High Schools in East Tennessee (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: fit in, to rent, home)

[Pacificop]

We are moving to the Roane/Anderson County Area in July. My wife and I will have our daughter starting Freshman High School and our son will begin Junior High School. We have visited the areas several times and find compelling reasons to move to Kingston or Oak Ridge. There are benefits obviously to both. I'll be working in Harriman so the drive from either city is equally close and not of concern. I was wondering which high school you guys would recommend. I have visited and toured Oak Ridge HS and found it absolutely amazing. It has all the great amenities a kid could ask for; great class rooms, music, drama, and wow what a tremendously funded sports programs. However, research shows that the education is better at Roane County High. I have not toured that school but have heard and read good things about it. We come from So Cal where the class rooms are over crowded, underfunded and half the kids don't speak English.

Comparing cities, we liked Kingston far more than Oak Ridge, but OR is not a bad place, just not as quaint or appealing as Kingston. No offense to any OR folks reading this.

Thoughts or experience anyone? My kids are thriving in academics, arts and sports so I know they'll fit in. We are looking for a good mixture of community and great schools. I appreciate any comments you offer.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Pacificop

We are moving to the Roane/Anderson County Area in July. My wife and I will have our daughter starting Freshman High School and our son will begin Junior High School. We have visited the areas several times and find compelling reasons to move to Kingston or Oak Ridge. There are benefits obviously to both. I'll be working in Harriman so the drive from either city is equally close and not of concern. I was wondering which high school you guys would recommend. I have visited and toured Oak Ridge HS and found it absolutely amazing. It has all the great amenities a kid could ask for; great class rooms, music, drama, and wow what a tremendously funded sports programs. However, research shows that the education is better at Roane County High. I have not toured that school but have heard and read good things about it. We come from So Cal where the class rooms are over crowded, underfunded and half the kids don't speak English.

Comparing cities, we liked Kingston far more than Oak Ridge, but OR is not a bad place, just not as quaint or appealing as Kingston. No offense to any OR folks reading this.

Thoughts or experience anyone? My kids are thriving in academics, arts and sports so I know they'll fit in. We are looking for a good mixture of community and great schools. I appreciate any comments you offer.

I cannot imagine that the education at Roane County HS is better than Oak Ridge. Where did you see that? Oak Ridge HS is considered one of the best high schools in the state.

I like the town of Kingston better than Oak Ridge, but I honestly think that Oak Ridge has the much, much better high school.

[Pacificop]

Checking out the great schools dot net website, Roane gets a hard to achieve 9 out of 10. OR gets an 8 out of 10. (The school my kids will be going to here only gets a 3 out of 10 - a befitting grade based on my knowledge of the school). The cool thing about our choice is that it isn't between the worst of the worst as where I am from, but the best of the best where I am going. A nice problem to have.

I don't know how valid their ratings are or if there is any real worth in the website, but it seems to be pretty good, fair and honest on first glance. Using it check out my kids current schools, it seems to be quite on par for how they rate what is happening in my area. Therefore, I give it some merit.

[Beretta]

If it were my choice and my children I would choose Oak Ridge HS. Good luck with your move!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Pacificop

Checking out the great schools dot net website, Roane gets a hard to achieve 9 out of 10. OR gets an 8 out of 10. (The school my kids will be going to here only gets a 3 out of 10 - a befitting grade based on my knowledge of the school). The cool thing about our choice is that it isn't between the worst of the worst as where I am from, but the best of the best where I am going. A nice problem to have.

I don't know how valid their ratings are or if there is any real worth in the website, but it seems to be pretty good, fair and honest on first glance. Using it check out my kids current schools, it seems to be quite on par for how they rate what is happening in my area. Therefore, I give it some merit.

I am very surprised that ORHS scored an 8/10 while RCHS scored a 9/10. But looking at the comments at greatschools.net tells a lot about the ratings. RCHS does have high test scores, pretty much equal to ORHS. (Keep in mind that those standardized tests test only the bare minimum standards.) The difference is in the ratings that students and parents gave. Some of the bad ratings for ORHS are because the school's curriculum is designed for over-achievers while mediocre students are kind of ignored (or so they say)

(On a side note, ORHS's emphasis on over-achievers seems to include its athletic programs as well as its academic curriculum, as ORHS routinely has outstanding sports teams.)

According to greatschools.net, students at Oak Ridge High School take the following AP tests:

•Art: Studio 2-D Design
•Biology
•Calculus AB
•Calculus BC
•Chemistry
•Chinese Language & Culture
•Computer Science A
•Economics: Macro
•Economics: Micro
•English Literature & Composition
•Environmental Science
•European History
•French Language
•German Language
•Music Theory
•Physics B
•Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism
•Physics C: Mechanics
•Psychology
•Spanish Language
•Statistics
•U.S. History

Roane County High School AP courses:

•Calculus AB
•Chemistry
•English Literature & Composition
•U.S. History


Oak Ridge High School students had an average ACT score of 25, while Roane County High School students had an average ACT score of 22. Keep in mind that nearly 3 times as many students at Oak Ridge take the ACT as at Roane County HS (more ORHS students continue to college than RCHS students).

While I personally do not like the city of Oak Ridge (I used to live there), it does offer a heck of a lot more than Kingston. Kingston is more beautiful, in my opinion, but because Oak Ridge is a city full of thousands of PhD's and nuclear engineers--and with high property taxes to pay for it all--Oak Ridgers demand a higher standard. Your kids would have a lot more to do in Oak Ridge, I believe.

[hiknapster]

I don't think Kingston is particularly popular, right now, due to the coal ash spill. It really occured in Harriman but Kingston is downstream and getting a bad rap.

Kingston is going to be the benefactor of a cleanup and a major makeover, courtesy of the TVA. So right now, the price is right and in the long run, it may become a very intelligent buy, if all the monetary promises come through.

Theater restoration sparks debate » Knoxville News Sentinel

[Kitties of Domination]

Oak Ridge hands down. Oak Ridge schools are some of the best funded schools in the state. Other good options for you would be Hardin Valley and Farragut, if you like the suburb thing. Both good schools and a 15-20 minute drive to Harriman.

[Pacificop]

You guys are the greatest. I thank you all so much for your comments. Our walk through of ORHS was phenomenal to say the least. What was even more inviting that just the school's curriculum, staff and physical beauty, was when we spoke to some kids in the parking lot and asked them what they thought of their school. We got a whole host of positive comments from the kids - something we are not used to from the kids in our schools.

It's with little doubt that we will be making our move to Oak Ridge. We're going to rent first and take the next while to seek out a home we want to live in for next umpteen years while putting the rug rats through college.

Our total family excitement of moving to East Tennessee this summer is undeniable. Usually kids don't want to leave, but they are ready to go now to get away from the crime, gangs, graffiti, negative attitudes, underfunded and overcrowded school systems and the dry desert of Southern California.

I've been lurking in the Knoxville Forum for many months and years even. I'm impressed with the positive attitude that permeates this forum, whereas with other forums from different cities, the comments are mostly negative and sad. We are so looking forward to enjoying the normal life style that the South has demonstrated and proven to us time and time again.

Merry Christmas to all of you and thanks for your help. It was just the nudge in the direction we were already headed. Glad to have your reassuring comments and insight.

[Beretta]

What a great post! Please let us know when you are heading this way and also when you get settled. We love hearing that we have new neighbors!

[Pacificop]

Thanks, will do. It looks like we are confirmed for a late June or early July move. We hope to be there for the 4th because we hear the firework shows on the lakes are beautiful. Also, the sooner the better.