Would you move back to Starkville?

[boomboommsu]

...the mere fact of the private school being there means the more involved, dedicated parents remove their kids from the public schools, which over time makes the public schools worse.

Racism is why most MS private schools were founded (just look at the dates), but IMO not why parents send their kids there today.

 

[Turd Fergusondawg]

I work from home, so I can literally live anywhere there's broadband. We finally sold our house in the foreclosure-infested Atlanta metro last summer, and we briefly pondered the idea of moving to Starkville because my parents and my wife's parents live in the area. We have kids: a seven year old, a four year old, a two year old, and another in the oven. <div>
</div><div>We pondered it for a day or two, because we had to make a decision quickly, and then we opted to move back to central Texas--Austin--instead. We just had too many unresolved questions about life in Starkville to commit to the idea. </div><div>
</div><div>Mind you, I lived in Starkville from age 5.5 to 26, attended SA from K-12, except 8th, when I experimented with Starkville public schools, and I was at MSU from 90 to 98--two degrees, then two years working at the TV Center. Whenever I visit, I'm continuously amazed by how much Starkville's grown. To think that it's now bigger than Columbus astounds me, because when I was a kid, Columbus was always "twice the size of Starkville."</div><div>
</div><div>As much as Ilove the idea of being closer to family (free babysitters!), cheaper raw land to build, and the slower pace of life generally, I couldn't get past the lack of career options for me if something happens to my company. I work in tech, so other than a couple of startups or some gig at the university, there'd be nothing there for me. Well, nothing where I could replace my income. I have a growing number of kids to feed.</div><div>
</div><div>I'm not bothered by the supposed lack of night-life or fine dining. Compared to 1990, it's a different world. But we don't really go out all that much. </div><div>
</div><div>Also, I'm a big libertarian Ron Paul guy and my wife has grown into quite the granola, natural mommy type (also libertarian). We homeschool our kids, so the arguments over quality of the schools didn't really factor (heh, though there's no question we'd send ours to SA if we had to choose). But neither of us felt like we'd fit in very much culturally in Starkville. </div><div>
</div><div>Maybe that's just historical bias speaking because I remember how much people there seemed to prize conformity when I was growing up. But the end result was it made me long to get away. Perhaps it's not like that anymore. </div><div>
</div>

 

[Rabbitt]

I do have a home in Browning Creek, but we still live in the NW Rankin area and my business office is in Ridgeland. Once we decide to hang it up, we're going up full time. The nice thing is that Hwy 25 is almost like an interstate with only one stop in Louisville and it takes an hour and forty minutes from point A to point B. Not far from Birmingham up there alos, so what the heck. I don't have kids at home anymore, so schooling is not a big deal for me. I'm ready to go now, just need a few more years in my business.

 

[fishwater99]

Jackson is close enough for me...

 

[dawgstudent]

[No message]

 

[croomsgone]

I went to Starkville High School, graduated and got some scholarship money, and I now have a 3.8 in college. Starkville High School gets you ready for the real world, where people who are not exactly like you are going to be.

SHS has had some rough years lately, but is getting better again. Starkville High has a lower floor but a much higher ceiling. We had a perfect score on the ACT my year at SHS, we had a 15 to 20 National Merit Scholars or Finalists. I personally believe if you live in the Starkville School District (not the county schools), and you send your children to SA you are doing them a disservice. I value the friendships I made there with people who are not exactly like me, and I value getting to say I competed against the top athletic competition.

SA is not as good as Heritage or the Jackson area private schools - in elementary school other than a few teachers SA is better than SHS, but not high school. I have some friends who transferred from SHS to SA like junior year of high school to get the opportunity to play basketball and football, and they all said class was a joke over there compared to thehigh school. There is much more opportunity for AP courses at SHS as well.

 

[615dawg]

The teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S. skyrocketed during the mid-to-late 90s., those kids are now in middle school, creeping into high school. They have a sense of entitlement like you would not believe.

Sorry you failed a test, but now that you have had a chance to look at it, come back in a few days after you've had time to study and retake it.
We can't check the locker of the thuggish African American student who every teacher has heard is dealing drugs out of his locker. Let's check the white girl honor student's and we'll be in compliance.

Just like kids pick up things from other kids, parents pick it up from other parents. So parents that may not have been teenagers when they had their kids, their kids have grown up with other kids that get to do things like stay up late and play mature video games. That Late 80s/Early 90s generation of parents is a generation that fears exclusion.

