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Everything Smash255 said sounds pretty on point to me. Wheatley Heights is not a poor area whatsoever...it's also fairly small geographically, so maybe you were actually in Wyandanch and mistook it for WH??
I don't have any experience with HHH personally, but again - like Smash said, the economic differences would seem to mirror disparities in nearly every single school district on Long Island. Pretty sure we have a lot of posters here who either attended or have kids in HHH so it should be interesting to get their take on it...
From what I hear its not like that anymore but there was a huge economic gap when I was a kid.
I think the University lends itself to some more varied cultures while still remaining fairly affluent.
Nice area.
Crooks
LOL this is such a typical Crookhaven post...
I just looked it up, 3V is 87% WHITE!! If that's diversity, Levittown must be the United Nations!
On top of that, you even say that the district had the same issues the OP is worried about...but that "you heard" it might not anymore? LOL
Trust me, not knocking 3V (seems like a fantastic district), I'm just amused that you would suggest a place that is neither 1) racially/ethnically diverse or 2) economically homogenous - THE TWO CRITERIA THE OP IS APPARENTLY SEEKING!!
I just looked it up, 3V is 87% WHITE!! If that's diversity, Levittown must be the United Nations!
On top of that, you even say that the district had the same issues the OP is worried about...but that "you heard" it might not anymore? LOL
Trust me, not knocking 3V (seems like a fantastic district), I'm just amused that you would suggest a place that is neither 1) racially/ethnically diverse or 2) economically homogenous - THE TWO CRITERIA THE OP IS APPARENTLY SEEKING!!
Its ok SeanSean, you can mock me.
I know youre not knocking 3V...youre just knocking me.
I added that disclaimer since I moved in the 90s.
I assure you, for the area Stony Brook is as culturally diverse and affluent as you can find due to the University.
Trust me Brookhaven is pretty white and uptight.
Crooks
Last edited by Crookhaven; 09-21-2009 at 08:08 PM..
Sean X4:
I don't know how accurate 87% is; we have a fair number of mixed race families, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, African American and native American families. In fact, the native American/African American community has been here longer (centuries) than most everyone in the 3V's save for a few families. We have a variety of Christians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Aetheists, Agnostics, etc.
My old HS was as white as white could be. I believe now it is only in the mid to upper 90th percentile for white population. Let's remember race does not have the corner on diversity.
From a socio-economic perspective, there are families whose children received free lunch. mom and dad both work, are struggling to pay the rent, and there are families who live in multi-million dollar waterfront homes, who own yachts, private planes and think nothing of going to Europe to ski. It's a much bigger gap than what WH & DH have.
Most of the kids hang out together, but you do see the richie riches hanging more with their own, and the kids from struggling homes hanging together. The Indian kids hang more with other Indian kids, the Jewish boys and girls might also spend more time amongst themselves. My oldest is now a senior at WMHS and has friends from all over the spectrum. He has been to parties in mansions and in the small, cookie cutter development homes. As someone else had written, there are common denominators: sports, music, clubs, classes, religion, race, etc.
Unlike the HHH parent, I have never heard parents deny their children an invite to an Old Field house party because the family has amenities that us regular Joes do not. I have never heard anything coming from Gelinas or WMHS about kids bullying other kids based on perceived wealth.
I can't say it's perfect here. There are bratty kids, but even back in the day there were snotty, bratty kids in my HS...and it was not a rich area by any stretch. Here in the 3V your neighbor could be a nuclear physicist, a cardiologist, a billionaire, a cop, an electrician, a SAHM. Everyone coexists rather well.
OhBeeHave, you can see the full breakdown on the state report cards. 87% sounds right from what I remember. 3V has a fair number of Asian students, but very few black and Hispanic.
As for HHH, I grew up in Melville, and while there is some stupidly show-off wealth in the area (especially with the newer McMansions) there are and always have been more middle class sections. The neighborhood north of the Northern State Parkway is indistinguishable, visually, from the section of Melville going to South Huntington schools. It is a large district, and while it's not a neat spread socioeconomically, it is more complex than just poor kids from WH vs rich kids from Dix Hills/Melville.
I also think that in the case of HHH, there are racial issues involved that people don't really want to discuss openly.
OhBeeHave, you can see the full breakdown on the state report cards. 87% sounds right from what I remember. 3V has a fair number of Asian students, but very few black and Hispanic.
Granted HHHE and HHHW HS are more racially diverse.
As a resident of over 15 years, I have come to know many of my neighbors and children's parents. I can rattle off several children in my daughter's grade alone who are multiracial, yet reviewing the 07-08 report card, it indicates none. A few of the children are from a multiple birth, their father is African American/Native American and their mother Caucasian. There are several Hispanic/Caucasian children, Asian/Caucasian children, too, at her grade level within her school alone. Yet another family had 5 children in the school African American/Hispanic mixed race.
WMHS was 87% white in 07-08
Arrowhead 82%
Mount 83%
Setauket 91%
Nassakeag 90%
Minnesauke 89%
Gelinas JHS 90%
Murphy JHS 84%
The Jr Highs and the elementary schools averaged out to 87%
My question to the school district would be why aren't mixed race children included?
In the case of my children, they are listed white, but are white and Hispanic. It's not as though there are so many children who are mixed that it would significantly alter the demographics (so that they would appear more in line with HHHE) but that they would dip the white number a little and give a better reflection of the population.
Its ok SeanSean, you can mock me.
I know youre not knocking 3V...youre just knocking me.
I added that disclaimer since I moved in the 90s.
I assure you, for the area Stony Brook is as culturally diverse and affluent as you can find due to the University.
Trust me Brookhaven is pretty white and uptight.
Crooks
Pshh you should know better, we go way back....I'm not mocking you, but I do get a kick out of your unrelenting devotion to all things Brookhaven (and north of 25A).
The 3V suggestion seems like a stretch to me but who knows.... it could be just what the OP is looking for.
Pshh you should know better, we go way back....I'm not mocking you, but I do get a kick out of your unrelenting devotion to all things Brookhaven (and north of 25A).
The 3V suggestion seems like a stretch to me but who knows.... it could be just what the OP is looking for.
Dont knock it till ya try it pal.
Crooks
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