Decatur Real Estate Sees Increase, While DeKalb Plummets
Decatur Metro | January 31, 2009 | 2:52 pmThrow this tidbit into the mix, as we try to determine the direction of Decatur’s real estate market.
From an AJC article on the 27% drop in DeKalb home prices since last year…
[Real estate agent Tal] Kramer noted that there were pockets in metro Atlanta that fared much better than average, with one area – the Cobb County school district that includes highly sought-after Walton High School – even seeing a slight gain in price, of 4.4 percent. Some parts of DeKalb also were up for the year as well, such as the city of Decatur, which also has a highly regarded school system and had an increase in average price of 1.4 percent [vs. year-ago].
You may continue to call me overly optimistic, but when your county is down 27% overall and the city manages a slight increase in its real estate prices that’s not a bad sign.
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The article is right: CSD not only does an excellent job of educating our children, it keeps our property values high. Protect it.
It is time to call out the Decatur National Guard to protect Decatur from those Annexationists!!!!!
I am just reading the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s schools guide and I must say Decatur City schools are not the tops in the ten-county area they surveyed. Our middle and elementary school math and science scores are actually pretty mediocre. Just to compare to Fernbank:
Reading Language Math Science
Renfroe
Fernbank
Whoops- Let me try again! Fernbank to Glenwood (4th grade scores)
Reading Language Math Science Social
Glenwood 92 93 75 78 94
Fernbank 98 96 90 95 100
Does anyone else find this troubling, especially with the annexation issues?
Yes, very.
Not troubling at all, when you compare the demographics of the two schools.
A more accurate comparison might be to look at Shamrock Middle and Renfroe Middle, where both systems have a consolidated school population. Ditto comparing Decatur High and other metro high schools. How do those numbers look, Nelliebelle? I seem to remember a statistic that came out last year that gave a top ranking to DHS based on size of the school.
The scores are still mediocre for math and science -doesn’t matter who the comparison is – and blaming it on demographics makes me a little uncomfortable. So there is an excuse for the school not to be on tops in aggregate math and science scores for fourth graders because some of the kids are black and/or low income? Is that what you mean? That demographics comment grated on me all night. Say what you mean.
…and we’re OFF!
Nelliebelle1197,
That’s really an absurd comment. I don’t think that WinnonaMom’s comment had anything to do with race. But the fact is that the test scores of a little elementary school in an extremely wealthy neighborhood like Druid Hills should not necessarily be compared with a school in the City of Decatur for which students throughout the city attend. What she meant was that you shouldn’t compare a grade’s test scores in a neighborhood elementary school (Druid Hills) to a grade and a school in Decatur where all the city’s children attend (Glennwood).
Kids who live in Druid Hills have a choice to go to almost any school (public or private) for which they choose, I don’t think you can say that for all children (regarless of race) in the City of Decatur.
The fact is that the City of Decatur schools have made remarkable progress in improving the test scores of its minority students over the last several years since the schools were consolidated. Remarkable progress.
The fact is that we have the finest public school system in the state. A school system so good that parents with choices move to Decatur in order for their children to attend the public schools here. A school system so good that lower income parents fight to stay here so that their children can get the kind of education they receive at the Decatur schools vs. City of Atlanta or Dekalb County and have a chance in life.
I believe that your comparing the test scores of a 4th grade class at Druid Hills to a 4th grade in Decatur is like comparing apples to oranges and is just an attempt to defame the City of Decatur schools.
Can we PLEASE avoid writing anything that could possibly be construed as negative about Decatur schools? They are the only thing left propping up our home values. Given the recent increase in high profile crimes and our existing tax rates, the schools (and BSP) are the community’s biggest draw for new residents. If word gets out that the schools aren’t as great as we seem to think then we’re all hosed!
As a veteran CSD parent, I can say–and i know a lot of you will balk at this–that scores are not the only thing that makes our schools great. It’s the sum of a lot of parts: test scores, impressive teacher credentials, excellent principals, overwhelmingly good parent involvement, and a feeling that every kid in those schools is just as important as every other kid. Our teachers are involved in the community; our community is involved in our schools. I don’t know…I just feel like this huge safety net has been thrown about my kids when they’re there. i trust the teachers, staff, and principals (okay not so much the Board, but that’s a different story!) to educate my child to the best of their abilities, which I would say is to a great extent. Not just academics–there’s as much about life lessons as anything else.
When I tell ppl outside our City that my 4-year old can recite the pledge in Spanish or that the elementary school has a track team or that my 8th grader’s Spanish class is Spanish-speaking ONLY or that my 4th grader is in the school choir, they are amazed.
The schools are not the only draw for new residents. Another HUGE draw is the fact that it is a walkable community. There is a huge difference (no pun intended) in the quality of life that people experience in walking communities vs sprawl. Most healthy and intelligent people don’t want to be completely connected to their automobiles. Look at the healthiest and most educated urban areas of the US. The majority of these areas are walkable.
