Hi, Terrie! I hope I can help you a bit on this. Here's my opinion based on personal experiences & what I've heard from others.
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Originally Posted by terrie07
1. of raliegh -durham-or ch which has better schools
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This is a REALLY really hard question to answer because it depends a lot upon what you want for your individual child. So here's the break-down.
In most cases in North Carolina, the school system is run by the county. So Wake County covers the schools in Raleigh, Cary, and other communities within that county and Durham County handles the schools in Durham, etc. However, there's an exception to that rule and in this case, the exception is Chapel Hill. Although Chapel Hill is located in Orange County, it has a seperate schools system that covers Chapel Hill and the neighboring town of Carrboro. All of these systems have their own pros and cons. You just have to decide which matters the most to you.
Wake County schools have been catching a lot of flack lately. The population within Wake County has grown very rapidly and, unfortunately, schools have not been able to be built fast enough to accomodate all of the new students. In an effort to serve the larger population, Wake County
just this year changed most of the elementary schools to a year-round program. Middle schools and high schools have stayed on a traditional calendar. Some people don't like this, and some do; it's a matter of personal preference & circumstances. There are a few traditional-schedule elementary schools out there & you can request that your child be placed in one if you choose, but I don't know how hard it is to land one of those spots. Another controversial aspect to Wake County schools is their reassignment policy. In an effort to keep each school economically diverse, some students are sent to schools that are
not the school closest to their homes. Again, some people have a problem with this and some do not. It is a matter of personal tastes.
Durham County schools often get a bad rap because, at first glance, their test scores are lower than in other districts. However, upon further examination you'll see that it's more complicated. Durham is more racially and economically diverse than the other cities within The Triangle and that leads to a lot of diversity in test scores. It is an unfortunate fact in this country that, nation-wide, black students do not score as well on standardized tests as white students. (Note that I find this sad and shameful and I think the country as a whole NEEDS to address this, but I won't talk further on that in this thread). Durham is a far more racially-diverse community (approximately 46% of the population is black), and so the
overall scores are lower. Also, Durham does not have a program that integrates lower-income students into traditionally higher-income schools the way Wake County does, so the atmosphere of the schools can vary. However, despite all of this, there are some excellent schools in Durham. Four of Durham's high schools were recently listed in Newsweek Magazine's list of the top 5% of high schools in the nation. And there are excellent magnet school programs, too. And of course, some people (myself included) honestly
want their children to live in a more racially-diverse area & they pick Durham for that reason.
Note that I live in Durham. I have no children, but I checked out the local elementary school in case we have a child soon. Since I am white, I checked out the test scores for white children at the school and discovered that white children at that school actually tested
higher on standarized tests than white children at some of the best schools in other districts. I also saw that, at some Durham schools, black students test higher than in schools in other districts. However, their overall scores still do not match the scores of the white students and those lower scores bring down the average test scores of the schools. So basically, you have to examine the scores closely to get a real feel of whether the school is right for your child.
Chapel Hill & Carrboro schools are known to be excellent. They probably have the best school system in the area. The problem I hear most commonly with their schools is that, with that excellent education comes a
lot of pressure. Chapel Hill and Carrboro is home to college professors & other professionals. They expect a lot from their schools and in turn, the schools expect a lot from their students. Some children thrive in this environment. Others don't. I think, though, that the main thing that keeps people from moving to Chapel Hill & Carrboro is the more expensive real estate (some of the most expensive in the area). Cheaper homes can be found, but the school distric is smaller (remember that it isn't county-wide) so there aren't as many options as can be found in other districts.
So which school is best? Depends upon what is important to you.
There are bad areas of every town. No surprise there. Durham has the highest crime rates, but most of that activity is centralized into a specific part of town. Most of Durham is just as safe and family friendly as the other communities.
Durham is the most racially diverse of the Triangle cities. Raleigh isn't too far behind (30-something%). I know I posted statistics in a thread a while back. I'll have to come back later & post that info. As for sexual orientation, it seems that gays are pretty well accepted all over the Triangle. According to ferrickhead (our community's expert in this area), there are a lot more lesbians on the western side of the Triangle; Durham is very popular as is Chapel Hill and Carrboro. There is a GLBT film festical in Durham every year and the mayor of Carrboro is gay, so yes, we're pretty liberal around here.
The whooooooole area is child-friendly! It's a very family-oriented area.
That depends on the job, of course, and I know nothing about your field so I can't help you there. Unemployment is low, but I strongly suggest that any professionals do a lot of homework before coming down here. Competition can be fierce in some fields.
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6. affordable housing no more than 700-750 for a 2 bedroom
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I think you could find this in any of these towns. I suspect that in Chapel Hill you'll be more likely to be surrounded by college students, though.
Again, there are nice parks to be found all over the Triangle. Tons of child-friendly museums, too.
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8.are apex and cary suburbs of the triangle?
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I would say they are offical part of the Triangle. I hesitate to call Cary a suburb, though. With a population of 125,000 people & plenty of its own to offer, I now see it as its own seperate town.
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9. if i live in durham can my kid go to a school in raliegh or wake county?
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No, I don't think so. Children in public schools are assigned to schools within their district. However, you can ask Durham Schools to place your child in a different school within the Durham district. I'm not sure about the approval process for this.
As for basic feel for the areas? Well, to me it all feels pretty suburban. There are some parts of Durham and Raleigh that feel more urban than others, but it's pretty much just miles and miles of trees in all directions.
Generally speaking, the western side of the Triangle is more liberal than the eastern side. There are people who feel very proud to live in every single part of the Triangle. I think the only way you can determine which place is best for you is to visit in-person. Good luck!
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thank u thank u thank u
