Neighborhoods recs for young family looking for great schools, tolerant ppl but not loving stripmalls/subdivisions

[WanderingFar]

OP, I was in the same boat as you five years ago, with the same wishlist. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, what we want is mutually exclusive. It may indeed be that things will change as Nashville grows. You asked where other liberals send their kids. Here's what I've seen:

1) Williamson County schools. I personally don't know anyone, liberal or conservative, who's been unhappy with the WC school district, current school board controversy notwithstanding. (And you should read up on it if you go that route.) The demographics here do tend to be shifting, slowly. Also, the WCS teachers I know (socially) tend to be more liberal than not for whatever that's worth.

2) Private school, namely USN. But see my caveat above. It's one of the most competitive (and priciest) options here.

3) Davidson County schools. I know a handful of families who have kids at Hillsboro High. All seem happy enough. I wonder if things there will improve as fewer high income, secular newcomers choose private school.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by NYCtoBNA

OP, I was in the same boat as you five years ago, with the same wishlist. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, what we want is mutually exclusive. It may indeed be that things will change as Nashville grows. You asked where other liberals send their kids. Here's what I've seen:


2) Private school, namely USN. But see my caveat above. It's one of the most competitive (and priciest) options here.

This is makes me so frustrated.. People on here say "just live in davidson and do private" as if it so simple. If they don't want to live in the burbs because they are liberal they aren't going to be happy with most of the private school choices in Davidson. It is next to impossible to get into secular private school as there is high demand and not a lot of slots and without having a connection already there pretty hard. We got into a secular private school when we moved here, but it probably helped that my husband was recruited to relocate here and his boss was on the board of directors of said school.

If OP wants open and inclusive and doesn't think she'll find it Williamson county, she's not going to find it at CPA, EHCA, Davidson Academy, Lipscomb etc either.

[Hey_Hey]

I wouldn't assume the middle and high schools are bad in the Hillsboro cluster. I have friends who send their kids to both middles and Hillsboro high and swear by them. There is an International Bacc program at all of them that students can choose that performs very well on standardized tests.

The elementaries in this cluster are uniformly great. Waking, Percy Priest, Julia Green, Sylvan Park, and Waverly Belmont are all going to offer some degree of diversity with high performance.

[nothingtowear]

I dont know if you are still looking for a place in Nashville for your family. I am currently going thru a divorce with three little girls and feel that I have the exact wants for my family. I want OUT of the suburbs and would love for my girls to grow up in a more diverse urban life. Walking from place to place, public parks, culture etc...
I have been searching high and low. My price range is much lower than yours Im looking to rent an apartment. But I wanted to ask if you had looked into the Germantown or Hillsboro areas. Both are very close to downtown you can catch a bus and be there within minutes, but lean a little more to suburban like atmosphere. East Nashville is also a place you may want to look at as its gotten caught up in the revitalization also.