Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Found a couple of interesting threads dedicated to Chatham county, but nothing too detailed.
We found a house near the Chatham-Orange border and it’s assigned to Chatham Grove (the new elementary school in Briar Chapel), Margaret B Pollard Middle and Northwood High (NOT Seaforth).
We did some research and found that schools in this area are generally pretty good with great test scores (8-9/10), but relatively low diversity and lagging support for the underprivileged kids. One of the elementary schools (Perry Harrison) seems to be as good as most elementary schools in Chapel Hill, which is surprising given all the hype around CHCCS.
That being said, what’s everyone’s opinion about the schools in NE Chatham county? What does their future look like with all this growth along 15-501? Have you had any firsthand experience with them, or perhaps you know kids who went there?
Finally, Thales Academy is opening in Chatham Park (for those who don’t know it’s an affordable private school), so it could become another option.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,763 posts, read 15,700,579 times
Reputation: 10850
I'm answering because no one else has answered, but I don't have direct experience. I live just up the road in Southern Village. Most people seem happy enough with the North Chatham schools. I know two families off the top of my head who moved from Chapel Hill schools to Chatham schools, and there are a few families from our kids' various clubs that are from Chatham. ETA: I just thought of another family who sends one child to Northwood by choice (ex lives in Chatham), while the other child is in Chapel Hill schools.
Everyone seems pleased with Perry Harrison Elem., but our one friend fed into North Chatham Elementary and was not pleased with it. It may have had to do with special services; I cannot remember. I imagine the new elementary school in Briar Chapel will be good, as that is where Chatham's wealth is concentrated, and those are the kids who fed into Perry Harrison, I believe.
Again, I think for the most part that families are pleased with Pollard Middle and Northwood High, but with the kids in Briar Chapel being districted to Seaforth, Northwood will probably change. Of course, with all of the new building going on in Chatham, all of the schools will likely change. I imagine they will only become more competitive (and diverse?) as more wealthy families move to the area. I don't know how it will affect the underprivileged kids there.
Note that Northwood is on a block schedule. They have 4 classes for the first two quarters and 4 different classes for the second two quarters. That's about all I've got. Hope it helps a little bit.
I don't have any direct experience either, but if we were to move to the area today, I would strongly consider Chatham County versus Wake. The main reasons are:
1. You can live just outside of Wake and still have the conveniences of Wake County, but a different school system.
2. When we moved here the Wake County schools were considered some of the best in the state. I think that tide has shifted a bit, and continues to shift.
3. It's difficult to get into the state universities from the higher rated schools in a county like Wake, because there's just so much competition. They'll only accept so many kids from any given school.
If I were going to send the kids to Thales, then I'd definitely live in Wake County, particularly Cary or Apex. It's a great place to live, and a great long-term investment.
I don't have any direct experience either, but if we were to move to the area today, I would strongly consider Chatham County versus Wake. The main reasons are:
1. You can live just outside of Wake and still have the conveniences of Wake County, but a different school system.
2. When we moved here the Wake County schools were considered some of the best in the state. I think that tide has shifted a bit, and continues to shift.
3. It's difficult to get into the state universities from the higher rated schools in a county like Wake, because there's just so much competition. They'll only accept so many kids from any given school.
If I were going to send the kids to Thales, then I'd definitely live in Wake County, particularly Cary or Apex. It's a great place to live, and a great long-term investment.
Agree. We know a family that has an Apex mailing address, but they live in Chatham and their kids go to Northwoods. They're perfectly happy and close enough to actual Apex (and Cary) to do stuff there.
The competition to get into state schools from a western Wake HS cannot be overstated. DD's best friend has never gotten a B, and is not in the top 10% of the class. Let that sink in for a bit.
That is an incredibly unhelpful and subjective comment.
To the OP; the above points made by the other commenters here (NOT Calypso) are on-par with what most would probably say. The growth and success of Briar Chapel bodes well for the Chatham Park and other future similar developments in NE Chatham Co. As more folks move into new homes there; that generally corelates with further investment in the schools.
no direct experience but in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro mom's group there are a fair number of families who were in the Chapel Hill school system who moved to Chatham county (mostly Briar Chapel) and all of them like Chatham county schools more. There biggest complaints seem to be around gifted education in CH.
no direct experience but in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro mom's group there are a fair number of families who were in the Chapel Hill school system who moved to Chatham county (mostly Briar Chapel) and all of them like Chatham county schools more. There biggest complaints seem to be around gifted education in CH.
Can you elaborate on that? We are being transferred there and have children in the gifted program. What's the issue?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
