local traffic slowdowns on Fordham Blvd. that could add 5-10 minutes to the commute; from there it's pretty much clear sailing barring any problems. When the Obey Creek development goes in (just north of the Orange County line across from Southern Village), it could add to the local congestion.
Woods Charter has a whole lot of applicants for a small amount of places. I am not sure about sibling status, but I think in general charters in NC are able to give some sort of preferential treatment to sibs. I don't think Briar Chapel has any preference. There are other homes just as close that aren't in the Briar Chapel neighborhood. Here's a post I found on a local Chatham County forum that says in 2010 there were 190 applicants for 32 kindergarten spots, so you should hope for the best, but definitely be happy with an alternative, too.
I don't know much about Briar Chapel's sustainability policies, but I have been out there some. They have a very nice pool. And I have been to Woods. It's not right in the middle of the neighborhood, but on the outside and not very close to the homes — I don't know if there is a walking trail to the school, but by car you access it from Andrews Store Rd, not through the Briar Chapel neighborhood. You can see where the neighborhood is in relation to the school here on google maps.
Generally, Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools are regarded as the best in the area. Briar Chapel is in Chatham County so the kids who live there are districted for Chatham schools. I believe they go to Perry Harrison Elementary which I have heard is pretty good, but not CHCCS.
Had very similar questions to the OP ! The schools question is a bit puzzling to me....can some one explain exactly how bad the schools in Chatham County are ? Is it just that they're not as good as Chapel Hill/Carrboro, or is it that there are major disfunctions and concerns ? I saw Northwood High was ranked well in a recent report, but does that have any real world meaning ?
Perhaps the core question is exactly how would the experience of kids attending schools in CHCCS differ from kids attending Chatham County schools ?
On a separate Briar Chapel topic, does anyone have any idea when it will get built out ? Is it months or years ?
I had considered Briar Chapel. Our realtor was not a fan. he said that the chances of getting into the charter school were llow. he said if were were not going to be needing a school for several years or if we didnot need a school at all, it might be worth it, but as a family wtih a child that needed a school for the current year-- he said forget it. He said that ten years from now there might be better public school options but that was all sepculating.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I don't know specifically about the elementary schools or schools in Chatham in general, but as far as Northwood High being ranked well in a recent report, if I remember correctly it was the same report that also ranked Carrboro High (our school) well, so no sour grapes here. We had a thread about that ranking, and someone made the point (sorry, can't remember who) that some of the tradtionally better-ranked schools such as East Chapel Hill and CH were not on it. And suggested it might be because Algebra is typically taken in middle schools in such highly ranked schools, so basically, the kids taking it in high school are the lower-ranked students and they were being compared to schools that don't offer alegebra in middle schools, so all of their students were taking algebra in high school. If that's the case, then the report may likely have much less meaning.
I imagine the experience that kids in CHCCS have that would be different from Chatham students in that their parents are probably higher educated and higher income. Therefore there are likely more challenging classes and programs that have a critical mass of interested and capable students. In addition, the school system collects higher taxes and can afford some extras that other less well-funded districts cannot. For me, notably is assistants in all K-2 classrooms, shared assistants in grades 3-5. There are some special programs like a gifted program and a dual-language immersion program. Perhaps there are smaller classes.
I am pretty new to the area, so I'm not familiar with Chatham County other than that it has traditionally been a rural county that is starting to see some growth (Briar Chapel and Governor's Club type developments contributing to that). I imagine as it grows, the schools will garner a better reputation.
CHTransplant, I know Orange County schools gives laptops to kids in middle school and high school but I had not heard about Chatham giving out laptops.
Generally Orange Co schools are looked on a little more favorably than Chatham but CHCCS has the best reputation. I think Chatham is okay. I have known people who are happy with it, especially Perry Harrison Elementary, but I have known many people who moved specifically into CHCCS district from Chatham Co and Orange Co, both, especially for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.
CHTransplant, I know Orange County schools gives laptops to kids in middle school and high school but I had not heard about Chatham giving out laptops.
They started the program a few years ago with a grant - I assume the program has been continued.
As a resident of Briar Chapel for the past 4 years with a child at Perry Harrison, I can honestly say we have not regretted our decision to live in this wonderful community. The amenities are incredible, all homes are required to be green-certified, we have a Chapel Hill mailing address (27516), the tax rate is less than half that of our neighbors in Orange County, and the homes and preserved trees are beautiful. Our neighbors are great, too!
Regarding the commute, since you will likely be working in Morrisville, you will be taking back roads to get there. In other words, you won't be going through town as others before me have led you to believe (unless you will work at Duke or UNC). Although I don't know where your office would be, I would tell you to expect the commute to work to be 25-40 minutes.
Regarding schools, Chatham County Schools are excellent - particularly the ones that serve Briar Chapel. We originally lived in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro school district, and they have their own set of issues. Rankings are not all that they're cracked up to be, nor are test scores. With 22 valedictorians this past year, it is very competitive at East Chapel Hill, particularly if your child hopes to go to UNC. Not all students thrive in this environment. Woods Charter is certainly a great option, but we have prefer the broader offerings of Chatham County. Before you make a decision, I encourage you to take a tour of the schools and talk with administrators. You will be pleasantly surprised, as we were.
Hope this helps with your decision!
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