Is Frankfort becoming more racially diverse? (Chicago, Orland Park: square footage, shop, suburbs)

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Chicagoland60426

The data Allen is giving came from 2005-2009 ACS. In another month or two, the 2010 info will be out.

You are correct, the actual 2010 census will be available in february. As I said the most current census data available was just released from the American Community Survey. The American Community survey is an ongoing survey conducted by the census bureau every year that provides data about communities and the most recent one was just released december 14, 2010.

[suburban_boy]

Crete is becoming more diverse than Frankfort, but I don't think its going downhill. Once they start building more retail and that new Metra linethen they will probably go through a big population boom. There is more than enough space to build hundreds of new really nice homes and communities in Crete/Monee area. As the area grows more Blacks and whites will move to the area. It will probably be more whites than blacks since most blacks are eying Lynwood further north of Crete.

The biggest problem with Crete are the schools, but that will change once more people start moving out there. I don't understand for the life of me why there are so many black children in the schools when they are less than 80% percent of the population in Crete and Monee? Even if a lot of them are coming from UP or PF, the numbers still doesn't add up. I willing to bet that most of those kids don't actually live in the district.

Anyway, Frankfort will probably become as diverse as Oak Park or Evanston with 70-80% and 20-30% Black, Hispanic and Asians. I think most blacks are choosing Matteson over Frankfort since its closer to the expressway and Metra line.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

Once they start building more retail and that new Metra linethen they will probably go through a big population boom. There is more than enough space to build hundreds of new really nice homes and communities in Crete/Monee area

Yep. The proposed Metra Line that will go all the way down to Kankakee. The University Park Metra Station is closeby for anyone living in Crete or Monee. But this idea will be great for Kankakee County. At least if you think easier access to Chicago and Chicago's south suburbs is a good thing.

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

I don't understand for the life of me why there are so many black children in the schools when they are less than 80% percent of the population in Crete and Monee? Even if a lot of them are coming from UP or PF, the numbers still doesn't add up. I willing to bet that most of those kids don't actually live in the district.

Huh? There isn't any Crete or Monee school is anywhere near 80% black so I don't know where that number came from. Crete-Monee High School 64% black. Remember that it encompasses University Park and the Will County part of Park Forest.

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

I willing to bet that most of those kids don't actually live in the district.

I doubt that. Why would a parent lie about residence just so they could send their kid to a school in Crete or Monee? Where do you think these kids are REALLY living anyway? I don't think there are parents living in the Rich Township district who lie about residence just so they can send their kid to the oh-so-amazing Crete-Monee High School. Maybe what is more realistically going in is that some white parents are sending their kids to private schools.

And besides, how is it that in 2009, there was only 1.7% white enrollment in Rich Central High School? I find this statistic harder to believe than any statistic regarding a Crete or Monee school. 1.7% white clearly doesn't reflect the demographics of Matteson and Olympia Fields. What's really ironic is that there's a small section of Tinley Park where the kids are zoned to attend Rich Central High school.

You are right that the numbers don't add up.

[suburban_boy]

Originally Posted by urza216

Huh? There isn't any Crete or Monee school is anywhere near 80% black so I don't know where that number came from. Crete-Monee High School 64% black. Remember that it encompasses University Park and the Will County part of Park Forest.

I meant to say that Crete and Monee are less than 15% Black and yet most of the schools are majority black. Those numbers don't add up.

Originally Posted by urza216

I doubt that. Why would a parent lie about residence just so they could send their kid to a school in Crete or Monee? Where do you think these kids are REALLY living anyway? I don't think there are parents living in the Rich Township district who lie about residence just so they can send their kid to the oh-so-amazing Crete-Monee High School. Maybe what is more realistically going in is that some white parents are sending their kids to private schools.

And besides, how is it that in 2009, there was only 1.7% white enrollment in Rich Central High School? I find this statistic harder to believe than any statistic regarding a Crete or Monee school. 1.7% white clearly doesn't reflect the demographics of Matteson and Olympia Fields. What's really ironic is that there's a small section of Tinley Park where the kids are zoned to attend Rich Central High school.

You are right that the numbers don't add up.

