<p>We live in a town of about 14000 that has had serious drug problems for many years. The last few years our town has developed gang problems. Two weeks ago a 16 year old was jumped and stabbed many times by a gang. Last week 12 students were arrested in connection with gang activity, but there has been at least one threat since that time. The school was on lock down and guns and knives were found on the campus. A few days later we had to to have the police at Wednesday night youth services because a threat had been made against another student. Our school, which is the largest for 30 miles, has been losing white students on a regular basis. Three of the top ten students in my daughter’s class have left the district for smaller schools within 10 miles. Another is leaving in December. Two of the schools are excellent, but closed to transfers at this time.<br>
My daughter says she can no longer concentrate in this atmosphere and wants to transfer to a different school district. She is interested in a small school about 12 miles away. The school has a good reputation, but not as good as others in the area. If she transfers, she would go from a class of 190 to a class of 34. She is in the top 10-12 percent of her class now, but it will be much more difficult to maintain her ranking with fewer students. Since we live in Texas, the 10% issue is an important issue. The small school seems to have a good selection of courses, but she is taking French II right now, and the smaller school only has Spanish.
Transportation is also an issue. She will be 16 shortly, but is still not a strong driver. The road to the small school is windy and dangerous, and I’m not sure I want her driving that far as a new driver.
I don’t know what to do. I want her safe, but is she safer in a school that has weapon issues, or a small school that she has to drive a treacherous road to. She wants to go to a good school out of state, so I have to consider if changing to a tiny school would hurt her chances. Sorry about the long post, and thanks for any imput!</p>
<p>Not simple. </p>
<p>From what you’ve said, I’d try and have her stay where she is while working to get a transfer to one of the currently closed school. It would be worth trying to meet with the principals of those schools to see if an exception could be made. Perhaps her high standing at her current school, and her interest in French or other subjects that might not be available at the smaller school would be the key to getting her into the “closed” schools. </p>
<p>If you move into the district with the better schools, are they required to enroll her? Is there a relative she could live with inside that district to establish residency? </p>
<p>The best case would be for your current school to get serious about positive change. Are there other parents who have your concerns who could meet as a group with the administration to let them know how seriously disappointed you are in the safety at school?</p>
<p>This is such a key time in the education of your daughter. I hope your situation improves one way or another.</p>
<p>Moving would be the simplest solution, but we are not in a position to do so at this time. We own our home, and real estate is not moving around here at all.
The school district is trying to deal with the situation, as is local law enforcement. The students who have been charged have been given extremely high bails. I can not see any of them getting out of jail any time soon.</p>
<p>We will definitely not do anything until she turns 16 because I can not provide transportation to any other school at this point. </p>
<p>The only local school that offers French has been closed to transfers for many years. We do not have any relatives within that district. Even the local community college only offers Spanish, so if she was the distinguished diploma she will have to stay put.</p>
<p>Maybe there is a carpool option. If you are willing to buy gas, maybe there is another family already going to one of the better schools, or who would be willing to make the switch with you and cooperate on the driving. Network, and ask other families in the same boat. You seem motivated. Make a list of positive steps to move forward on this.</p>
<p>For college admissions purposes, I wouldn’t worry too much about French v. Spanish. Colleges consider a student’s schedule in relation to what’s offered; if the school report shows that the new school doesn’t offer French, she won’t be penalized for switching languages.</p>
<p>What is the college acceptance rate for each of these schools? That could also affect the equation. If she stays where she is, will she have a good chance of getting into an out of state college? Will she have a better shot if she moves?</p>
<p>you know there was a saying after the ecoil outbreak a few years back…</p>
<p>“where’s the safest place to eat?” Jack in the box. The chain where the problem occurred. Why? they were aware of it and took every precaution to make sure nothing was taken for granted.</p>
<p>You might look at that school the same way. Talk with the administration, find out if they are working to make it the “safest place to go to school.” If they are look into it. If they aren’t make the move.</p>
<p>Not that this is much consolation, but there have been numerous studies that have proved living in dangerous neighborhoods is still safer than commuting. Still, I think when kids are distracted by violence and an unruly environment it is a very bad thing.</p>
<p>I don’t have any to add but sympathy, but I had no idea things were so bad in Gainesville!</p>
<p>I had the same thing happen back in high school. Well, I actually knew I was going to a horrible school with gang, drug, and pregnancy problems to begin with. After the first year and a half I wanted to change schools…parents made me stay though. I stuck through it and got into a good out of state college far away. You obviously have to take into account the 10% rule, since that seems like a big deal. And at most schools where stuff like that is a problem, as long as your daughter doesn’t associate herself with any of it…the likelihood that something bad is going to happen to her is actually pretty small. Although I do know how difficult it is to have those frequent lockdowns, and that can ruin concentration pretty quickly.</p>
<p>take french off the table, of all the issues here it is the least</p>
<p>and do you think she can maintain the 10% if she is scared?</p>
<p>is it worth it to stay in a place with such little support?</p>
<p>what abot carpooling- anyone at the school from your area</p>
<p>what is it that makes you not able to drive her? can your schedule be adjusted at all?</p>
<p>so she gets there really early, its what ,a 20 minute drive?</p>
<p>look at all the possibilities, and being safe is paramount</p>
<p>does she only want to go to school in Texas?</p>
<p>What year is your daughter? Sophomore? You say that she wants to go to school out of state. Maybe the 10% issue might not be as important if she wants to go out of state. Does the school with 34 students rank? Where did the students go who transferred? Would transportation be easier at these schools?</p>