So, you have two issues with the parents of today's high school kids.
Either they were at a normal age when they had the child, and they fear exclusion or they were teenage parents that think baby girl is as different as a snowflake and as special as a butterfly.

 

[fishwater99]

[No message]

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

When I was at good ole SHS (granted it was back in the early 90's) it was generally viewed as one of the better public schools in the state.

yeah i went to starkville academy, but my sister went to both starkville academy and shs for high school ('00-'04) and she says to this day that shs was much much tougher. she was in the accelerated classes fwiw.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

and would probably be complete sith hole without MSU.

starkville would be west point or kosciusko or greenwood without msu

 

[boomboommsu]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/914/screenhunter004su3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://micpohling.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/us-teenage-pregnancy-rate-birth-rate-and-abortion-rate-1972-2005/&usg=__ALMrz1kO6W9BjyNfRSzOxiUQkrI=&h=336&w=445&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=i83Ec7q7BWLxZM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dteenage%2Bpregnancy%2Brate%2Bchart%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=-JeUTbSuFI7fgQf82bTGCA

pregnancy rate peaked in 1990. it's decreased steadily ever since.

"We can't check the locker of the thuggish African American student"

"won't" maybe, but certainly not "can't". high school students have no locker privacy rights.

 

[mstatefan88]

That's way way way down the road, but my wife and I really would love to move to Starkville later in life. There a some pretty decent golf courses within driving distance, I can go to all the sporting events I want, and my wife would havethe opportunity to possibly work for MSU, which she really wants to do. The only drawback is the schooling when we have kids. I went to school in Alabama, so the two are pretty comparable in terms of education that is below par.
Starkvilleis trying to add some stuff, and I hope they continue to do that to draw in a younger crowd that is enthusiastic about being at MSU. The area needs a little more college culture, and bringing in Buffalo Wild Wings and things like that will help. I love campus and like being around the college atmosphere, so I would have no problem moving back to Starkville.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

and just moved back from the ATL area about 6 weeks ago. I honestly go out to eat/ out to the bar here in Starkville about as much as i did in ATL which isnt that much. As for comparing the restaurants comment, If you were to take the 10 best restaurants in ATL vs. the 10 best in Starkville there is no comparison, but ofthe three years i lived in ATL I probably went to one of those top 10 restaurants a total of 5 times. What I am saying is that for the restaurantsI "normally" wouldgo to, I would take Obys, Old Venice, and Mugshots over something like Jason's Deli, Olive Garden, or 5 Guys any day. Just my opinion.

atl has many many many more good cheap options than starkville and a much wider variety of foods. how many ethiopianrestaurantsdoes starkville have? how many vietnamese? korean? baja style mexican (i.e. not the greasy flour tortilla slathered in butter and cheese that passes for starkville mexican)? indian restaurants? hawaiin? <div>
</div><div>sure if you are content with a good cheap burger joint (mugshots), a good, if somewhat overpriced sandwich joint (oby's), and a very very mediocre italian spot (old venice), a couple of solid bbq spots (petty's, dooey's), and a decent steakhouse (cappe's) then yeah, those are better options than strip mall fare like olive garden, but if olive garden is all you can find in a city the size of atl, then it's time to get out the yelp and get adventurous.</div>

 

[SirBarksalot]

and just moved back from the ATL area about 6 weeks ago. I honestly go out to eat/ out to the bar here in Starkville about as much as i did in ATL which isnt that much. As for comparing the restaurants comment, If you were to take the 10 best restaurants in ATL vs. the 10 best in Starkville there is no comparison, but ofthe three years i lived in ATL I probably went to one of those top 10 restaurants a total of 5 times. What I am saying is that for the restaurantsI "normally" wouldgo to, I would take Obys, Old Venice, and Mugshots over something like Jason's Deli, Olive Garden, or 5 Guys any day. Just my opinion.

Youre comparing big time chains to small restaurants. I dont think anyone throws Olive Garden into the mix when debating quality restaurants. Some people like dining out, some dont as much, so to them it wouldnt be a bigger deal. <div>
</div><div>Im not saying i wouldnt move back to Mississippi, but at this point in my life I cant see it, and have no desire to. I like Charlotte and what it offers compared to MS.</div><div>
</div>

 

[Maroon Eagle]

60 percent higher than the national average in 2006. That year, Mississippi led the nation in the teen birthrate, with 68.4 births per 1,000 women age 15 to 19, which is roughly 10 percent higher than the national average at its height which was in 1991-- as you properly point out.

