Is Lee High really that bad? (Huntsville, Madison: new house, buying, construction)

[friday13]

A lady in her 40's told me that her mom went to Lee, and back then it wasn't bad at all. I figure it was what? the 60's? I guess the first wave of "engineer settlers" along Oakwood and surrounding areas. Man, those houses sure look like today's cookie cutters but smaller and with vinyl siding.

On that note: how does a school goes bad, worse, improves etc.? How a "bad" school makes a comeback? Is there a hope for Oak Park/Chapman/Lee to turn around?
I know: expensive houses, well-to-do people stick together="good" schools. But I am not one of them - not dirt-poor either-but my kid is bright and I don't want her to get lost in the shuffle. So moving out we are.

[33458]

I'm staying put - we really dig it...I mean, right now as I type, my toddler and I are counting chipmunks, referencing the field guide for birds and scanning the wood for our one young buck. Impressive neighbors. I can hike my back yard. I can hike up the street. The house, once repaired and renovated, will be kickin'. For us, for me, not for resale value. It's just a matter of where daughter will go to school...and that I'll be driving her there.

The only thing that would push us out is a criminal element moving in and up the hill...but I think it's fair to say that my end of the block has its own militia.

I hope we do see a revitalization...the Oak Park...park...seems underused and could stand some 'beautification' itself...maybe I'll drop some hardy seeds in those planting beds.

I love that ridiculous hill. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

[shaken8]

In reply to 33458:

Oh yeah, my neighbors across the street are the head of the neighborhood watch on our street, so I definitely feel safe! The only time there has been a little suspicious activity, all my neighbors knew and were on the lookout. Nothing ever came of it (although it was probably nothing to worry about anyway--just a kind of out of place person driving around the neighborhood).

And I'm with you on that boat--I want to do rennovations the way I want them, and not worry about resale value (because I probably won't get it all back). But I'm ok with that.

I've thought about planting seeds, myself. Ever heard of guerrilla gardening?


I'm sorry to hear that you're leaving friday13. Good luck to you. It's too bad we have to lose good people because of the schools... :/

[33458]

I've thought about planting seeds, myself. Ever heard of guerrilla gardening?

I was trying to be less controversial...heh.

You.Me.Seeds.Park. ;)

If City Data notices the medians flourishing with naturalized Xeriscape, they'll know who the culprits are.

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/06/guerrilla-gardening-strategies-for-greening-the-hood/ (broken link)

[friday13]

Originally Posted by 33458

Howdy, neighbor!

I have the same questions, but plan to put daughter in another public school if her local option seems in reality as dire as what has been suggested here. Right now we're doing P/T private Pre-K, but F/T Kindergarten at the same location will be out of our reach, financially...(I mean, we could do it, but then not have the funds left to fix up the house...)

I was looking for info on Madison City Schools enrollment policy and stumbled upon this-->going to a public school out of your school zone by paying tuition (policy JBCB). Might be less than the private school tuition.
Wonder if this option is available in the HSV city school district.
The info below is outdated as it refers to 97-98 school year, but this seems like a novel concept worth checking.

Madison City School Policies

[HHS98]

Everytime I go house shopping, I always end up on Chapman Mountain and the school district. Does anyone have anymore updates to this discussion?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HHS98

Everytime I go house shopping, I always end up on Chapman Mountain and the school district. Does anyone have anymore updates to this discussion?

This might help a little:

School Search Widget - GreatSchools

[friday13]

Originally Posted by HHS98

Everytime I go house shopping, I always end up on Chapman Mountain and the school district. Does anyone have anymore updates to this discussion?

No (positive) updates. The problem is deep-rooted. It's a shame for the naturally beautiful areas of Chapman Mtn. zoned for Lee (actually Chapman Elem. - Hawks Ridge, Oak Park, and over the mountain Chase Shadow, roughly zip 35811 within Hsv City limits).

