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It's been a while since I posted on here. We've been in Chapel Hill for 11+ years and my kids have been in Chapel Hill schools all the way through. I now have one in 10th at East and one in 6th.
East is a disaster. For various reasons, I no longer trust this school to keep my children safe. So, time to move.
Dh works in Chapel Hill, near University Mall. I work in downtown Raleigh.
We know this area well, but we don't know neighborhoods or schools. If we want good schools at the Middle/HS levels and easy access to Chapel Hill and downtown Raleigh, where should we look?
the basics: house, not apartment. some yard space. 3+ bedrooms, prefer newer construction (but open to anything). budget up to 800K. Schools and commute are the most important things.
Can you suggest neighborhoods that we should look at? thanks!
I guess I'll ask where are you willing to live? I live on the west side of Cary and a lot of people live here with couples who are split between work locations similar to yours. Are you willing to move to Wake County? I would say Panther Creek, Green Level and Green Hope would all be good fits at the HS level but the newer construction at $800K might be a sticking point. My neighborhood is 25+ years old and we just had our first $800K+ sales which I still cannot wrap my mind around. I'm sure there are places in Raleigh that would work great too I'm just not familiar with neighborhoods and high schools there.
Do you just want out of East, or do you really want to get out of Chapel Hill altogether? I can't blame you on the former from everything I've been hearing this year.
But if you think it would be easier on your kids to stay in town and possibly even keep your 6th grater at their school, you might want to look into moving into the Chapel Hill High assignment area. Your budget should make it pretty easy, and the school is the antithesis if East, very well run, amazing administration, very positive environment, safe, etc. There's also Carrboro High although I don't know that much about it, but I've only heard good things.
Do you just want out of East, or do you really want to get out of Chapel Hill altogether? I can't blame you on the former from everything I've been hearing this year.
But if you think it would be easier on your kids to stay in town and possibly even keep your 6th grater at their school, you might want to look into moving into the Chapel Hill High assignment area. Your budget should make it pretty easy, and the school is the antithesis if East, very well run, amazing administration, very positive environment, safe, etc. There's also Carrboro High although I don't know that much about it, but I've only heard good things.
This was my initial thought - might just be easier to stay in CH/Carrboro. I think michgc is a Carrboro parent, she will hopefully chime in.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I've recently heard about the mess at East this year. For those not in Chapel Hill, there have apparently been fights there regularly that are not being addressed properly. I'm sure there is a lot more involved, but I've heard that some students don't feel safe, and others are unhappy with the lack of discipline for the students who are fighting. Recently a coach got involved in breaking up a fight and then I think he quit.
I asked my daughter if there are fights at Carrboro, and she said "never." Carrboro is a much smaller school - only 800 students total, so about half the size of East. For the most part, we've been happy there. The principal definitely tries her best to make it a welcoming environment for everyone.
Just out of pure curiosity, would you mind sharing the details of why you feel this way?
I don't know about school systems, but it seems to me that Brier Creek Country Club is pretty much dead center between DT Raleigh and CH.
others have shared several links. What my son reports is: multiple large fights, teachers and staff resigning, sometimes with very public disagreements with the administration, the principal resigning earlier for reasons including a sprained wrist from a student fight, the acting principal is now on medical/stress leave, and there have been some serious sexual assaults during school hours just this year. I am genuinely surprised it isn't more of a news story.
I think I'm genuinely done with CHCCS. It has been a difficult experience for us in many ways, and if we are going to move, then we might as well work towards a more equitable division of the commute.
The latest news at East Chapel Hill high school is disturbing. Related, four months ago, I posted the following on another forum. These recent developments are pushing me and my wife to even more seriously consider bailing on CHCCS. (Boohoo, I know, as there are plenty of families lining up to take our place). But here is my summary of our experience since moving from New York 2 years ago:
The concerns we've had with CHCCS are numerous. We have children in 2 different schools, so these issues aren't unique to just one school:
Staff retention. Both of our kids spent months without teachers in core subjects. My son had a French class for which he is supposed to receive HS credit, and for months they watched movies and surfed the internet. This happened because the French teacher quit just days before the school year started. The middle school principal also was removed midyear, and you may have heard about the instability at East Chapel Hill high school and its principal.
Teacher experience. All the teachers we've met are spirited and kind, but many are inexperienced. As in 2-4 years experience. This is in stark contrast to NYC where most teachers were seasoned and had been at the same school for many years.
Curriculum. CHCCS doesn't invest adequately in curriculum development. Our kids' lessons seem to be cobbled from handed-down worksheets and random internet sites. CHCCS doesn't invest in evidence-based programs and educational software. There is little continuity from year to year. This is odd for a district that receives extra tax revenue compared to neighboring districts. Where is the money going?
Communication is poor. We are still on the email lists for our prior school in NYC, and we receive far more correspondence from that school principal and PTA organization than we do from CHCCS. Most of the correspondence we receive from CHCCS is from the superintendent rather than the principal/assistant principal. The superintendent communication is more inspirational than practical. Our son has an IEP, and the combination of turnover in the special ed dept and turnover in staff has been laughable. Thankfully, NYC showered us with effective services from birth to age 10, so he is in a good state now and not really in need of the services anymore.
Safety issues. I don't have a lot of faith that the schools are well equipped to deal with the increasing threat of school violence, primarily because of the above noted communication issues. Drop off and pick up is chaos. This is partly due to the layout of the schools and how they have been incorporated into the city design. At our middle school, signage is poor, crosswalks are faded and poorly marked, the crossing guard is overwhelmed. There is a paved path from the school that leads to the street out of the forest that kids race across without any supervision. Recently two children were struck near the school, and one remains in the hospital in critical condition. The ability for the district to coordinate with the city to ensure student safety overall seems poor. Can they not think to put down speed bumps, or add flashing lights to the crosswalk like they do on some intersections near the UNC campus?
I should note though that we do like Chapel Hill, our kids have been quick to make friends, and this is a welcoming place to live. The school district is not bad, but it definitely does not deserve much of the hype that it receives. Those high SAT scores are due to a highly educated and mostly wealthy population and would exist no matter where these kids went to school. In fact, one could argue, and I've heard this argument here many times, that if your children are not super high achieving, and yet your family does have means and sets high standards, you may be better in the Durham school district, because when applying to college your kid won't be labeled as just another smart, privileged kid from Chapel Hill.
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