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Yes, private schooling is my main focus right now. I'll definitely look into Faith Christian Academy. Do you know anything (or have an opinion) about St. Joseph?
St. Joe isn't bad. A few of my friends went to school there, but of course it was the old building, not the new one which has had many names (A&P, Blue Ridge Outlet, Piggly Wiggly).
I began at Rosemont Elementary, then Hedgesville Elementary, Hedgesville Middle / High, then Hedgesville High once it was built.
To be candid, I have lived all over during my career and though WV is a brunt of jokes, I feel WV schools provide an equal or better education than other states. After the military I began my studies at Shep Tech aka Shepherd University, finished at American and grad school with Tulane. So all in all my education in Martinsburg and Hedgesville was good. Of course that was in the 60's and 70's
My daughter attends Hedgesville High and I like the school system, my son is now at Spring Mills Middle. We moved here 2 years ago from Anne Arundel County MD and the schools are much better here. My son has had a reading and speech IEP and since moving here he has improved 100%. I couldn't be happier.
As a retired educator, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this type of comment from a parent who moved into WV with great concern for education. I am confident that most all schools in WV will provide a decent education.
I had one child graduate from Miami University (Oxford, OH and is considered one of the "Public Ivies"). I had another child graduate from West Point. Our third child has a successful career in management after two years at Shepherd University (alma mater for my wife and me).
These records speak volumes for the preparation available.
Even though they are not in Berkeley County, I wanted all to know WV schools are very favorable to other states.
1. I have two children ages 5 (Kindergarten) and 6 (First grade). They are relocating to Hedgesville, WV with their mother (I have no other options but this area).
2. Pick-up and drop-off is no problem.
3. My main concern is quality of education, particularly in math, science and reading. My goal is that they are highly educated and prepared to enter top universities in the future.
Thanks!
I'm not a parent yet, nor do I live in the eastern panhandle.. however, you're children are 5 and 6... you need to start them with foreign language education. Start them with Spanish, German or French. If they start picking up on a foreign language that young it will make learning it 10 times easier, and they will not be like me... banging their heads on their desk when they're in college because they have to have 12 hours of foreign language credit.
As a retired educator, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this type of comment from a parent who moved into WV with great concern for education. I am confident that most all schools in WV will provide a decent education.
I had one child graduate from Miami University (Oxford, OH and is considered one of the "Public Ivies"). I had another child graduate from West Point. Our third child has a successful career in management after two years at Shepherd University (alma mater for my wife and me).
These records speak volumes for the preparation available.
Even though they are not in Berkeley County, I wanted all to know WV schools are very favorable to other states.
True, it is not the schools fault in Berkeley it is the county or should I say states issue in brining jobs instead of running commerce to other locations. I think my HHS graduating class of 105 (again dating myself) students had about 20 stay within Berkeley. The rest of us left to find employment that actually paid a wage where you could actually work and live in the same area.
The days of Corning, DuPont, GM, Martin Marietta, etc., are gone. Today's Berkeley, unless you work in the DC area provides low wage / high cost (real estate) issues.
True, it is not the schools fault in Berkeley it is the county or should I say states issue in brining jobs instead of running commerce to other locations. I think my HHS graduating class of 105 (again dating myself) students had about 20 stay within Berkeley. The rest of us left to find employment that actually paid a wage where you could actually work and live in the same area.
The days of Corning, DuPont, GM, Martin Marietta, etc., are gone. Today's Berkeley, unless you work in the DC area provides low wage / high cost (real estate) issues.
True, but in comparison to other locals it is way above the norm for the average salary for the area.
My home in the Atlanta area would be about 20% higher today in Martinsburg, but with double the ammenities and job opportunites here.
Granted, looking at Martinsburg real estate it has been slammed hard as I predicted many moons ago, but unless someone goes to Washington to work, it would be hard to afford a home in the B'urg at 10 bucks an hour.
The 90's was not kind to Martinsburg at all with many of the job producers outsourced or bankrupted. Many locations changed with the times and looked forward, Morgantown comes to mind here, but Berkeley? Well, it did expand it's government! Wow! Could not believe that the last time I was there. Berkeley has double the government buildings and staff than my county in Georgia. The only difference is my county here has 1.1 more million in population than Berkeley Ok, that's for another topic.
Overall back to topic, Berkeley schools are just fine.
The days of Corning, DuPont, GM, Martin Marietta, etc., are gone. Today's Berkeley, unless you work in the DC area provides low wage / high cost (real estate) issues.
Nearly 50% of the county workforce heads to DC, MD, and VA every morning. However, Berkeley County has some high paying job opportunities for college graduates, mainly in the government sector. Many agencies have intern programs and work with Shepherd University to recruit. Jobs here in Martinsburg/Berkeley County are the VA Center, WV Air National Guard, IRS Computing Center, USCG Operations Systems Center, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, USCG National Maritime Center, and USCG National Vessel Documentation Center. These government agencies account for approx. 5,300 good paying jobs, right here in Martinsburg.
I interned with the Coast Guard for approx. nine months, while attending Shepherd, then landed a pretty good IT job working for a Government contract.
Nearly 50% of the county workforce heads to DC, MD, and VA every morning. However, Berkeley County has some high paying job opportunities for college graduates, mainly in the government sector. Many agencies have intern programs and work with Shepherd University to recruit. Jobs here in Martinsburg/Berkeley County are the VA Center, WV Air National Guard, IRS Computing Center, USCG Operations Systems Center, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, USCG National Maritime Center, and USCG National Vessel Documentation Center. These government agencies account for approx. 5,300 good paying jobs, right here in Martinsburg.
I interned with the Coast Guard for approx. nine months, while attending Shepherd, then landed a pretty good IT job working for a Government contract.
RD, this gets back to my last comment about the size and scope of "government" in Berkeley County, of course I was speaking of a County level.
The main item that would concern me is the overall longevity of the goverment jobs. Granted, the VA (my late Uncle retired there many moons ago in medical research) has been there for years, the IRS though smaller than today, the same, and the WVANG. The main person who has accounted for the massive federal growth has been Sen. Pork Barrel Bob Byrd. As he gets closer to his mortality the question will be the overall future of the many government entities. Capitol Hill was buzzing with finger pointing when Byrd had the "Coast Guard" placed in the B'urg. To do what? Man the Potomac? They are still fighting in the Hill to move this department to Annapolis Maryland along with discussions about the ATF going down by the NSA. Time will tell of course and I hope Berkeley can hold on to the groups.
But as you stated 50%, which I would challenge as greater head to the DC area to work everyday. 5800 in government is less than 5% of the county population. I would state and probably safely that the remaining cross into Frederick County, VA or Washington / Frederick County MD also.
All I am saying is Berkeley has a long way to go in order to reclaim it's past holdings of work here, live here, play here. It has been a rollar coaster with industry, then nothing, then some. I will give it one thing, it has one of the best darn coffee shops around with two locations now and coming from someone who travels the country I would rate it as one of the best. Now that's progress!
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I second this comment
Ok, that's for another topic. 
" placed in the B'urg. To do what? Man the Potomac? They are still fighting in the Hill to move this department to Annapolis Maryland along with discussions about the ATF going down by the NSA. Time will tell of course and I hope Berkeley can hold on to the groups.
