I am in Love with Louisville... (Germantown: apartment, cheap house, to live)

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

Unfortunately, this is incorrect based on the two proposals that were announced this week. The new plan will be in place by the 2009-2010 school year.

The new map has divided the county into two parts (A - the wealthier, predominantly white, higher SES areas including the east end and B - the poorer, predominantly minority areas including the downtown). All schools must have at least 15% but no more than 50% of their students from area A, and the rest from area B. So a school in area A can have no more than 50% of its students from the surrounding neighborhood. http://www.courier-journal.com/graph...g/areasa_b.pdf
from Jefferson wants income, race, education as criteria

There are two current proposals for how students will be placed across JCPS.According to the sound byte from Pat Todd on the video, "Parents have some choice among the schools in the cluster."

Map 1:

from http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Map/ElemContiguous.gif

As you can see, this proposal would mean that anyone living in the far northeast corner of Jefferson County could have their child placed in a band of schools that runs all the way into the west end of downtown (which I assume are the "crappy schools in the ghetto").

Map 2:
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Map/EleNonContiguous.gif

According to Pat Todd (Director of Student Assignment for JCPS), this proposal is similar to the plan that has been in place for the past. The clusters are broken up and scattered throughout the disctrict, but basically a child from the best neighborhood in the east end could be assigned to a school in "the ghetto" because that is part of their school cluster.

There are fantastic schools in JCPS. As a certified teacher, I've worked in schools in JCPS and there are schools where I would LOVE to send my child. But unfortunately, no matter what, there is a still a chance that your child will be bussed across town, and that will be a reality for the immediate future and beyond. Sure, nothing is complete, but if I were moving to Louisville right now, I would surely want to know what plans are being set in place. I'm not sure why there's been such a recent implication that bussing will be changing or is a thing of the past, because clearly the district intends otherwise.

for an interactive map: courier-journal.com » Jefferson County school assignment proposal map
Understanding the desegregation maps

I saw those articles...it is WAY too early to speculate as to what is going to happen. Those are merely proposals. Do you REALLY think that wealthy executive's children from Prospect are bussed to school in Portland or Shawnee? If so, I'd sure like to see some examples. Or how about upper middle class people in Lyndon. Do you REALLY think their children are bussed to school in Newburg? Lets be realistic here.

[nlschr0]

Why yes, I REALLY do because it happened to us as well as many other JCPS families. Like I said, I am a certified teacher, have lived in a wealthy east-end neighborhood, and I have worked in JCPS, so I personally have first-hand knowledge of experiencing this. What data and experiences do you have that even suggests that this would not be the case?

At least 50% of the students in every school in the low-income areas like downtown have to be bussed in from wealthier areas (e.g. the east end) - and that's the standard upon which the proposals are based, not part of the proposals itself. Where exactly are these students coming from if not Lyndon, Prospect, etc?

JCPS has stated without a doubt that there will be a student assignment plan in place where children are bussed from wealthier areas to downtown and vice versa - the only thing up in the air is deciding exactly how to split up the clusters to make that happen the most efficiently.

Again, I am really struggling to see why these misconceptions that lack any concrete foundation keep being stated here.

[backseatsandbar]

Germantown is probably one of the most "it" placse to live in all of Louisville and very cool. It's a safe, affordable and fun area.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

Why yes, I REALLY do because it happened to us as well as many other JCPS families. Like I said, I am a certified teacher, have lived in a wealthy east-end neighborhood, and I have worked in JCPS, so I personally have first-hand knowledge of experiencing this. What data and experiences do you have that even suggests that this would not be the case?

At least 50% of the students in every school in the low-income areas like downtown have to be bussed in from wealthier areas (e.g. the east end) - and that's the standard upon which the proposals are based, not part of the proposals itself. Where exactly are these students coming from if not Lyndon, Prospect, etc?

JCPS has stated without a doubt that there will be a student assignment plan in place where children are bussed from wealthier areas to downtown and vice versa - the only thing up in the air is deciding exactly how to split up the clusters to make that happen the most efficiently.

Again, I am really struggling to see why these misconceptions that lack any concrete foundation keep being stated here.

I thought you live in Lexington...when were you in Louisville?

[luv4mykids]

It is a problem for everyone I must admit. My son has been in the JCPS system now for 3 years and what a "ride" it has been.

For Kindergarten we lived in a great area in Fern Creek near the Gene Snyder...um he got placed at Price! He was denied at his resides school based on racial guidelines only...plus it still burns me up to look at that paper and see WM out from his name, knowing it means white male.

