When should you choose your high school?

[StickerMann]

I was going to post something similar. We have students on the bus for 90 minutes in the morning and 90 minutes in the evening.

 

For a good number of students across this state, there is no choice in HS. There is one in their county. And then the parents cannot afford tuition or the cost to travel outside of the county/community to have a 2nd choice.

 

Posing this question highlights one of the big difference and lack of understanding between rural and urban.

 

Not doubting your post, but how can it possibly take 90 minutes each way to transport kids around your county?? I can be in Louisville or Richmond in 90 minutes from NKY??

[StickerMann]

Why shouldn't it be? It's a big choice. My children will have the opportunity to select from Boone County, CovCath/Notre Dame, St. Henry, Covington Holy Cross, Beechwood, Newport Catholic, Highlands, Dixie, Scott, and Simon Kenton.

 

Don't forget Villa, Cov. Latin, Heritage, Brossart, Calvary, etc.??

[inmyopinion]

When you ride a bus, it does not go directly to your house and straight to school. There is actually a bus route where several children are picked up along the way. I would say we too have kids on the bus for 90 minutes one way. I guess our county is bigger than "Old Guy's" subdivision.

[Theoldguy]

LBBC let me give you even an better example: My wife and I will be leaving to visit our daughter this coming weekend and because it is close to a five and a half hour drive, we like to listen to a good audio books rather than listen to music. So we drove over to our brand new Boone County Library, which is exactly 2.1 miles from our home. It is huge, and it is beautiful, but the selections of audio books while extensive, the number of copies they have isn't. The audio book we were looking for they had, but the three copies were out, and wouldn't be back prior to our leaving. Now maybe in other parts in the Commonwealth you would be out of luck, but because of the closeness of the Cincinnati Hamilton County Library (which is one of the best libraries in the Country) and because Boone County as well as the other Counties in NKy have a working agreement with each other, all we had to do was see if they had a copy available, and sure enough they did! It took all of about fifteen minutes to drive to the main Cincinnati Public Library where I dropped off my wife, she went into the library showed her library card retrieved the audio book and off we went back across the river and home again all in under an hour! Now I can only assume that all the Counties in Kentucky have libraries (or at least I hope they do) but I can guarantee you, that none have the collection or the number of books that the Cincinnati Hamilton County Library does. So, should I not be allowed to use this advantage that we in NKy have, because somewhere else in Kentucky they don't?

 

Another example: When my daughter was very little she had to go a hospital to have some major testing done. We had the choice of many outstanding hospital in and around NKy and Cincinnati, but because we were lucky enough to have the World Famous Children's Hospital nearby, we choose to take our daughter there. Again because were we live, we have many, many options. I would consider my wife and I bad parents if we didn't take advantage of what is available to us in NKy.

 

Funny and true! Saw a car load of teenagers, get out of a car with a East Jessamine Football sticker on the car, and a license plate reading Oldham County going into the Cincinnati Public Library. When I asked them why they came so far, their answer was we couldn't find what we needed back home. Funny these kids had to travel so far, to get what they needed, but my wife and I had less than a 15 minute drive.

[Theoldguy]

When you ride a bus, it does not go directly to your house and straight to school. There is actually a bus route where several children are picked up along the way. I would say we too have kids on the bus for 90 minutes one way. I guess our county is bigger than "Old Guy's" subdivision.

 

 

Very true, and I can believe you about the drive time on the bus. When my daughter first started school, she rode the bus (Boone County, not the school district pays for everybody, even private school kids to ride the bus to school, as they say it is a safety issue), but she was the first pickup and she was on the bus for close to forty five minutes, yet we lived less than four miles from her school. We didn't like the fact that she was on the bus for such a long time (as a first grader), so my wife or I drove her to school each morning. Our choice, and no problem at all. Again we did what we thought was best for her!

[UNDERTHEBRIDGE]

How come it seems that NKY has very few problems with recruiting? From where I live in NKY the following schools were within 15 minutes: CovCath, Boone, Highlands, Ryle, Beechwood, Dixie, Scott, Holmes, Latin (maybe), St. Henry, Holy Cross, Lloyd, Villa, and probably NewCath. Why is it that there are so few problems up in the northern part when we have so many schools?

 

I'm going out on a limb here in what I think the explanation to this is and people can feel free to agree or disagree with me. I think that with so many schools, many with the open enrollment provided them, you don't get as much arguement because choice is allowed to the parents and the ability to argue their choice isn't as easy. With an area like Lexington you really only have two major open enrollement high schools in a larger area where there are tons of public schools who enforce districts. The arguements get made because if any child at all decides to not go to their Public High School and instead go to one of the Private high schools then it must be a case of recruitment especially if they are an athlete.

 

So at least w/ Lexington versus NKY its probably more a ratio of Public Schools w/ districts versus Private schools w/ open enrollment.

[ladiesbballcoach]

And I could answer back, so your position is that instead of letting those who live in such an area where they can choose what is best for their children, they (meaning those who live in large urban areas) can only have what those who live in geography areas that can't offer choice have? My area of the Commonwealth shouldn't be hindered, because we have what we have! To me and most parents who choose one school over another, it has nothing to do with sports, it's all about getting the best education that I can get for my child! "Sports are for fun, a great education, last a lifetime."

 

I know that you don't like the no child left behind law (and I understand why) but why should I have to send my child to a school that is not up to my standards dealing with his/her education? Please don't tell me that all HS are equal, when it comes to getting a great education. Should it be that way? Yes, but it isn't.

 

 

Maybe the real answer to all of this, is to reduce the number of Counties that we have in the Commonwealth. Having Counties in the Commonwealth that are smaller in population than the subdivision that I live it, just doesn't make sense. Maybe counties in the Commonwealth should be based on a minimum population size, or square mileage minimum if the population base is too small. Understand what I am saying?