Agreed, many whites do send their kids to private schools. However, how to you think the local schools keep up with enrollment? If the white kids and rich blacks aren't sending the kids to Crete-Monee schools then why hasn't enrollment dropped? Many parents send their kids to schools outside of their district and use a relatives address to claim residency. I saw it all the time growing up. Many of my friends in CC Hills and Hazel Crest had relatives who were going to Southwood and Hillcrest and lived outside the district. One of my closes friends lived in Markham, but lived in Thorton Township School district. A few of my friends from Southwood lived in Bremen Township and should have went to Hillcrest, but parents sent them to Rich Central. My family did it. Many schools turn a blind eye on it b/c they need the fill the seats for funding.

Why do you think that there are so many students who qualify for free lunch when most of the families in the neighborhoods the schools services are middle-class and higher? I was shocked to see that Rich Central had so many students who qualify for free lunch. Most of those kids are from Olympia Fields and CC Hills. Ain't many familes that darn poor in those cities.

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by suburban_boy

Why do you think that there are so many students who qualify for free lunch when most of the families in the neighborhoods the schools services are middle-class and higher? I was shocked to see that Rich Central had so many students who qualify for free lunch. Most of those kids are from Olympia Fields and CC Hills. Ain't many familes that darn poor in those cities.

I think you can find the answer to this question by comparing demographics in affluent areas to low income areas that share the same Rich township school district. The demographics are entirely different. Most adults in lower income areas in the district tend to be younger, and have way more school age children on average than adults living in ESTABLISHED affluent Olympia Fields for example. The adults in olympia fields tend to be older in age overall. The median age for Olympia Fields residents is 50.1 years of age. Out of the 1,777 households in Olympia Fields. Only 373 of these households have school age children. Then you factor in that most of those 373 households with school age children send there kids to private school. Olympia fields is just the location of rich central high school. Rich central high school probably has fewer than 50 students attending who actually live in olympia fields. Another 30 or so Olympia Fields high school age residents probably attend the new public Southland College Prep Charter School that just opened up in the district this year. Although, this is not usually the case in YOUNGER affluent suburbs like frankfort. The median age in frankfort is 37.5 years old. And out of the 5,347 households in frankfort, 2,431 have school age kids.

[allen2323]

The public Southland College Prep high school will probably have more Olympia Fields residents attending in four years than Rich Central does. This year was Southland's first year open, and currently Southland only has the freshman class of 2014 attending.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by allen2323

Olympia fields is just the location of rich central high school.

You're right. It mostly includes kids from Olympia Fields AND Matteson. It could be located in Matteson but it just happens to be located in Olympia Fields.

Rich East is the Park Forest kids.
Rich South is the Richton Park kids.
Rich Central is the Olympia Fields AND Matteson kids.

There are a few very slight exceptions. But as a Rich Township alumni, I know that this is the assumption. If you live in Matteson and your kid is zoned to attend Rich East, this means he or she will be going to school almost entirely with kids from Park Forest.

A rant about Rich Central High School that only talks about Olympia Fields and not Matteson is like talking about Chicago and never mentioning the south side.

CC Hills kids go to Hillcrest. Yes, there are zoning exceptions but this is usually how it is. There are a few CC Hills high school aged kids who go to school with the Olympia Fields and Matteson kids at Rich Central.

In 2001 and 2002, I spent a lot of my freshman year at Rich East wishing I was at Rich Central where all my friends were. I went to O.W Huth Middle School in Matteson and almost all of my new classmates had gone to Forest Trail in Park Forest.

[Northwest Indiana]

Yes, yes it is.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by allen2323

Is Frankfort becoming more racially diverse? One of my black buddies has a cousin who recently moved to frankfort. I happen to like frankfort almost as much as I like flossmoor and olympia fields. Apparently other blacks do to. Frankfort is also comparable distance wise and very conveniently located right next to matteson. I also usually see a sizable number of blacks when my fiance and I eat at restaurants in frankfort. Recently released census data shows frankfort's black population more then doubled in recent years. Does anyone else think that this is a trend that is more than likely to continue?

Frankfort's black population was something like 2.4 percent in 2000. If it did double (4-5%) it still wouldnt be much.

It is in the right position to get more diverse in the future. Its between Matteson & Joliet.
mas23

[deechee]

Even if it does become more racially "diverse," so what?