[catfeet]

I'm currently living in Bellows Falls and have just accepted a job in Waterbury. It's a good job with nice benefits and because of that, we're considering moving. When you add into the mix that we've got small children (the oldest is 7) and that our school system here is so bad, it's not even listed on the NECAP lists, the writing is on the wall.

Here's the question, and it's got several parts, so bear with me... I'm looking at both the Montpelier area and the Montpelier Rural area, meaning the Montpelier School system and the small elementarys and U32. Firstly, which is better? Does anyone know? I'm getting rankings of 3 and 5 off of schooldigger.com. From what I can tell by looking at school websites, there are differences in philosophy for the 2 different schools. Is that really all there is that's different? Part 2 of the question, is U32 and Harwood Union UHSD 32 the same school? Logic would say they are, but I've found that's not always necessarily the case with naming schemes.

Thanks,
Ann in BF

[vter]

Harwood Union is different than U-32. I see Harwood Union as being USD #19 in a quick google search.
Harwood Union High School - Home . Harwood serves Waterbury, Waitsfield, Warren, Duxbury, and a couple other towns.
U-32 is in E. Montpelier and serves E. Montpelier, Middlesex, Berlin, Calais, and a few other towns.
U-32 one of the best Vermont middle and high schools
I have heard good things about both Montpelier SD and the U-32 SD. Don't know about Harwood.

[catfeet]

Thanks for clearing that up. I keep seeing Harwood Union listed as UHSD 32, so, confusion. Looking at the website, though, it's clearly NOT U32, which has a completely different website.

I hear good things about both systems too, but don't know which one is better or if I'm looking at apples & oranges, both being good, but in different ways. Also, not having a single source of rankings and testing upon which hte rankings are based, it's hard to figure out what schools are good and who they compare against, both state & nation wide.

[vter]

lots of data here: Data & Reports

[catfeet]

Thanks, that was great!

[creoena]

U-32 is horrible.

Montpelier high is one of the best public schools in the nation. If you can afford montpelier 'city' vs outlying areas, I'd highly recommend living there for the school alone. Quality of teachers, programs, etc is top notch.

[chaz longue]

In addition to the site vter posted - I rely on Vermont Department of Education School Report

[catfeet]

Creoena- I've heard nothing but good about U32...can you tell me what the basis for your opinion is? I'm not trying to be argumentative here, I sincerely would like to know, because it will help to base what school districts we look at.

Thanks,
Ann

[68vette]

My children attend U-32. I have nothing but good things to say about the school and I am very critical about the education system and the way it's run in Vermont. Montpelier High is a good school as well, but the great test ranking they got a year ago was a mistake in how the results were calculated.

U-32 is more arts focused, but the quality of teachers and the quality of classes is very high. My son loves to play guitar and has a guitar class every day for about a hour. This is his dream class. Our kids attended the Barre school system prior and it's night and day between the two systems. Our kids teachers mail letters and call the house with any concerns or questions. Something many schools no longer do. To me that says the teachers care.

We keep on top of our childrens academics and their school activities. That could be a major reason why we are so satisfied. I do know others whose children are hardly getting through school and their parents blame the school. The child may have other priorities other than school work. The Barre school system was not the best, but my kids got what they needed, a good education. My son was in advanced classes there and when he made the change to U-32 we wondered if that would still hold up in a better school system. He is still in advanced classes. School rankings have some merit, but what you put into your kids has more merit than a school ranking.

[Beenaroundabit]

Montpelier high is one of the best public schools in the nation. If you can afford montpelier 'city' vs outlying areas, I'd highly recommend living there for the school alone. Quality of teachers, programs, etc is top notch.

I'm a graduate of all Montpelier schools: Union Elemantary, the old "Barre Street School" that they used to have for 6th grade, only, Jr. high at the Main Street School, and then MHS. My younger brother and two younger sisters are also grads of the Montpelier public school system.

While I graduated a long time ago (1985), I have no complaints whatsoever about the educational opportunities I had available. My siblings and I have all gone on to college and fulfilling/interesting careers, and I can't help but think that they encouragement we received in Montpelier schools are partly the cause of that.

MHS seemed very progressive to me (especially when I compared it later with my wife's HS in Virginia, with which I am pretty familiar) and is likely even more so today. People are very open-minded there, as many Vermonters tend to be.

What I liked most was the small size of the classes and the student body in general. Everyone knew everyone, especially those of us who progressed from one school to another and grew up" together. My graduating class was only 87 students, and teachers were more like parents and mentors than "instructors."

Something else to consider as a parent - I know most parents are accustomed to taking their children everywhere these days, but I walked to school every day from K-12 (no, not uphill both ways, but sometimes in a snowstorm ) and the fact that I could do that undoubtedly made things easier on my parents. I walked to school and activities, almost always with a friend or two; drama rehearsals, ski and football practices, etc. I like to think it made me a healthier, more outgoing, independent kid. I believe U-32 serves a more geographically spread-out student body, so that may not be possible there. No, that may not be a big thing in and of itself, but something I thought I'd point out.

I can't really comment much more on U-32, itself, other than it always seemed biiger and more amorphous to me. Whether it was or not, I don't know; just seemed that way.

Good luck in your decision. Either way, I think you'll be OK.

Ron