 

[LandArchDawg]

I couldn't make a living with my education and background in a small town like Starkville any other way.

 

[louddawg.sixpack]

I was born and raised in Starkville and lived there until I was 25. Moved to Memphis, got married, and purchased a house in Southaven.
I all but begged my former employer to move us back to Starkville, but they couldn't get it done, so I took a job offer shortly after to move home. My wife is from Senatobia and she is LOVES Starkville, but is worried about moving away from her family and getting adjusted to a life in Starkville.

We are in the process now of trying to sell our house in Southaven and find one in Starkville. We both really like the area down S.Montgomery(seems to be the only area in Starkville now that is only residential) considering we both would like to be close to town.

I love it there and when it came it down to it, we decided we would rather raise children in Starkville than in Memphis area. We are very excited about all the possibilities we have there.

 

[Foronce]

byrne's kids went public and had a friend at a stk church said most of their youth went stk public... maybe it has changed in the last 4-5 years??

 

[boomboommsu]

Yes, Mississippi's is 60% higher. But i can't find if it's increasing or not.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

[No message]

 

[dawgpound11]

Not going to argue the school issue, we have no kids so I don't have a dog in that hunt. As far as dining, I'll take Restaurant Tyler, Umi's, and Anthony's over anything those shitholes of bumper-to-bumper traffic Atlanta and Memphis have to offer. The nightlife is good, there's plenty to do, and there's tail everywhere. I'm two minutes from any MSU sporting event, and 45 minutes from my hunting camp. There's even cold beer, on Sundays.

 

[8dog]

I, for one, am not too worried about the Keenum kids' futures...or the kids of anyone else I know and respect that sends their kids to Starkville schools.

 

[boomboommsu]

It helps the point about lesser 'quality' parents (younger, less mature, prepared, etc.), but destroys his larger point about 'national entitlement' or whatever it was.

relatedly, there was some sort of AIDS or something protest in Jackson the other day. the cops showed up and demanded they hide a bowl of condoms or face obscenity charges. they stayed all day to verify compliance (as if they don't have better things to do).

 

[Brutius]

and loved it. My kids weren't school age yet though, so they went to pre-school in Starkville but not anything past kindergarten. Not going to get into the public vs private school debate, parents are free to choose where they send their kids to school and how much they pay.<div>
</div><div>I'd move back today if I could, but the jobs aren't there. When I lived there the first time it was because I travelled/worked from home and could live anywhere. Once that job fizzled out, I had to move to a bigger city to have a realistic chance of finding work.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

 

[fishwater99]

As far as dining, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'll take Restaurant Tyler, Umi's, and Anthony's over anything </span>those shitholes of bumper-to-bumper traffic <span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlanta and Memphis have to offer.</span> The nightlife is good, there's plenty to do, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">there's tail everywhere</span>. I'm two minutes from any MSU sporting event, and 45 minutes from my hunting camp. There's even cold beer, on Sundays.

There is no comparison in restaurants, quality and quantity, when looking at S-Vegas vs Atlanta and Memphis, NONE. Even Jackson has Superior restaurants and many more choices than Starkville. As far as tail I am a little too old to be look at or chasing co-eds, even if I was single, no offense to Meoff.

 

[Xenomorph]

The public school system is a serious problem for Starkville as a community.

 

[Johnson85]

...the mere fact of the private school being there means the more involved, dedicated parents remove their kids from the public schools, which over time makes the public schools worse.

Racism is why most MS private schools were founded (just look at the dates), but IMO not why parents send their kids there today.

If you look back at enrollment numbers, you will see a lot of private schools take a hit after parents figured out desegregation wasn't that big of a deal, but then private schoolnumbers picked back up as the public schools went to ****. With all the counterproductive policies imposed by the state and federal gov't, public schools just have their hands tied too much to run a good school unless they are blessed with such good demographics (or every so often, a special administrator) thateven the gov't can't screw it up completely.</p>

Realistically,

</p>

 

[dawgpound11]

My point is that I would much rather live in Starkville than live in a ******** like Memphis or Atlanta, regardless of their culinary options. I'm quite content eating at any of the three places I named any night of the week. And if you don't like looking at co-eds you must be gay...not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[SallyStansbury]

Full disclosure*
Wife: Starkville Public SchoolsK-12
Self: Starkville Public SchoolsK-12
Want to support public schools.

