Dispelling the myths (Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach: how much, house, school district)

[SCtransplant]

I moved to SC almost 5 years ago. I have lived in Washington, DC and the surrounding metro areas, Virginia Beach, VA, on the Chesapeake Bay in MD, and in the midwest.


Schools - I moved here with 5 school age children. They were in a highly rated school prior to moving here. The reason it is rated highly is due to standarized test scores. Why? Because the main thing they are taught is how to do well on those standardized tests.

Upon moving here the children literally blossomed. Three of them are in college now and 2 are in high school. Don't base your school selection on standardized test scores.

Schools here are not necessarily better or worse, but they are different. If you are moving here, leave all of your preconceived notions behind and keep your mind open.


Housing - I live in a small town with a population of about 5,000-6,000. I bought an historic home in a National Historic district. Could never have afforded anything like this up north. I am 50 miles from Columbia; 70 miles from Charleston; 1.5 hrs from Beaufort and less than 2 hours from Hilton Head and Savannah, GA. 3 hrs from Jacksonville, Fl.


Climate - The heat has really been blown out of proportion. It is hot for the better part of July and August but not any more so than anywhere else. I have relatives in the midwest and I refuse to visit them in the summer because their heat is so stifling. I'd much rather be in SC during those months, and the rest of the year is so pleasant here - you can't beat it. I am in a micro-climate area similar to northern Florida and it is very much more pleasant than many of the surrounding areas, including Columbia which is only 50 miles away.


Gators and bugs - Don't have gators here and mosquitoes are fewer than anywhere else I've lived. Our outdoor decks are open (no screens) and the outdoor kitchen is open as well.


Racial prejudice - My family is racially mixed so I know a little bit about this. There was racial hatred and prejudice up north but not down here! Sorry to disappoint those who want to believe it exists here. The color of your skin
doesn't matter. If you behave like an intelligent and respectful human, you will be treated like one. If you behave like an idiot, you will be treated as such.


Shopping - Everything we need is available in this small town. If we need or want something unusual, we might have to drive up to an hour to get it. We had to drive that long to get anywhere around DC too.


Crime? - Don't make me laugh (I used to live in DC, remember?). Ask yourself if you would feel comfortable leaving your home for 2 hours or more with your doors unlocked.

If you are looking for better quality in life, take the time to check into some of the smaller towns in SC.

Again, if you are moving here, leave all of your preconceived notions behind and keep your mind open.

[jcubbin]

I really like the reasoned arguments you present here, very good reading. BTW, what town are you in?

Thanks.

[SCtransplant]

Further about the local SC schools -

If you move here, your children will be required to show respect to teachers and administrators, and to respond with "Yes sir" and "Yes m'am". Even when parents teach their kids to show respect they don't always do it when we aren't around. They just don't have a choice here.

Dress code is different in many schools. For example, some require boys to wear shirts tucked inside the pants.

The grading scale is different. For example, a 93 was an A in all other places we lived, but it's not good enough in SC. A 93 is a B. Of course the kids didn't like this, but was that a bad thing? I don't think so.

Kids are encouraged to attend college here more than in any other state I've lived.

[SCtransplant]

Originally Posted by jcubbin

BTW, what town are you in?

I probably shouldn't say now that the whole world knows my doors are unlocked.

[GJM]

The school my son goes to in SC they are not required to say "yes sir or yes m'mam". My son was expected to always show teachers respect, even in NJ.

I will say the schools here are much different then NJ they expect more from at a younger age.

I agree with shopping we have everything, but the food prices are higher.

It was a great move for us. Love our house & neighbors and the weather.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by SCtransplant

I probably shouldn't say now that the whole world knows my doors are unlocked.

You should at least disclose what part of the state you are in, since there is a dynamic variation between different regions within the state regarding climate, geography, culture, etc. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

[SCtransplant]

Originally Posted by Skyliner

You should at least disclose what part of the state you are in, since there is a dynamic variation between different regions within the state regarding climate, geography, culture, etc. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

Yes, as I mentioned, climate in my area is different. Very mild and consistent. I'm in the low country region, but not every part of the low country is the same.

I would suggest that anyone contemplating moving here be sure to really check all options, not just the cities.

[rrufast]

Very well put posts....

I've taken CS for granted, to some degree, but the more I talk to folks from the NE corridor, the more I sit back and realize just how lucky I am to call SC, and most importantly, Myrtle Beach, home!

Ya'll keep coming down.. we'll keep rubbing off on ya... ;-)

[little_monkeys]

Thank you for posting this. I dont think I have many myths in my head that I havent already been able to dispell but reading about the schools was nice for me. The school my son is in now has, as you said, good test scores, but they are so blah. My son loves school, yet after a few months of school he starts saying how he dislikes it, its boring, he doesnt want to go anymore, etc. I personally want my kids to have a love of learning, even if that means they are temporarily "behind." I HATED school from the time I was in first grade...luckily in high school I was put into an IB program that I loved and have continued learning on my own, as an adult. But I still hated school all those years and that in itself held me back.
I really dont care about test scores, I care about what I'm seeing my child learn. Having him come home talking about all the cool stuff he did today is much better than a good test score once a year (I might add that I sort of pick up a homeschooling sort of thing in the summer and I swear he learns more in those 3 months than the 9 months at school!)

[baylovers]

They have implemented the International Baccalaureate program in our school district this year. I'm happy that you have given it a thumbs up, I am not very familiar with it but it does seem to be alot of teacher training involved. My stepson is in the HS and I don't know how much he will get out of it, my youngest one is in the 3rd grade and will have been in the program along time so I hope she responds well to it.