 

 

Will it ever be equal? No, you know that as well as I do...

 

And thus the reason I am for vouchers and then dividing schools out so that like schools can compete against like schools.

 

But don't throw a school that has numerous advantages over other schools into the same divisions and then gloat because you win more than them and claim some superiority over them for reasons that exist that they have no control over.

[colonel-fan]

And thus the reason I am for vouchers and then dividing schools out so that like schools can compete against like schools.

 

But don't throw a school that has numerous advantages over other schools into the same divisions and then gloat because you win more than them and claim some superiority over them for reasons that exist that they have no control over.

 

Who exactly is gloating?

[thsrocks]

And thus the reason I am for vouchers and then dividing schools out so that like schools can compete against like schools.

 

But don't throw a school that has numerous advantages over other schools into the same divisions and then gloat because you win more than them and claim some superiority over them for reasons that exist that they have no control over.

 

Back in 1974, the state at large was not happy that Jefferson County was assured a state champion in football by virtue of AAA class being limited to Jefferson County only. So, in 1975 the Jefferson Co winner was paired with the state at large winner in class 4A.

 

Each school district has it's own set of rules. There is no equitable way to "divide" the haves and have-nots. You'll never reach consensus unless open enrollment is implemented state wide. Then again, some underachieving schools would close and some teachers would have to find a new place of employment.

 

I don't see a word about swimming. I wonder how a public school can attract the finest female swimmers for 4 consecutive years and a private school within 5 miles continues to attract the finest male swimmiers (20 consecutive state titles)? Coaching, tradition, academic standing, dumb luck? Choosing from the metro Louisville population?

 

Why not divisions in all sports? Golf, swimming, baseball, softball, volleyball?

 

Admit the largest advantage of population is inherit within the Louisville Metro. Throw in some ardent supporters and guess where the better student athletes throughout this area are going to want to play their favorite sport(s) and continue their educations.

 

Now there's talk of single sex schools by the local publics.....

 

The children/parents should be able to choose their school of choice each school year. There are many reasons a person would want to change schools outside of athletics. Freedom of choice always seems to be what the USA supports world wide...why not at home?

[ladiesbballcoach]

 

Each school district has it's own set of rules. There is no equitable way to "divide" the haves and have-nots. You'll never reach consensus unless open enrollment is implemented state wide. Then again, some underachieving schools would close and some teachers would have to find a new place of employment.

 

 

Open enrollment, as has been pointed out, does nothing to at best minimal to help rural schools and the mountain schools.

 

I also disagree that some underachieving schools would close. Not every parent can provide transportation to a school outside of their community. And some simply don't care enough to send their child elsewhere.

 

 

Now there's talk of single sex schools by the local publics.....

 

The children/parents should be able to choose their school of choice each school year. There are many reasons a person would want to change schools outside of athletics. Freedom of choice always seems to be what the USA supports world wide...why not at home?

I would love single sex schools for publics.

 

And I agree and why I would support a voucher system.

[TonyDanza]

In my day and age you were tagged at birth with the high school you would be attending.

 

Today my opinion as a parent is you select a school that is the best fit for your child(ren). Plain and simple. Even if that decision is made in the 8th grade.

[ladiesbballcoach]

In my day and age you were tagged at birth with the high school you would be attending.

 

Today my opinion as a parent is you select a school that is the best fit for your child(ren). Plain and simple. Even if that decision is made in the 8th grade.

 

You know, TD, I disagree with you to a point. The decision might occur at the end of the sophomore year or the junior year.

 

If the school loses the person that has put on the school drama for years and it looks like there will not be a school drama the next year and the student is going to major in drama in school, I think they should have a right to transfer schools.

 

My contention is that parent's and the child should have the right to attend the school of their choice if the school is able and willing to accept them but then let like schools compete against like schools.

[TonyDanza]

You know, TD, I disagree with you to a point. The decision might occur at the end of the sophomore year or the junior year.

 

If the school loses the person that has put on the school drama for years and it looks like there will not be a school drama the next year and the student is going to major in drama in school, I think they should have a right to transfer schools.

 

My contention is that parent's and the child should have the right to attend the school of their choice if the school is able and willing to accept them but then let like schools compete against like schools.

 

And I disagree with you. A child should not be deciding/changing schools in the middle of high school. As you well know kids have enough issues already to deal with! Changing schools due to moving, financial, yada, you get the point...is acceptable. This is where some questions come up about recruiting etc at this time. You allow kids to do that all the time and it would be a fiasco.

 

I don't disagree that a child should be able to go to a school that is best for them. But I think that choice should be made before high school starts.

[thsrocks]

And I disagree with you. A child should not be deciding/changing schools in the middle of high school. As you well know kids have enough issues already to deal with! Changing schools due to moving, financial, yada, you get the point...is acceptable. This is where some questions come up about recruiting etc at this time. You allow kids to do that all the time and it would be a fiasco.

 

I don't disagree that a child should be able to go to a school that is best for them. But I think that choice should be made before high school starts.

 

Things change. Personnel changes. Let's say several Science teachers leave Manual due to a dispute with Ms. Keepers, students may want to follow them to another school. I don't believe any child should be tied to a school "for life" unless they choose to.

 

This state's ruralness can be perceived as a problem....many schools have consolidated and transportation is provided.

 

The parents choose where they live. The mountains need so much help....

again, level playing field.....not achieveable in society has a whole, not achieveable at the high school level for athletics for many of the same reasons.

[AnswertheBell]

I agree somewhat;

 

1. We are not lock to a high school now , just move. If its science your after then athletic makes no difference.

 

2. Just because you say it will never be reach you understand the difference. We should not stop trying, right.