Advice on Canton area v Cumming, Milton, Alpharetta + which HS if Forsyth County (Atlanta: 2015, home)

[LCubed]

Hi -

I realize I'm adding to the 5 million posts that are about "moving to Atlanta" but I appreciate the feedback. Planning my fact finding trip soon and want to utilize my time as well as possible.

The job we are moving for will be in Canton/Ball Ground area. A lot of feedback I have received thus far has been about the South Forsyth County and Milton school districts being better than Cherokee County, but we don't want an outrageous commute and are sensitive to locating our kids in a super affluent area.

Can anyone please comment on the following:
1. Realizing it is a matter of opinion, are the Forsyth County/Milton schools actually better academically/socially than Cherokee County?

2. If so, which South Forsyth High school provides best academic challenge with opportunities for sports and hopefully friendly kids?

3. If Cherokee, which HS is recommended? Academics are the driver, followed by extracurricular and friendly kids.

4. Would a commute from Cumming/Milton/Alpharetta to Ball Ground be bad? How many minutes approximately? All backroads I assume?

5. Which location is best for accessing airport?

6. AND finally, recommended neighborhoods for a $550 - 600K budget.

Many thanks for any replies.

LCubed

[Mattie]

It can be as short as a five minute commute to Ball Ground from Milton, it's the next town, and the same can be said for parts of Cherokee and South Forsyth. It really depends on where the job is, since towns around here are quite spread out. But, yes, your commute from any of the areas would be via back roads.

No worries about the schools, if you're looking for a home in close proximity to Ball Ground they're all fine, as is your housing budget .

We're in Milton, it takes us 40 minutes to the airport without traffic, over an hour when there is.

[ahope1980]

I would look in Milton or West Forsyth. Milton is beautiful but expensive. I know you mentioned affluence so I wanted to draw that to your attention. West Forsyth is an up and coming area and wouldn't be far from your job. For that price range there are a lot of neighborhoods to choose from. We attend Matt Elementary but I've heard great things about Sawnee too, which are probably the two schools you would look at in West Forsyth. Kelly Mill is also a great Elementary. We live in West Forsyth so if you have any more neighborhood questions I'll be happy to help.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by LCubed

Hi -

I realize I'm adding to the 5 million posts that are about "moving to Atlanta" but I appreciate the feedback. Planning my fact finding trip soon and want to utilize my time as well as possible.

The job we are moving for will be in Canton/Ball Ground area. A lot of feedback I have received thus far has been about the South Forsyth County and Milton school districts being better than Cherokee County, but we don't want an outrageous commute and are sensitive to locating our kids in a super affluent area.

Can anyone please comment on the following:
1. Realizing it is a matter of opinion, are the Forsyth County/Milton schools actually better academically/socially than Cherokee County?

2. If so, which South Forsyth High school provides best academic challenge with opportunities for sports and hopefully friendly kids?

3. If Cherokee, which HS is recommended? Academics are the driver, followed by extracurricular and friendly kids.

4. Would a commute from Cumming/Milton/Alpharetta to Ball Ground be bad? How many minutes approximately? All backroads I assume?

5. Which location is best for accessing airport?

6. AND finally, recommended neighborhoods for a $550 - 600K budget.

Many thanks for any replies.

LCubed

First of all, there is no "Milton" or "South Forysth" school districts. Milton High is a part of Fulton County Schools, and South Forsyth High is a part of Forsyth County Schools.


Second: Cherokee County Schools are great. Someone has given you some not-so-good advice.


If you will be working in Canton/Ball Ground area, you have a wide variety of high school clusters from which to choose. Helping you is actually more difficult because there are so many great options--I don't want to spend all day typing.


In fact, the Canton/Ball Ground area is part of a highly sought-after school district (Creekview).


