Suwanee Gwinnett vs Suwanee,Cumming. Forsyth

[BR Valentine]

Originally Posted by wilful

As these schools become more asian or super majority asian, and I think they will, I wonder if the white population will see that as a good or bad thing - and if so how will they react - stay put, private school route, or start moving to less diverse public schools in Cumming, North or West Forsyth.

Not trying to stir the pot as some might think but just curious.

Shorter response: I haven't seen white flight, but through random events and individual decisions the area east of 400 and south of the lake has wound up with elementary schools that are in equal numbers majority Asian and majority white with more integrated schools for middle and high school. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that white folks decide to leave but at the moment I think demographics at elementary schools are influencing where white and Asian families buy houses. Asian families are moving into West Forsyth (a Hindu Temple is opening next to Polo Country Club), just not anywhere near the rate as they are east of 400. Since the Asian population is younger on average I expect Asians to become an increasingly larger portion of the population in this area as white household size decreases over time.

Longer response: White folks aren't the only actors in this process. I live east of 400 and have a Cumming address. The way things have played out is as follows.

In the early to mid 2000s when Asians began moving into Forsyth they sought to live in the South Forsyth HS cluster. And Asian families specifically sought to be in the the Johns Creek and Daves Creek elementary school attendance zones within the SFHS cluster (that's not me speculating I've been told this verbatim by Asian friends and acquaintances). Lambert didn't open until 2009 though it has become the other go to HS cluster for Asian families.

In the case of Daves Creek as white families' children aged out of elementary school they were more often than not replaced by children from Asian families. Also white families were heavily concentrated in the northern part of the Daves Creek attendance zone in two huge developments built in the late 90s - early 00s. When Haw Creek ES was built to relieve overcrowding at Daves Creek there wasn't any way to avoid radically changing the demographics at Daves Creek. And the district tried to limit those demographic changes for as long as they could.

Much to the dissatisfaction of parents in Windermere, Forsyth SD has divided Windermere between Haw Creek and Daves Creek since Haw Creek opened in 2009 to bolster white enrollment at Daves Creek. Because of continued overcrowding at Daves Creek and the incredible number of homes being built between Windermere and DCES the district has rezoned all of Windermere along with a couple of other smaller subdivisions for Haw Creek as of the next school year. And that is how we wound up with a super majority Asian elementary school zone bordering a white super majority elementary school zone.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by BR Valentine

Shorter response: I haven't seen white flight, but through random events and individual decisions the area east of 400 and south of the lake has wound up with elementary schools that are in equal numbers majority Asian and majority white with more integrated schools for middle and high school. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that white folks decide to leave but at the moment I think demographics at elementary schools are influencing where white and Asian families buy houses. Asian families are moving into West Forsyth (a Hindu Temple is opening next to Polo Country Club), just not anywhere near the rate as they are east of 400. Since the Asian population is younger on average I expect Asians to become an increasingly larger portion of the population in this area as white household size decreases over time.

Longer response: White folks aren't the only actors in this process. I live east of 400 and have a Cumming address. The way things have played out is as follows.

In the early to mid 2000s when Asians began moving into Forsyth they sought to live in the South Forsyth HS cluster. And Asian families specifically sought to be in the the Johns Creek and Daves Creek elementary school attendance zones within the SFHS cluster (that's not me speculating I've been told this verbatim by Asian friends and acquaintances). Lambert didn't open until 2009 though it has become the other go to HS cluster for Asian families.

In the case of Daves Creek as white families' children aged out of elementary school they were more often than not replaced by children from Asian families. Also white families were heavily concentrated in the northern part of the Daves Creek attendance zone in two huge developments built in the late 90s - early 00s. When Haw Creek ES was built to relieve overcrowding at Daves Creek there wasn't any way to avoid radically changing the demographics at Daves Creek. And the district tried to limit those demographic changes for as long as they could.

Much to the dissatisfaction of parents in Windermere, Forsyth SD has divided Windermere between Haw Creek and Daves Creek since Haw Creek opened in 2009 to bolster white enrollment at Daves Creek. Because of continued overcrowding at Daves Creek and the incredible number of homes being built between Windermere and DCES the district has rezoned all of Windermere along with a couple of other smaller subdivisions for Haw Creek as of the next school year. And that is how we wound up with a super majority Asian elementary school zone bordering a white super majority elementary school zone.

So if I am reading this correctly, there is some(and maybe I'm not) racial gerrymandering/redistricting going on within the Forsyth SD to lessen the asian population at certain new schools? Or is the SD just responding to the overcrowding issues and so that's just the way things turned out?

[BR Valentine]

Originally Posted by wilful

So if I am reading this correctly, there is some(and maybe I'm not) racial gerrymandering/redistricting going on within the Forsyth SD to lessen the asian population at certain new schools? Or is the SD just responding to the overcrowding issues and so that's just the way things turned out?

The district has tried to keep schools integrated as much as possible. But the timing of when and where white and Asian families moved into the area has made maintaining elementary schools that are integrated and not overcrowded pretty close to impossible. The district intentionally kept majority white neighborhoods in the Daves Creek zone. But Daves Creek is still well over capacity and has hundreds of houses being built close to it and the buyers are disproportionately Asian. Haw Creek is under capacity and has a lot less land left for development thanks to Chattahoochee River Club and Windermere being such gigantic developments. I live in one of the white neighborhoods they've kept in the Daves Creek zone. The other factor is that thus far few Asian families are willing to buy houses in the Mashburn (below capacity and 80% white) attendance zone because its a feeder school for Central, not South or Lambert.

Below is an actual conversation at a Daves Creek PTA meeting regarding redistricting a couple of years ago when my youngest daughter was still a student there.

My white neighbor: "I don't understand why the district can't just move the four Windermere neighborhoods to Haw Creek. Daves Creek wouldn't need trailers then."

awkward silence

Indian parent (a friend and an incredibly blunt speaker): "There won't be any white children left here if they do that."

My neighbor: "I hadn't thought of that." (she really hadn't)