The problem is that of all lower-level schools that feed Lee, only Chapman Elem. is a GS five, the other feeder schools are GS 1-2. So low-performing elem. schools feed low-performing middle which feed Lee High.

And so the Chapman Elem. is the area where either people like Shaken8 (YP no kids) or older (50+, retired or no kids, or parents of HS-age kids interested in the engineering magnet program at Lee) move in because of affordability of the area or the expensive ones send their kids to private. >> I have lived here for 8 yrs when time comes to move for better schools. Bought cheap, lived cheap (mortgage), probably sell cheap>> but it was perfect as first-time homeowners on a young professional budget.

In my personal opinion, I do not see an improvement at Lee (the regular program, not the magnet), until the feeder schools improve (and that's impossible as it is right now) or a rezoning shuffles kids around.

On an individual level, one can still move here for cheap housing, and transfer their kids to a good-performing school (Blossomwood is just "down the road") IF they qualify per HCS policy.

Another option is using the 2 k-8 magnet programs (academies) nearby IF kids meet the entrance requirements. What baffles me though is how a program based on a selection process performs not to so well in the end?!

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by friday13

And so the Chapman Elem. is the area where either people like Shaken8 (YP no kids) or older (50+, retired or no kids, or parents of HS-age kids interested in the engineering magnet program at Lee) move in because of affordability of the area or the expensive ones send their kids to private. >> I have lived here for 8 yrs when time comes to move for better schools. Bought cheap, lived cheap (mortgage), probably sell cheap>> but it was perfect as first-time homeowners on a young professional budget.

In my personal opinion, I do not see an improvement at Lee (the regular program, not the magnet), until the feeder schools improve (and that's impossible as it is right now) or a rezoning shuffles kids around.

On an individual level, one can still move here for cheap housing, and transfer their kids to a good-performing school (Blossomwood is just "down the road") IF they qualify per HCS policy.

Here's another point of view, what is a better option? Have your kid as straight A student, e.g., magnum kum (CD won't let me spell it properly ) laude, at a 'less prestigios' school like Lee's, or an ordinary B student at BJ, Grissom, or HHS? What does the college admission office look at? It's the GPA and SAT, ACT test scores

IF you think about the root cause of why a child is not performing, you'd soon recognize that it is the parents who do not place academics as the high priority and the kids pick these stuff up.

So I'd say if you enjoy where you live, stay there. Don't let these ratings bother you. It is you that will make the most difference in your childrens' lives. Haven't we all had high school friends that went bad? 30-years later, my two best friends in high school still do not have high school diploma. One offerred me to go into the drug-making business when I was in graduate school (since I know how to purify cocaine from the organic chemistry lab class ). What gives? Afterall, we went to the same high school. So are these rating that important after all?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Here's another point of view, what is a better option? Have your kid as straight A student, e.g., magnum kum (CD won't let me spell it properly ) laude, at a 'less prestigios' school like Lee's, or an ordinary B student at BJ, Grissom, or HHS? What does the college admission office look at? It's the GPA and SAT, ACT test scores

IF you think about the root cause of why a child is not performing, you'd soon recognize that it is the parents who do not place academics as the high priority and the kids pick these stuff up.

So I'd say if you enjoy where you live, stay there. Don't let these ratings bother you. It is you that will make the most difference in your childrens' lives. Haven't we all had high school friends that went bad? 30-years later, my two best friends in high school still do not have high school diploma. One offerred me to go into the drug-making business when I was in graduate school (since I know how to purify cocaine from the organic chemistry lab class ). What gives? Afterall, we went to the same high school. So are these rating that important after all?

This is all true. However, all other things (parents' involvement, child's IQ, parents' IQ, etc) being equal, where would you rather have your kid attend school? A school with high performing peers, proactive parents, and a high functioning culture of advancement, or a school where academic performance is not emphasized?

Also, is it necessarily true that a "B" kid at Huntsville or Grissom will necessarily be an "A" kid at Lee or Butler?