[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by AMSS

This is why if people don't want to move to a better district, they need to get involved and show up at board and PTO meetings and make sure their schools run well. Manchester, being the size it is, probably offers as much if not more extracurriculars than even West Hartford and if your kids are good students they will be separated from most of the trouble makers

As for the bolded, sure that's true. Yet plenty of doctors, engineers, lawyers, and scientists came out of schools far worse than Manchester. From my experience, the best way to ensure success is to stay on your kid's butt, keep them active in sports and other things, and don't let him think any less of himself because he isn't surrounded by wealthy kids.

The same study also said that parental involvement after elementary school is often detrimental to a child's success in college & beyond. So, staying involved after grade 5 or so isn't always what is needed.

Manchester also does not offer as many opportunities as West Hartford - Manchester does not offer as many AP classes as Conard or Hall High School, while you also have more chances to study foreign languages in West Hartford as well, very important in an increasingly more global world. (Chinese is taught in West Hartford, not in Manchester) I doubt there are more extra curricular activities in Manchester compared to Hall or Conard.

And, yes, I'm sure doctors, engineers and lawyers have come out of Manchester HS. However, they're more likely to come out of Conard or Hall HS than Manchester.

Also, speaking as somebody who was always in classes with the "good" students in middle & high school, you're not completely cut off from the kids that are just showing up in school because they have to, have no motivation, trouble-makers, etc.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Manchester HS had two incidents of violent crimes against persons in the school, West Hartford's two high schools had zero, and both schools are nearly as big as Manchester HS. Manchester HS had 70 incidents of physical or verbal confrontations/fighting/battery. The two high schools in West Hartford had 42 combined, despite having nearly 3,000 students in total compared to Manchester having a little under 1,700. Avon HS has about 1,100 students and had 0 incidents of violent crimes against persons, and 4 total incidents of physical or verbal confrontations, fighting or battery.

One thing that does get overlooked is most of the kids in better districts know that giving someone a knuckle sandwich in school can have big ramifications(eg: Curtailment/Barring from extracurricular functions). The sandwich still gets served, just not on school grounds. And you have no way of knowing that it occurs off school grounds, as the names of arrested minors are not made public.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

One thing that does get overlooked is most of the kids in better districts know that giving someone a knuckle sandwich in school can have big ramifications(eg: Curtailment/Barring from extracurricular functions). The sandwich still gets served, just not on school grounds. And you have no way of knowing that it occurs off school grounds, as the names of arrested minors are not made public.

and that doesn't happen at other schools?

When this was brought up a few months back, I then published a bunch of links to mass suspensions down in towns like New Canaan, Darien and Westport due to their football teams having some behavioral problems. If anything, the teachers at city schools often look the other way and don't look first to report incidents since they're much more common already.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Raider111

Sounds like a great concept but most of the population cant afford to do that.

Not so sure about this. I came from a blue collar background and my parents made sure we knew the importance of an education and hard work. They worked hard to be sure we got a good education in a community with good schools. Too many parents do not instill this in their children. Jay

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Not so sure about this. I came from a blue collar background and my parents made sure we knew the importance of an education and hard work. They worked hard to be sure we got a good education in a community with good schools. Too many parents do not instill this in their children. Jay

And,while it may be harder to find a big home in West Hartford, there are certainly plenty of affordable options there if somebody wanted to live there.

small ranch home with new siding, windows, electrical & roof: $100,000

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Another one for $134,900
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Condo in WH for $89,900
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