Could anyone tell me about the Providence schools and Columbia High school in Huntsville, al?

[Reactionary]

cglover - what I'm asking is in the context of Columbia being (IIRC specifically) built to attract BRAC people. IIRC you are a BRAC family. What is it about Columbia that didn't attract you - or what is it about another area that was more attractive?

You've noticed that the developers may have overbuilt for BRAC. IMO the city / community has made some less than efficient decisions, based partly on rosy Army estimates and partly on self-induced hype.

[ionlife]

columbia elementary is a Madison school, so I wouldn't have a problem with that--I think I was mixing it up wtih a new HS down near Lake Forest that doesn't have a big population of students yet--sorry.

I'll have to double check it--I was talking about differences between High Schools earlier and might have transposed the schools in my head--not living there yet

I chose the Madison School district for our relocation as we loved the MS and HS and felt it was a fabulous fit academically and extracurricular-wise for our daughter.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Reactionary]

cglover - Madison's Bob Jones High School is recognized as one of the best schools in the area

[ionlife]

all right--just double checked my tabs/favorites and refreshed my memory--it was Columbia HS in Huntsville that was asked about. I spoke to some people about it and it is a new school, small population, and no one had any idea about its future demographics etc. My daughter is seriously into theater and needs a good program to cover that base. Also, Bob Jones has stood the test of time. Building a school in anticipation of a HUGE WAVE of BRAC/IIRC/MDA people supposedly moving there might have been a bit hasty. Most of the people I know look at the schools in existence and compare the numbers before they make decisions about the schools. Also, if it is new, isn't there a wave of kids bused into that school that aren't truly zoned for it? Someone might have mentioned that to me in conversation. At one time I know the number of students at the school, but I have to look for that again before anyone can quote me

And really--there isn't a wave of us coming down. I'd say 15% of MDA is the max willing to make the transition because of the spouses also having high powered jobs in this area and they aren't willing to give that up. Also, they don't know what they are saying no to. We love the south -- lived in knoxville for 14 years before coming to the DC area for work. We love DC and all it offers, but we look forward to living a more laid back life in the south. Many people don't understand that Hville and Madison are truly great places to live with a wide variety of people -- many of whom are very well educated -- blame it on the movies-- but there's a stigma.

So no big wave--just a few very smart people coming down south because we know it'll be awesome to live in the south!

Some more will come in 2009-2010--but not the numbers that the city predicted.

[looktothestars]

As a senior at Columbia, I've been here since the school first was started three years ago. While, like all schools that first start off, Columbia has some problems, you have to understand that we're working hard to overcome them. The IB program is an amazing idea, and I sometimes wish I was a sophmore so I could join. IB allows for its students to not only compete with the growing national work force in a technology based society, but also internationally. Students that complete these courses can go on to even skip their freshman year of college and start as a sophmore.

On the argument of the other two high schools of the area, they are large and often overpopulated. Here at Columbia, most of the teachers know their students by name, and we have more teacher interaction with us.

Noting also, that the Columbia campus is actually two schools combined--one, is Columbia, of course, and the other is New Century Technology High School. So if your student wants to advance more in the techology, medical and aerospace fields, NCT is a good school for you. Since both are found on the campus, students are emersted in both sides of the schools.

[Crimson1]

Off topic but what is IIRC!?

[HsvMike]

No one has ever told me but I think it means "If I Recall Correctly".

[NicoleC]

Yes, it does.