[BicoastalAnn]

I went to a HS that had a lot of bussing... from poorer neighborhoods AND from much wealthier neighborhoods. There was a magnet center in the school. It wasn't really that bad. The ones who didn't want to be there eventually dropped out or were no-shows. And I made many good friends from neighborhoods I knew nothing about, and that was fine too (some of them got brand new luxury cars when they turned 15 and drove themselves). In large schools at least, there are so many people there that bussing isn't that big of a factor. But of course I didn't grow up within a small town environment so this concept is more foreign to me.

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

Busing mostly results - over time - in parents moving out of the district where busing is imposed.

To where? Here in CT most of the best school districts are close enough to bad ones to make busing easy. You could move more rural but that won't work for everyone. It should be noted that kids are bussed in now. Avon Glastonbury Suffield South Windsor all have or have had a small percentage of kids bussed in for a while now. Don't see any one fleeing those districts. According to the CREC website there are 2,300 kids bussed out of Hartford now. I think it's capped around that number or there might be more.

[JGBigGreen]

When I hear the term bussing, I think more along the lines of kids from New Haven being bussed to the suburbs and kids from those suburbs being bussed to New Haven to achieve racial diversity in the schools. I have no problem with a few kids from New Haven being bussed to my town schools- and that currently happens- but if you tell me my kids have to go to New Haven I have a big problem with that.

Originally Posted by East of the River

To where? Here in CT most of the best school districts are close enough to bad ones to make busing easy. You could move more rural but that won't work for everyone. It should be noted that kids are bussed in now. Avon Glastonbury Suffield South Windsor all have or have had a small percentage of kids bussed in for a while now. Don't see any one fleeing those districts. According to the CREC website there are 2,300 kids bussed out of Hartford now. I think it's capped around that number or there might be more.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by JGBigGreen

When I hear the term bussing, I think more along the lines of kids from New Haven being bussed to the suburbs and kids from those suburbs being bussed to New Haven to achieve racial diversity in the schools. I have no problem with a few kids from New Haven being bussed to my town schools- and that currently happens- but if you tell me my kids have to go to New Haven I have a big problem with that.

That may be the Open Choice program. Several hundred Bridgeport kids are bussed to Fairfield, Westport, Trumbull, among others. A few are in our school, they are included in playdates, invited to birthday parties, etc. I've never heard anyone mention they would move out because of it.

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by East of the River

To where? Here in CT most of the best school districts are close enough to bad ones to make busing easy. You could move more rural but that won't work for everyone. It should be noted that kids are bussed in now. Avon Glastonbury Suffield South Windsor all have or have had a small percentage of kids bussed in for a while now. Don't see any one fleeing those districts. According to the CREC website there are 2,300 kids bussed out of Hartford now. I think it's capped around that number or there might be more.

Busing is never easy. Those kids in Hartford that bus into the suburban schools have trouble getting involved in extracurricular activities and making friends. The toll of leaving so early and getting home so late (along with losing touch with your hometown friends) eventually wears thin. My kid went to a public school system different than the one we live in. All his activities, friends, volunteer work and jobs were in the city he went to school. We did A LOT of driving to make it as normal as possible for him. We also had the means to do that whereas most kids in the city do not.

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by Raider111

That may be the Open Choice program. Several hundred Bridgeport kids are bussed to Fairfield, Westport, Trumbull, among others. A few are in our school, they are included in playdates, invited to birthday parties, etc. I've never heard anyone mention they would move out because of it.

When did that happen? Open choice, I thought, was only in the Hartford area.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by AMSS

When did that happen? Open choice, I thought, was only in the Hartford area.

Bridgeport as well, don't know how far back it goes

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by East of the River

I don't think Charters are the end all solution but they do work for many families, and a I think overall a good bridge soloution to something better. If your stuck living in a low rent district with bad schools, it's nice to have a choice for something better for your kids. Yes some charter schools are bad some are pretty good. I personally think for profit Charters shouldn't be allowed, but that's me.

My kids charter school is non profit and run by a board from the community. They have very low turnover from my experience over the last 6 years 80-90% of the staff is the same. Not every school is this way. Some have severe budget limitations as well, depending on how their funded. The charter my kids attend is given lower per student amounts from the state then the local schools but still outperforms them.

Honestly I know people say Charters pick and choose and some might but what I have seen is a school that welcomes everybody. Entrance is via lottery so not picking there. I have heard stories of charters shuttling off kids but I haven't seen it here. I know several families with kids with special needs in charter school and they all seem to really like it.

So I really think they have their place as long as they are not for profit and run with the communities best interest in mind via regulation.

Having a lottery immediately weeds out uninvolved parents. Not for profit charters can also waste money. Success Academy is not for profit but it's CEO pulls in $500,000 per year which is nearly double what the NYC school chancellor makes. Plus nothing stops a not for profit school from being managed by a for profit EMO. Either way, if charters are not under control of the entire public funding them, than they should not be getting public funds.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by AMSS

Busing is never easy. Those kids in Hartford that bus into the suburban schools have trouble getting involved in extracurricular activities and making friends. The toll of leaving so early and getting home so late (along with losing touch with your hometown friends) eventually wears thin. My kid went to a public school system different than the one we live in. All his activities, friends, volunteer work and jobs were in the city he went to school. We did A LOT of driving to make it as normal as possible for him. We also had the means to do that whereas most kids in the city do not.

Yeah, this is why I'm not a huge fan of regional school districts. I know graduates of Amity and Beacon Falls/Prospect who said it could often take 30 minutes to get to a friends house in school. I also know a kid from Prospect who went to Masuk in Monroe before their school was built - wild!

[MrGompers]

When talking about busing I always thought it was kids from the poor districts being bused to the more affluent districts. I know Rocky Hill was taking some kids from Hartford, but I don't know how many.

I have never heard of the opposite happening i.e. Rocky Hill kids being bused to Hartford. If this was even proposed I think we would see some of the biggest protests in state history. Even rivaling the protest that took place over the income tax in 1990/91.

Can you imagine people paying high property tax in Glastonbury, Avon, Simsbury only to have their kids go to poor schools ? That would unleash some hell fire.