Here is what I recommend for you (based on the criteria you listed: good commute, airport access, great schools--but not hyperaffluent, etc.):


Cherokee County
1. Sequoyah High Cluster
2. Creekview High Cluster
3. River Ridge High Cluster
4. Cherokee High Cluster
5. Woodstock High Cluster

Helpful Map: http://portal.cherokee.k12.ga.us/dep...Boundaries.pdf



Forsyth County
1. West Forsyth High Cluster
2. South Forsyth High Cluster
3. Denmark High Cluster (to open in 2017-2018; boundaries not yet set)

Helpful Map: OnPoint Map Viewer
{Choose High School 2015-2016 in top-right}



North Fulton County
1. Milton High Cluster
2. Cambridge High Cluster
3. Roswell High Cluster

Helpful Map: http://www.fultonschools.org/en/divi...NF_HS_1516.pdf

[sedimenjerry]

I think the difference between Cherokee County schools and schools in Cobb, N Fulton and Forsyth is pretty close to negligible. Also, as others have mentioned. Milton is pretty close anyway. Really you can't go wrong.

[BR Valentine]

You'll have a long commute to the airport from Milton, Forsyth or Cherokee. Each location is about equally painful for getting to the airport at peak times. You've got plenty of good options among public schools. One thing to keep in mind with Forsyth is that HS boundaries will be redrawn next year and that will effect South and West Forsyth high schools.

[flyonpa]

Originally Posted by BR Valentine

One thing to keep in mind with Forsyth is that HS boundaries will be redrawn next year and that will effect South and West Forsyth high schools.

Will also effect Lambert, North & Central, Denmark HS will cause a District wide HS cluster line moves


Not that is a problem you can't go wrong with any of the schools.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

Will also effect Lambert, North & Central, Denmark HS will cause a District wide HS cluster line moves


Not that is a problem you can't go wrong with any of the schools.

Yes.


OP: Read what flyonpa said above.


You will be fine in any of the clusters in Cherokee County or Forsyth County. The best North Fulton County options (due to proximity/commute) are the Milton Cluster, Roswell Cluster, and Cambridge Cluster.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by LCubed

Hi -

I realize I'm adding to the 5 million posts that are about "moving to Atlanta" but I appreciate the feedback. Planning my fact finding trip soon and want to utilize my time as well as possible.

The job we are moving for will be in Canton/Ball Ground area. A lot of feedback I have received thus far has been about the South Forsyth County and Milton school districts being better than Cherokee County, but we don't want an outrageous commute and are sensitive to locating our kids in a super affluent area.

Can anyone please comment on the following:
1. Realizing it is a matter of opinion, are the Forsyth County/Milton schools actually better academically/socially than Cherokee County?

2. If so, which South Forsyth High school provides best academic challenge with opportunities for sports and hopefully friendly kids?

3. If Cherokee, which HS is recommended? Academics are the driver, followed by extracurricular and friendly kids.

4. Would a commute from Cumming/Milton/Alpharetta to Ball Ground be bad? How many minutes approximately? All backroads I assume?

5. Which location is best for accessing airport?

6. AND finally, recommended neighborhoods for a $550 - 600K budget.

Many thanks for any replies.

LCubed

Like the other posters on this board have stated, Cherokee County Schools are pretty good in their own right overall.

If you want to keep your commute to and from the Canton/Ball Ground area short while still living in an area of excellent public schools, locating in the attendance zone/feeder zone for Sequoyah High School would likely be your best option.

Sequoyah High School is the most highly-regarded school cluster in Cherokee County and one of the most highly-regarded school clusters in the state of Georgia.

Sequoyah is a school cluster that more than holds its own with the schools in aforementioned Northside suburban areas like North Fulton and South Forsyth.

If you moved into the Sequoyah cluster, you likely would have nothing to worry about when it comes to academics, extracurriculars and socially and you would have only a short commute to and from work in the Canton/Ball Ground area with very little traffic.

And while Sequoyah is regarded as the best in Cherokee County, other school clusters like Creekview, Etowah, River Ridge and Woodstock are considered to be very good to excellent while Cherokee is extremely solid. You really could not go wrong wherever you would choose to locate in Cherokee County.

[flamadiddle]

Schools have been covered so I'll just add one thing about Cherokee. Be careful where you buy a home if you're Looking North of 20. There are two very large garbage dumps up there. You can easily spot them from the satellite views.