<p>Ok. As a TX educator - let me clear up the distinguished diploma situation. So many parents force their kids into this and think this is some magic formula for getting into the “right” college. Well, the fact is that the kids have to sign showing their intent to go for the distinguished. This allows the counselors to check off “taking the most challenging courses.” Apps are sent out, acceptances are done, kids graduate, and they maybe will or won’t be notified that they finally completed all the requirements after they have already left for college! (The AP scores don’e even come out until August.) So, big deal. D earned hers, and we never even received anything. Supposedly, someday, if she ever needs a HS transcript again, it will say that on it. Don’t hold your breath. Nor does it seem to have made much difference once the kids were in college. It will do nothing to aid in the 10% rule. That said, your worry over this is minimal. She could state that she will continue to take French online (it is offered.) if it is not offered, and she will still get the “most challenging courses” checked off.</p>
<p>yes, let go of the French, that seems to be a sticking point </p>
<p>so what she stops french!</p>
<p>and if she is going out of state, what does the 10% ranking mean- very little for most schools</p>
<p>if you can explain to USE why the ranking, the french is so important for your D and her plans, please tell us…because in the rest of the country, with hundreds of amazing schools, they aren’t as important as they may seem…sure for some, yes, but for many…its just one piece of the puzzle</p>
<p>and if she takes two years of spanish, that is okay, if you change schools, you go with what you are given</p>
<p>You also need to find out the procedure for transferring in to the other school district. Those requests have to go through the legal department in my school district and, unless you are an employee of that school district, odds are the request will be denied. Some school districts do allow employees to choose which school their children will attend. I’ve also seen students live with a relative other than their parent so they can attend the school of their choice.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is class rank. In my school district, only those students who have been at the same school since January of the junior year are included in class rank calculations.</p>
<p>In all cases in my school district, transportation will not be provided for transferring students.</p>
<p>Safety is number one so if you think she’s in an unsafe situation that should take priority. In addition to the small school 12 miles away take a look at what other schools might be good options. If she wants to pass up better schools for this smaller one - why? Is it because she feels the school is truly better or is it because she has friends going there?</p>
<p>Reconsider moving since it sounds as if you’re not that happy with the area. Even if home prices are down now they’re likely down elsewhere in your vicinity as well so maybe the overall trade wouldn’t be so bad (sell low but buy low vs. sell high but buy high).</p>
<p>I may be missing something here but if my daughter was telling me she felt concerned for her safety and unable to concentrate I would stop everything and make a move. Online school, home study, independent study, rearranging a parent’s job so someone can drive her…whatever it takes do it.</p>
<p>D2 took Latin freshman year, then they cancelled the program, so she began to take French, and got through three semesters of it (block schedule). She was looking at very selective schools where most applicants have four years/AP foreign language classes. My D didn’t, and it didn’t hurt her at all. I’m sure the schools looked at the school profile (are you familiar with that part of the application submission from school counselors?) and saw Latin was no longer being offered (if it was important to them).</p>
<p>Other questions - in our area, if you send your kid to another school, you pay out of district tuition, which is big bucks. There are probably private schools around that you could send her to for almost the same money if it’s truly her safety she’s worried about. Not that any school is completely safe, but if college is her goal, then good solid college prep work for her last two years of high school would be beneficial. Frankly, our public high school offers more AP and honors classes than our local parochial high school, so I would have never considered it an option. While not nearly as dire sounding as your school, ours, too, has gangs. Our town has a large illegal immigrant population. We’ve had gang fights on campus (maybe once a year or so), and the students involved have been expelled. We also have an on-duty police officer in our school during regular school hours. It works really well as a liaison between the school and the community - it doesn’t prevent everything, but has been a strong deterent. Neighboring school districts often make the Newsweek top 1000 high schools, and parents are always wanting to ‘be like them’. But, those are the schools where you hear more stories of kids overpressured by overachieving parents and rebelling.</p>
<p>I guess what I’m trying to say, is you’re going to have to find a happy medium… some place that meets most of your needs while learning other ways to cope with those needs you cannot get met there.</p>
<p>My D has a friend who’s family transferred to the Dallas area between middle school and high school. His parents were not happy with their local public high school and chose to transfer him to a large Christian academy, but it was many, many miles away. I know that in Texas (I also grew up there), 15-year olds can get a special provisional license that allow them to drive back and forth to school if the school they attend doesn’t offer public transportation to their area. This kid got his license at 15 (I guess several of his friends did, too) that allowed him to attend this school. I understand it’s horribly terrifying to allow a 15-year old to drive so far, but if it’s legal, and you can work a compromise with your daughter that once she shows “X” responsibility with driving, you will arrange for the transfer. And you can set the driving standards really, really high, but she has motivation to comply if transferring is what she really wants.</p>
<p>I don’t have any good answer about the driving worry, but if she is currently a sophomore could she take Spanish I over the summer (at CC if need be) and then still have 3 years of Spanish by graduation? I agree that the Texas Distinguished diploma isn’t important to colleges since most don’t finish the requirements until AP scores are sent in July.</p>
<p>I took Spanish after studying French for several years, and found beginning Spanish very easy. There were a lot of similarities, so Spanish did not seem as ‘foreign’ as French had initially. I think your daughter could do Spanish 1 and maybe even Spanish 2 over the summer without too much trouble. If she wanted to continue with French, could she keep working on it independently? Even if she did not progress much, she could maintain her current skill level until she is able to study French again in college.</p>