I don’t think anyone’s “blaming” anything on demographics. You’ll likely find agreement here that everyone is *created* equal. That is, we’re equal at birth. But there’s nothing offensive in acknowledging that initiative and circumstances (both advantages and challenges) play a big role from there.
If anything’s offensive, it’s not acknowledging — and working to address — that fact that not everyone’s plate is heaped high. I’m with Get With It and CSD Mom. Decatur schools don’t have the luxury of working with universal affluence, and what they’re doing with *all* the children of this city is remarkable.
I live in city of Decatur, and have for most of my life, I have a child at College Heights, and I even went to college in city of Decatur, so I do feel like I have some sort right to say something about the schools without being accused of “defamation”. I am sorry, but WinonaMom’s comment did have to do with race and class. What else does demographics mean? It’s absurd to pretend otherwise.
I was merely pointing out that people do go by these ridiculous test scores when evaluating where they live (by the way, I hate this type of testing and don’t feel like it measures much of anything real other than the ability to test). It’s not comparing apples to oranges. You may think that but Joe Blow looking at scores sure as heck isn’t thinking that. The curriculum is supposedly pretty standard and the tests are standardized. We do have a problem with math and science scores, and it does need to be addressed for the sake of all children, not property values, regardless of “demographics”. Period. Personally, I would be happy to find out that CDS teachers in math and science aren’t teaching to the test and that is why the kids’ scores are lower!
I totally agree with CSD mom and Rick that scores and schools are not the only reason to move to Decatur. Like I said, I’ve lived here most of my life. I like that I can walk anywhere in 30 minutes and walk to pick up my child at College Heights. I even like that I remember when Eddie was Trackside and I snuck in under age to see Wendy Bucklew and Michelle Malone. I like that my whole block has kids about the same age and everyone will grow up together. But sorry, we don’t have the finest school system in the state. It’s certainly up there; it’s great, I love my child’s school, and I don’t plan on going anywhere, but “finest” is an overstatement. We actually have to remain on guard, ask questions and find out why if we want to nurture this school system.
As I’ve said before, I’m not a big fan of standardized testing, especially when we condemn based on a single year. That said, as WinnonaMom hinted at, DHS was recently awarded by the Governor for having the highest SAT scores in its GHSA class over the past 3 years. At a minimum, this provides a bit more of a fair comparison than Decatur vs. Fernbank.
And I’m with Scott and Get with It on the other issue. Comparing Fernbank to Glennwood is blatant cherry-picking.
Nellie, we’re not arguing that most Joe Blows aren’t going to incorrectly see Decatur as a weaker school system, we’re arguing against your criticism that’s BASED on a comparison of Decatur to Fernbank. And sorry, household income makes a big difference in terms of a child’s support system.
That said…I’ve only lived here a couple years, so I may not have the right to say anything.
Nelliebelle1197, my response to you was simply pointing out that the two schools you were comparing were not similar in demographics, and thus a poor comparison. We may not like it, it may offend some people’s Politically Correct sensibilities, but it is a given in the world of education that socioeconomics correlate highly with educational achievement.
Fernbank – 6.8% qualify for reduced lunch
Glennwood – 42% qualify for reduced lunch
As others pointed out, you also chose two totally different schools to compare – a neighborhood K-5 vs. a systemwide 4-5 academy.
But you did point out an interesting data point on the test scores – those two categories are significantly lower than the others at Glennwood. That’s something worth looking at, and I’m sure the CSD people have already begun.
Don’t mean to get to get defensive- I am seriously worried about this annexation stuff and the impact, blah, blah, blah….
Plus, I work with low-income people and I do get worked up!
I was little surprised at the differential between math/science and others. I guess that was really my point!
Can we all hold hands and sing now?
Who’s got the pitch-pipe?
I think Tarnation had it last.
Alright…everyone together now…in C…..KUMBAYA…
LOL….humor is always a welcome thing in BLOGWORLD….
I really can’t sing, so do it loud, man!
Here we go again. Nelliebelle refers to all the people in the annexation areas as low income. Don’t get it. Most of us are college educated and way above the poverty line. Just don’t get it!!!!!!
Fact check …. Glenwood was 35% FRL last year – not 42%.
JEM- what are you talking about??? I am worried about the impact of annexation on the city, period. I don’t think it is a good idea because it will ruin the small-town Decatur vibe that I grew up with. I said nothing about people in the areas surrounding being low-income. I said I WORK with low-income people. The nonprofit I WORK FOR serves low-income people -average income so I get defensive when people blame lower-income people for things like tests scores being lower.
Dude, calm down.
I meant, average income of $10k/annually. I need an edit button.
Regarding Nelliebellwe1197 comment (way at the top of this thread): test scores are not really the only or best indicator of a great educational system. Community (and especially parents) attitudes toward the local school, are equally if not more important indicator, especially at the lower school levels. And we are best on that! Our system is so much more diverse then Fernbank ES, and that is perhaps a major reason for our lower scores.