Want to send child there if possible but will have to evaluate the academics & discipline in a few years to be sure. Kid's education is too important for us to make some kind of "social statement" by forcingour kid into the public schools regardles of discipline issues or rowdy peers. Conversely, also don't think it is worth the$$ to send kid to academy just because of "cultural differences" that is a garbage excuse. It gets back to the education to me. If discipline is so bad at the public schools that it gets in the way of eduction, we will have some decisions to make.

It will be interesting what happens with the school systems over the next two to three years. Several of the nurseries at the various churches around town are busting at the seams. With boomer professors finally retiring/dying new blood coming into Starkville in the child producing range will provide a nice pool of kids infused into the schools. Curious which way this batch of kids goes?

To JamDawg96* Think your Dadmight have beenour tennis coach. Special thanks to him (cool dude) and your Mom for their dedicated service to the school system.

To all the crybabies* If I hear one more 20 to 30-something complain about Starkville not having a Zoo, or a Target or a Thai restaurant, I may punch them in the face....seriously if these are the primary means by whichyou define yourself, or a town, get out a little....there ismore to life.

To all the self-proclaimed-"enlightened" low-self-esteem-hyper-controlling-negative-nellies* also read (professors and professor's wives)* If you don't like it here, let me extend an invitation to you to leave. Starkville is a good place.

 

[boomboommsu]

i think alot of public schools are fine, but in areas where the community has gone to ****, the schools have as a consequence. i don't think either local or federal governments have been able to affect that trend for good or bad.

i think the emergence of the private school system removed a lot of the incentives that maintained the public school system. not that there's anything we can or should do about that (people should get to choose where their kids go to school), just that that's what happened, unfortunately.

it's kinda like a bank run. everyone acting (correctly!) in their own self-interest, leads to everyone getting screwed. not a concept folks around here like to acknowledge, but unfortunately all too real.

 

[Royce Dover]

Built a weekend cabin out around Browning Creekin 2007, spend about 80 nights a year at my second home. Love it. 75 miles from Meridian on hwy 45, door to door quick trip. Dirt road from cabin to within 1-2 miles of the pony, added bonus.

 

[VirgilCain]

from a monetary standpoint, the tax dollars continue to roll in from all residents, but the student load the public school has to accommodate is decreased. Therefore the public school has more money to spend on each student.

How bad would the public schools be if they had to accommodate ALL of the starkville area students (no private schools)? They would have the same budget they currently have but 60-80 more students per class (pure guess on SA's enrollment numbers) I do not know much about taxes so I may be missing some giant tax write-off for sending your kids to private schools that would ruin my argument.

Being from Jackson, I know this discussion well. The JPS school system was not even an option for me, so my parents paid more for me to go to highschool than they did for college. However, If I had lived basically across the street (I live on the edge of jackson/Ridgeland), then I would have gone to Madison Central in a heartbeat and my parents would be rolling in the dough right now.

On a side note, my highschool was actually really %*##%#! rock-solid in education. I graduated with 32-34 national merit semifinalists out of 150 students in my senior class.

 

[bulldogbaja]

an Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, or Hawaiian restaurant in any of the cities I frequent. I also don't go to chains. Just sayin', some people like American food.

 

[boomboommsu]

money has never been the issue. the public schools get plenty, spending more per student than the private schools. it's all about the level of involvement of the kids and parents. of the ratio of bad apples to good students, etc.

sounds like we were in much the same situation, probably grew up in the same neighborhood, though it sounds like mine was much earlier (as the top schools had 10-15 national merit semis back then). really, there's only 3 schools that fit that description.</p>

 

[EAVdog]

Low cost of living with asmall town atmoshpere that is conducive to the phase of life I'm just beginning and closer to relatives. Plus all the activities surrounding the University; Sporting Events, Lectures, Concerts, etc...

Apparent Obligatory Qualifiers for this thread:
K-12 Public Schooler in Mississippi.
Lived in DC, Europe, and Atlanta.
Restaurant quality in Starkville is 'acceptable to good' but I like to cook anyway.

 

[vandaldawg]

Second, and I'm not trying to bust your chops, but in all seriousness, you weren't going to the right restaurants in Atlanta. Not trying to diss Starkville, or pump Atlanta either, but with a total guess, I'd say the top 60 restaurants in Atlanta are better than the top 10 in Starkville. Just saying.

