Looking to relocate to a historic city full of southern charm while seeking employment in the education field! (home, high school)

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

So out of 40 schools in the city 3 maybe 4 are considered decent enough to attend. Be realistic for those that can't afford or don't live in Fox/Mumford's zone what then hope your child gets selected through a lottery? Education is a major problem with most of the schools being considered unacceptable so a parent must choose to go the private route or as many do move to the suburbs because they can't afford the mortgage and private school.

Richmond continues to lack a substantial middle class for this reason, oh the city is great for younger or older where school is not a concern but for the core people with school age children it's not so attractive. ..

THIS is the only answer!

[richmondpics]

No, this is your only answer. There are plenty of us who are neither uber rich or poor that live happily and comfortably in the city and have growing school options. You both can continue to paint the same old picture, but in the meantime we'll continue to change the landscape.

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

No, this is your only answer. There are plenty of us who are neither uber rich or poor that live happily and comfortably in the city and have growing school options. You both can continue to paint the same old picture, but in the meantime we'll continue to change the landscape.

Please make sure to post what middle/high school options you have settled on. Always the same argument presented Mumford, Fox, sometimes Holton, hope to win in the lottery and of course MW if your child has the academics to qualify. Same old picture because the artist doesn't seem to change, what school was on the news for no a/c x2days??

[richmondpics]

We have a 3 year old and one on the way. Middle and high school are not even on our radar. We are not in our forever house and will probably move by then. County, city, private/public are all decisions we can make several years from now. The point for the OP is that you can have a historic home and good school. Not everyone wants to live in a cul de sac tract home and most people recognize that county schools are as a whole, better off, so no need to criticize the offering of a solution to their challenge.

[VA Yankee]

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Congratulations on your new addition but the 3 school argument is a false picture with most historic homes not zoned into an acceptable school option. If you read all the posts even your own there is that escape plan if needed because of the future problems with the schools.

[ettagrl]

richmondpics - I wish it would let me rate more of your posts!! VA Yankee, you can rant all you want about RPS but the fact remains that there are many young city families that are thriving in city schools. You scoff at my notion that folks can enroll in Munford, Fox or Holton through open enrollment but are you aware that more than half of the kids who attend Fox are out-of-zone? And that they can attend for the duration of grade school and enroll siblings? I already mentioned Community and Open as high school options (not just MW), and have many friends with children at Albert Hill middle. There is another middle school option that people have been exploring -- may be a program at Binford. Your solution seems to be to abandon the city and its public schools, and there are groups of parents at Fox and Munford who are keeping their children in RPS en masse. I am proud of my fellow city dwellers - they have bright, inquisitive children and I don't see that they are being held back by their public education. We have been upfront with the fact that the OP will not want to send a child to just any RPS school and, yes, many parents do have back-up plans. I imagine suburban parents have back-up plans for their children as well. But please don't perpetuate the myth that living in the city with children is not doable without private education.

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by ettagrl

richmondpics - I wish it would let me rate more of your posts!! VA Yankee, you can rant all you want about RPS but the fact remains that there are many young city families that are thriving in city schools. You scoff at my notion that folks can enroll in Munford, Fox or Holton through open enrollment but are you aware that more than half of the kids who attend Fox are out-of-zone? And that they can attend for the duration of grade school and enroll siblings? I already mentioned Community and Open as high school options (not just MW), and have many friends with children at Albert Hill middle. There is another middle school option that people have been exploring -- may be a program at Binford. Your solution seems to be to abandon the city and its public schools, and there are groups of parents at Fox and Munford who are keeping their children in RPS en masse. I am proud of my fellow city dwellers - they have bright, inquisitive children and I don't see that they are being held back by their public education. We have been upfront with the fact that the OP will not want to send a child to just any RPS school and, yes, many parents do have back-up plans. I imagine suburban parents have back-up plans for their children as well. But please don't perpetuate the myth that living in the city with children is not doable without private education.

If pointing out the statements that others have posted is ranting than you need to open your eyes once in a while. Like others you point out Fox/Mumford and in your case Holton which you must enter a lottery, be selected for and provide transportation if selected, great option and what if you don't get in? I have friends who are paying to educate their kids elsewhere because their assigned school(s) are garbage, oh they love their old house and neighborhood but the schools stink. Please make sure and post how you like the secondary choice for your kids as your the first poster to say they will use them.

As parents have posted they are not going to jeopardize their kids education to be urban pioneers and that is why they make the choice to move, even suburban parents relocate over schools that is their choice. What is doable in raising a family is a personal choice, how about you stop perpetuating the myth that Fox/Mumford etc. are always an available option because for the bulk of applicants it's not, what then?

[Charlesaf3]

Originally Posted by VA Yankee

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Congratulations on your new addition but the 3 school argument is a false picture with most historic homes not zoned into an acceptable school option. If you read all the posts even your own there is that escape plan if needed because of the future problems with the schools.

What do you mean by three school argument? If you are referring to Fox, Holton, and Mumford, they are all excellent. My own kid is in Fox. Patrick Henry is getting good reports, but I can't speak authoritatively.

Middle School: Binford, Hill, and the IB program at Lucille Brown are popular, and improving rapidly.

3 excellent high schools, by any standards, as I've posted about earlier. Community, Open, and Maggie Walker. Yes they are all application schools.

[VA Yankee]

Originally Posted by Charlesaf3

What do you mean by three school argument? If you are referring to Fox, Holton, and Mumford, they are all excellent. My own kid is in Fox. Patrick Henry is getting good reports, but I can't speak authoritatively.

Middle School: Binford, Hill, and the IB program at Lucille Brown are popular, and improving rapidly.

3 excellent high schools, by any standards, as I've posted about earlier. Community, Open, and Maggie Walker. Yes they are all application schools.

The 3 school argument means that posters keep pointing to Fox, Mumford and occasionally Holton as excellent examples of the school system, they make it sound like you just apply if your out of zone to attend no problem. The reality is you must enter a lottery, be selected for and provide transportation if selected, great option and what if you don't get in? That's my point. Maggie Walker is another frequent example, what if your child doesn't have the academic strength or just doesn't get selected then what.

Regardless of the district I never feel that selective schools that can glean the top x% of applicants gives an accurate reflection of the districts performance. As I asked the other poster which middle school will your child attend?

[SmartTownPetersburg]

I also love Savvanah. Richmond and Charlottesville are VERY diifferent. Cool thing is you can live BETWEEN the two (like, in Goochland). Richmond is almost as charming as Savvannah, but is more spread out and a better, more cosmopolitan city. Charlottesville is generally a better place to live for most people, but also more expensive and LESS charming --- it doesn't have much of a downtown (but what they have, they do a LOT with --- it's like a much bigger Ithaca NY without the taxes.) Charlottesville also doesn't have the extensive beautiful historic neighborhood's that Richmond does -- it used to be a small place until fairly recently. I do believe race relations are better in Richmond than Savannah, which IS an issue;mutual suspicion and misunderstandings can be a drag. Charlottesville not much of a problem on that front. Good luck!