It took several written hardships to finally get someone at the Board to understand why he needed to go to either Fern Creek or Bates - for his daycare didn't do before and after school care for any other schools. Yet, the Board wanted us to split our children between 2 different daycares!!! Pregnant and at wits end, they finally granted him his Hardship to Bates, but the next year (first grade) the Board said he was assigned downtown at Shelby??? Which once a hardhip is approved, it's valid until they leave that elementary school, that is a fact straight from the assignment office - move to the moon, but your child can still go to that school that the hardship was granted!

Oops back on track...That was another nightmare getting that straight for the Board had him still at Bates, Bates showed him at Shelby, and I still have a tangible letter stating "welcome to Shelby." That was resolved finally and he stayed at Bates for all of 30 days; why? Hope you're sitting down for this.

We moved out of the area and our new resides school was Tully, which I'd been waiting for an opening forever to get him into - they are AWESOME!!! The first grade teacher he had was horrible and yelled at the children everyday, just in my opinion she shouldn't be a teacher with her attitude. So one day we'd all had it. I called Tully and thank God to this day, they had ONE opening left and he got it! Which was great, but I didn't realize how hard this would be on him, for educational wise Tully was way ahead of his work at Bates; on the first parent teacher conference his teacher told me she had to look at his records to make sure he'd been to Kindergarten for he didn't learn things their kindergarteners had--that is SAD!

Here's my gripe though and it makes tons of sense. J-town residents pay extra taxes to benefit the schools in J-town, yet your child may not go to a J-town school that benefits from those monies - how does that make sense? The clusters are so messed up that now we are planning to move again, but remain in J-town, that he may in another cluster again! The streets just 5-6 blocks from Tully aren't even assigned there! They have a lot of kids come in from Shelbyville Rd and downtown.

I think it's a mess, kids on buses all day to and from school when they pass at least 3 on the way to their destination. WE have over 800 buses in our school transportation and they go over 150 miles each a day - what sense does this make? Where is the sense of community? Even siblings are assigned to different schools, so no one is safe here!

So now we are amidst homebuying, but it's a sad day that you pull the JCPS SchoolFinder to see if a house will actually work - and boy it surprises me every time at what address goes where!! My advice to anyone is to check it yourself!

JCPS SchoolFinder (broken link)

Yes, I've lived with this and will for at least 18 more years until our baby grows up or we move. I've written paper upon paper with facts and figures and it seems no one listens. I'm thrilled the Supreme Court handed out the verdict they did, but JCPS will find a loop hole and all it's doing is screwing our children in the long run. Want to see #'s that would make any taxpayer cringe go to page 9 on this link - it's the Financial Report most people don't bother to look at! I would love to know how much more could go to libraries or instruction if the cost of transportation went down...and how much time our kids would have to really play if they didn't have to go from county line to county line! (Forgive any of my spelling blunders, it's late and this subject gets me heated!)

[URL]http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Departments/FinancialServices/Documents/JCBE2006FinalReport.pdf[/URL]

[kimijo1999]

Originally Posted by louroclou

censusdata... I see the little Louisville Metro decal on those maps... does that mean they have a good clear map of every named neighborhood? I've been looking all over for such a thing. I ask people, okay, what's the boundary between say Crescent Hill and Clifton, and nobody knows. My son's in zoning and he can't find a map... Where'd you get it?

Here's a GREAT map

http://www.lojic.org/apps/products/cart/download.cfm?productfile=cencity4x3.pdf (broken link)

[melisann]

I just watched my first Thunder Over Louisville fireworks, and they were wonderful. Very beautiful, long and very impressive. Well done!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by melisann

I just watched my first Thunder Over Louisville fireworks, and they were wonderful. Very beautiful, long and very impressive. Well done!

Glad you enjoyed it! Which side did ya watch it on?

[colonelsmiley75]

Those areas east of the Interstate 65 are turning into scum infested areas. I used to know a lot of older people that lived in those areas. The old people either died or moved out and its been replaced by a lot of riff raff. Eastern Parkway area is the exception and its still pretty nice around there but has occasional bouts of violence from inner city criminals. You do have to get an alarm system and solid door because property crimes abound there. Schnitzelburg and Shelby Park areas have went south badly over the years.

Don't let these people tell you this kind of nonsense about these areas. They are in many places very unsafe just like those areas around Oak, St. Catherine, Winter Avenue. Not good areas at all.

[Gimme3steps]

Originally Posted by colonelsmiley75

Those areas east of the Interstate 65 are turning into scum infested areas. I used to know a lot of older people that lived in those areas. The old people either died or moved out and its been replaced by a lot of riff raff. Eastern Parkway area is the exception and its still pretty nice around there but has occasional bouts of violence from inner city criminals. You do have to get an alarm system and solid door because property crimes abound there. Schnitzelburg and Shelby Park areas have went south badly over the years.

Don't let these people tell you this kind of nonsense about these areas. They are in many places very unsafe just like those areas around Oak, St. Catherine, Winter Avenue. Not good areas at all.

Blah, blah, blah