Another Morgantown Question :) (Charleston, Clarksburg, Cheat Lake: co-op, home, high schools)

[happeemommee]

Hi ya'll,

Yes! It's me again! I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the high schools in Morgantown.I can look up the test scores, etc online, but I wanted to hear from those that have experience with the schools.Is one better than the other? Which school has the better sports program? Do they cancel school for a few snow flakes or does it really take a good snow storm? What about ice storms?Do you get a lot? They both look like good schools...

I also wanted to know about grocery stores. Which ones are there? Is there a good supply of locally grown food, or co-ops? And the last question, I know further up north there are a lot of gray and dark days and the snow seems to stay on the ground once it starts,is it that way there too? I love snow, and don't think I could actually get too much, and would really like atleast a couple snows of 4 inches or so a year.

We can't move until summer and my hubby already has a line on two jobs...hope they hold out! Thanks!

[vec101]

Didn't they just build a huge fancy new high school in MoTown - swear I read that in the CHas paper a couple days ago.

Store - Krogers (brand new one)

Snow - lots more than Charleston. Weather very similar to Pittsburgh.

[vec101]

http://www.city-data.com/school/univ...school-wv.html

[happeemommee]

Originally Posted by vec101

http://www.city-data.com/school/univ...school-wv.html

This says University High got a 29,on a scale of 1 to 100. Is it really that bad?Who gives the school this number? I did hear about the new school and think it's opening soon, or may have just opened.

[trendguy84]

Originally Posted by happeemommee

Hi ya'll,

Yes! It's me again! I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the high schools in Morgantown.I can look up the test scores, etc online, but I wanted to hear from those that have experience with the schools.Is one better than the other? Which school has the better sports program? Do they cancel school for a few snow flakes or does it really take a good snow storm? What about ice storms?Do you get a lot? They both look like good schools...

I also wanted to know about grocery stores. Which ones are there? Is there a good supply of locally grown food, or co-ops? And the last question, I know further up north there are a lot of gray and dark days and the snow seems to stay on the ground once it starts,is it that way there too? I love snow, and don't think I could actually get too much, and would really like atleast a couple snows of 4 inches or so a year.

We can't move until summer and my hubby already has a line on two jobs...hope they hold out! Thanks!

Hi, I grew up in Clarksburg but have lived in Morgantown for the past 5 years (college student), so I have gotten to know the area fairly well. In my opinion, University High is a better school than MHS. As far as facilities, they just built a brand new school and athletics facility that opened this year, and it's absolutely amazing. (I'm sure this is a big seller for parents who have students involved in athletics.)

As far as grocery stores, I actually have worked in one for the past 4 years to help put myself through college haha. The main ones are Kroger, Giant Eagle, Wal-Mart, and Aldi...there are a few more but it depends on what area of Morgantown you are living in as to what would be convenient. I work for Kroger, which now has 3 locations in Morgantown, including a brand new store that opened earlier this year on highway 705, which is absolutely amazing! It is a little on the obnoxious side as far as size, but they have absolutely the biggest selection of products in the area ( I'm trying not to be biased). I'm not as familiar with the locally grown or co-op type stores. There is a place called the Mountain People's co-op which is small but has organic products, and Kroger (especially the new store) has a huge selection of natural and organic food.

As far as snow, I feel that school gets cancelled quite a bit here. You might live in an area that's completely drivable, but there are a lot of backroads, and typcially these are the main reason school gets cancelled. So yes, sometimes it seems that it's cancelled and not justified, but if anyone is in danger, they cancel it. Also, sometimes it won't snow at all, but the temperature will be so ridiculously low, that they are forced to cancel it because of children who have to stand oustide to wait for the bus. They will also delay school 2 hours, which happens quite a bit. I'm not sure what you mean about the "gray and dark days" but if I'm interpreting it correctly, yes there are a lot of gray and dark days here, and the snow does seem to stay on the ground for a bit. I keep hearing people talk about how bad the weather is supposed to be here this winter, but people say that every year and it never happens. Whos knows, it probably will this year ha. You will definitely get your fair share of snow though, but more than anything it's just really really cold. My experience living in WV for the past 24 years is that we have had bad snow storms, but I mostly remember very cold, long, windy winters. I hate cold weather, so for me it feels like winter lasts 8 or 9 months! haha. Sorry for the rambling but I tried to answer everything from the best of my understanding! Hope that helps!

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by trendguy84

Hi, I grew up in Clarksburg but have lived in Morgantown for the past 5 years (college student), so I have gotten to know the area fairly well. In my opinion, University High is a better school than MHS. As far as facilities, they just built a brand new school and athletics facility that opened this year, and it's absolutely amazing. (I'm sure this is a big seller for parents who have students involved in athletics.)