Honestly, you could probably pick one VILLAGE in Atlanta and come up with 10 better restaurants than the top ten in Starkville.

It would be a major upgrade in the culture and health of Starkville for there...
a) to be about 3 to 4 locally owned restaurants of 3 to 4 stars or better to open
b) a couple of "gastro pubs" with high quality food and atmosphere as well good craft beer selection (come on raise your pints)
c) a couple of dirty band bars that also have pub food that suprises the **** out of you for how good it is (one of the great things about Atlanta)
d) for the Starkville Theater to take a clue from the Lyric in Oxford and actually schedule good bands.
e) for there to be a couple more places that can schedule regional or lower level national touring acts as well as promote the local bandsin Starkville
f) for the SA and other Starkville Festivals to get their heads out of their asses and also schedule good bands
g) for all of these places to be clustered in downtown, along the University spine,and in the Cotton District.
h) some industry to locate in town or close to provide a more diverse economic base
i) for WMSV to restart being like an actual college radio station instead of a Clearchannel affiliate
j) there's more, but I'll stop

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">I travel a lot, and I have never once had the desire to seek out</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "></span>an Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, or Hawaiian restaurant in any of the cities I frequent. I also don't go to chains. Just sayin', some people like American food.

you are missing out. i love a good burger and a medium rare steak as much as anybody, but i also love some kitfo, bulgogi, pork belly, curry, etc too.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

c) a couple of dirty band bars that also have pub food that suprises the **** out of you for how good it is (one of the great things about Atlanta)
d) for the Starkville Theater to take a clue from the Lyric in Oxford and actually schedule good bands.
e) for there to be a couple more places that can schedule regional or lower level national touring acts as well as promote the local bandsin Starkville
f) for the SA and other Starkville Festivals to get their heads out of their asses and also schedule good bands
i) for WMSV to restart being like an actual college radio station instead of a Clearchannel affiliate

that would all require people in starkville to expand their musical tastes beyond pop country, top 40 rap, B-level jambands, and 80s cover bands though.<div>
</div><div>i also remember when wmsv was awesome. i picked up so many great non-mainstream bands in my junior high and high school days listening to wsmv...pavement, guided by voices, yo la tengo, sonic youth, dinosaur jr, etc etc etc
<div>
</div><div>
</div> </div>

 

[Bulldog Backer]

...and believe me, I have lived just about everywhere. There are a LOT of better places to live than Starkville, but also a LOT of worse places.

Better places I have lived include:

--Vail, Colorado
--Minneapolis, MN
--Arlington, VA
--Yorktown, VA
--Phoenix, AZ
--Marquette, MI
--Blankenrath, Germany
--Fairhope, AL
--Chattanooga, TN
--Ocean Springs, MS (despite Katrina)
--Duluth, MN
--San Antonio, TX

Worse Places:

--Angeles City, Philippines
--Upper Marlboro, MD
--Glendive, MT
--Grand Forks, ND
--Wichita Falls, TX
--Midland, TX

I came back to Starkville after my divorce, my subsequent cancer surgery, and after being wiped out by Katrina, all in one year. I had lost everything, so said "What the 17! May as well! " All these places were places I lived as an adult, after college.

As for the schools, I have no children, so have limited knowledge of the school systems here. However, there must be a reason that MOST people with money in Starkville, send their children to Starkville Academy? Interestingly, there were very few private academies in other places I lived. Chattanooga has several, some very expensive, including the Baylor School. Ocean Springs has a couple, if you include Mercy Cross, the Catholic Parochial School in Biloxi.

 

[vandaldawg]

Hate to say it, and I may catch some **** for this, but Steve Ellis effed WMSV all up. Sorry. It was a DJ-centric radio station at its inception (as ALL college radio should be) and not soafter Ellis took over.

I have heard anechdotal stories to the contrary (apparently the theater scheduled Galactic for about 15 bucks - noone showed - and the following night had some crap house music dj and the place was packed) but I like to believe that there are enough music lovers in town that have good taste that would come out and support good bands. I just think people are used to not having the option. How many people drive to Oxford, Bham etc to go see bands that could be scheduled in Starkville?

And also, to the rest of your list, CHOICE. Saw Sebadoh at the Earl Monday. It was fricking great.</p>