Loveland or other areas (Cincinnati, Mason: neighborhoods, school districts, gated)

[Hrhoward]

We are considering the Loveland area as a move but I would appreciate some local input. We have two school age children. I will be looking for work as an elementary school teacher and my husband has been in food and beverage most of his life, much of it as a bartender and bar/restaurant manager. We want to be outside of a major city. We want decent schools but the atmosphere is more important than high ratings. Decent kids with good values. We would like some diversity. More so than the one African American and zero Asian students in their current school. A nice down-to-earth community with tree lined streets where people are still neighborly. My husband is convinced these types of neighborhoods no longer exist but I hope he is wrong. We are not locked into any certain area, not even necessarily the Cinci area if anyone knows any others. Thanks in advance.

[Relocating 2 PA]

P.S. - your husband IS wrong - our subdivision is diverse, and everyone is so friendly. We have a neighborhood facebook page to keep in touch for block parties and play dates and anytime newcomers need help finding a painter, or a doctor, dentist, they just post on the facebook page and neighbors are so happy to help. TREE LINED STREETS TOO!!

[TeacherinTN]

White Black Asian Indian/Pacific

Mason 72% 4% 16% 12%
Loveland 92% 2% 3% 2%
Lakota E. 79%. 9%. 5%. 5%

Your husband is right. This comes out to about 1 African American kid per classroom.

[Relocating 2 PA]

that's not our experience, in schools or in our neighborhood.

[TeacherinTN]

Lakota East has more African American kids than Loveland or Mason as its closer to the Princeton District and the urban sprawl. But it's still low. The 10% black number came off Lakota East's High School numbers. 10% translates to 2-3 kids per classroom. Perhaps your elementary school zone has slightly higher numbers than the District?

Mason doesn't have high black percentages but it cannot be beat for its diversity of students that are high performing. I don't live in Mason (Miami Township) but it's not unusual to go to the Dearfield WalMart and see Jews, Indians and women in Burkas. A fiend of mine has a daughter at MHS. Her test scores were the 95 percentile for the state. That translates to just 40 percentile for Mason HS!

My kids are in Mlford schools. They have 1-2 black kids per classroom. Every one else is white. I love Cincinnati but it's certainly segregated. I taught in Tennessee for 12 years and Inreally miss my black and Hispanic kids. I also had a healthy dose of Asian and Indian kids because of Eastman and the Medical center. Tennessee was certainly more diverse, and in a good way. Most "diverse" schools in this area are generally avoided by the affluent white families around here.

[Ohky0815]

Loveland or Mariemont would fit your idea.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

I grew up in Indian Hill and I live in Blue Ash now both have great school districts Indian Hill and Sycamore. I have family in Mason probably my favorite town in all of Ohio its diverse and well off but not obnoxious rich like Indian Hill. Mason and Sycamore are actually pretty diverse for the suburbs both school have a decent amount of Asians, Jews and Latinos now.

[kconns]

Originally Posted by TeacherinTN

Tennessee was certainly more diverse, and in a good way. Most "diverse" schools in this area are generally avoided by the affluent white families around here.

I had a little chuckle when I read that TN was more diverse. I moved from Knoxville a little more than a year ago and when we went back to visit I remember thinking...."wow Knoxville is so white". Looking at the demo's it's 76% White/17% Black for Knoxville and 49% White/45% Black for Cincinnati.

It's not that I don't believe you because it depends on where you're from in TN. I'm guessing Memphis, but it sure wasn't Knoxville/East TN.

[SonnyDaze]

Great school districts (by test scores/rankings) w/ "decent" diversity (by Cincinnati standards): Mason, Lakota, Sycamore, Wyoming.

"Okay" school districts w/ strong diversity: Princeton, Finneytown, Northwest

There are some very good schools in Cincinnati Public that are fairly diverse, but many of them require quite a bit of homework and effort to get your kids into them.

[cincylifer]

Loveland is not going to give you any diversity. I strongly recommend Sycamore.