As far as grocery stores, I actually have worked in one for the past 4 years to help put myself through college haha. The main ones are Kroger, Giant Eagle, Wal-Mart, and Aldi...there are a few more but it depends on what area of Morgantown you are living in as to what would be convenient. I work for Kroger, which now has 3 locations in Morgantown, including a brand new store that opened earlier this year on highway 705, which is absolutely amazing! It is a little on the obnoxious side as far as size, but they have absolutely the biggest selection of products in the area ( I'm trying not to be biased). I'm not as familiar with the locally grown or co-op type stores. There is a place called the Mountain People's co-op which is small but has organic products, and Kroger (especially the new store) has a huge selection of natural and organic food.

As far as snow, I feel that school gets cancelled quite a bit here. You might live in an area that's completely drivable, but there are a lot of backroads, and typcially these are the main reason school gets cancelled. So yes, sometimes it seems that it's cancelled and not justified, but if anyone is in danger, they cancel it. Also, sometimes it won't snow at all, but the temperature will be so ridiculously low, that they are forced to cancel it because of children who have to stand oustide to wait for the bus. They will also delay school 2 hours, which happens quite a bit. I'm not sure what you mean about the "gray and dark days" but if I'm interpreting it correctly, yes there are a lot of gray and dark days here, and the snow does seem to stay on the ground for a bit. I keep hearing people talk about how bad the weather is supposed to be here this winter, but people say that every year and it never happens. Whos knows, it probably will this year ha. You will definitely get your fair share of snow though, but more than anything it's just really really cold. My experience living in WV for the past 24 years is that we have had bad snow storms, but I mostly remember very cold, long, windy winters. I hate cold weather, so for me it feels like winter lasts 8 or 9 months! haha. Sorry for the rambling but I tried to answer everything from the best of my understanding! Hope that helps!

I agree with you about the new Kroger. I frequent stores in both Morgantown and the wealthy Connecticut and New York suburbs of New York City and have not seen a store even close to being as nice.

Isn't St. Francis (Catholic) High School still in operation? I'm not sure, but if it is there are three high schools in Morgantown. University has the new facilities, but I think a lot of the professors kids go to Morgantown. Overall, there is a strong academic push in Morgantown schools because so many of the kids come from families associated with The University. Morgantown is, by far, the best educated City in the State with almost 1/2 of all adult residents having at least a bachelors degree. That alone would bode well for the quality of the high schools.

[David Kennedy]

The new 27 million dollar St. Francis Catholic School is alive and well...ultra modern in every way...sits opposite the new Walmart on East University Ave...along the I-79 highway...

a modern design looking like white farm buildings...

incredible idea to preserve the past with those new structures...

[snorpus]

DK,

Is that what that is? Driving I-68 from Cheat Lake, on the left about a mile or two before the I-79 intersection?

Sits up on top of a hill. Very impressive. I thought it was either part of the Ag Dept at WVU, or some dairy farm where the farmer has resisted turning turning it into a housing plan.

[ABCDom]

I believe that most have already answered your questions, but I do have my two cents to add. As far as schools are concerned, Morgantown High School used to be “the” school in Morgantown. As one poster pointed out, this gap has lessened. University High School built a very modern, state of the art facility that opened this year. Still, many believe that Morgantown is still a better school (athletically and academically), but it is marginal. To be perfectly honest, your choice of school in Morgantown will likely have more to do with location and what is more convenient, as both are quality schools. Additionally, there are a few (two) Christian high hchools in the area. Lastly, St. Francis (Catholic school) is still there, but I don’t believe that it offers high school (grades k-8).

Thanks to trendguy, I think that grocery stores have been covered quite well. As far as weather, specifically snow, prepare for a lot of it. There are only a few “heavy” snowfalls throughout the year, but because it is so cold, it takes awhile for the snow to melt. The snow is absolutely beautiful at first, but once the salt and cinders start to mix with the white snow, it makes for an eyesore.

Good luck with your move…

[adam36]

To answer the question about weather in Morgantown, it is VERY mild. The surrounding area (Prestion County) I cannot speak for, but downtown Morgantown I have never seen snow that has stuck on the ground for more than 24 hours. I moved here in February 2007, providing only 1 and 1/2 winters of background data. Compared to my former home (Buffalo, NY), winters are as mild as you could possibly dream. I still feel as though I live in the deep south due to the beautifully warm winters and the painfully humid/hot summers. The only difficulty rests in the fact that there is practically no winter maintenance to the roads in WV. It can take several days for a snow storm to be properly cared for here, whereas, anywhere in PA or NY would have salted and/or cindered the road almost immediately. (I blame WV for being less financially able.)