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South Davidson

I don't know who all has left other than the boys basketball coach. Seems like they're looking for a handful of coaches. At least under the coaching search on Maxpreps.
 
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I don't know who all has left other than the boys basketball coach. Seems like they're looking for a handful of coaches. At least under the coaching search on Maxpreps.

It’s a tough place to work. Really, its only going to be able to have success in some niche sports. Wrestling, Cross Country, maybe some individual track events.

It’s tough for many reasons... First off, that community is convinced that they are getting screwed in every possible way from every possible angle. Some of the de facto leaders in that community “want want want” and when the time comes... surprise... They’ve moved their kid to Graystone Day to swim. They’ve got nice facilities, and the town of Denton loves their Wildcats... Problem is, there just aren’t enough opportunities for people to live and work down there.

Football... they suck. It’s nothing new. It isn’t a “sign of the times”. They were terrible when Burlington Industries was going full steam and they had over 500 kids.

The numbers there continue to dwindle. I don’t know that it is even sustainable. Perhaps its best to abandon the campus and move their kids to East and Central Davidson.
 
It’s a tough place to work. Really, its only going to be able to have success in some niche sports. Wrestling, Cross Country, maybe some individual track events.

It’s tough for many reasons... First off, that community is convinced that they are getting screwed in every possible way from every possible angle. Some of the de facto leaders in that community “want want want” and when the time comes... surprise... They’ve moved their kid to Graystone Day to swim. They’ve got nice facilities, and the town of Denton loves their Wildcats... Problem is, there just aren’t enough opportunities for people to live and work down there.

Football... they suck. It’s nothing new. It isn’t a “sign of the times”. They were terrible when Burlington Industries was going full steam and they had over 500 kids.

The numbers there continue to dwindle. I don’t know that it is even sustainable. Perhaps its best to abandon the campus and move their kids to East and Central Davidson.
I don't often respond, but I've watched this situation for a few years. I like to pull for the underdog, but South Davidson has gotten worse and worse. They run off anyone who seems to care. The community only cares that there is someone to criticize. I'm sure there are some good folks there, but they're being overshadowed...and then they leave.
 
I don't often respond, but I've watched this situation for a few years. I like to pull for the underdog, but South Davidson has gotten worse and worse. They run off anyone who seems to care. The community only cares that there is someone to criticize. I'm sure there are some good folks there, but they're being overshadowed...and then they leave.

I think that’s a pretty accurate statement. Up until a few years ago, I was just like you. I rooted for them to have some success. Now, I know that they really aren’t really Even attempting to put themselves in a position to be successful. They don’t see it that way, its always someone else’s fault. I can’t root for that.
 
Who wants to live in such a narrow minded place these days? What people in areas like Denton, Wilkes, parts of Surry, Yadkin, Rowan, etc. don't realize is when kids leave they don't come back. There is nothing to come back to. These kids are going to go to places with opportunity and areas that embrace diversity.
 
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Who wants to live in such a narrow minded place these days? What people in areas like Denton, Wilkes, parts of Surry, Yadkin, Rowan, etc. don't realize is when kids leave they don't come back. There is nothing to come back to. These kids are going to go to places with opportunity and areas that embrace diversity.
That is kind of true and we have all heard of what goes on in Davidson county and in the southern end of that county.
 
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Who wants to live in such a narrow minded place these days? What people in areas like Denton, Wilkes, parts of Surry, Yadkin, Rowan, etc. don't realize is when kids leave they don't come back. There is nothing to come back to. These kids are going to go to places with opportunity and areas that embrace diversity.

Most are going to move places like Winston Salem or Wilmington or maybe Asheville n or maybe a different state - I do agree, Only True HOMERS return home and that is few n far inbetween.
Mooresville maybe a bit different since we are right near Charlotte so we have more folk return back but In these more RURAL towns its going get smaller n smaller because Most people now-days want to live in the Urban areas
 
And until leaders of these small towns realize that, and do something to provide opportunity, it's going to be like that. But then again I don't think small towns want their kids coming back.
 
I wish it were as easy as that. Take a look at a map. There is literally nothing that would draw industry to that part of the county. It’s too far from an interstate, its too far from any major highway of any sort. It’s on the economic low end of a county that for some reason prides itself (the commissioners, anyway) in spending the least amount of money per student in the state of NC. That being said, my kids go to school in Davidson County, and I’m not displeased with the education that they’ve received thus far. But its a much harder journey to success 40 miles to the south (Denton).

I’m not going to say that Denton itself is terrible. It’s a lot like many other small towns. It gets a reputation, even if it doesn’t always deserve it. Sometimes generalizations can be all-encompassing. Hard to overcome it.
 
That's how those said commissioners stay in power. Voters in counties like that are convinced education is bad.
 
Yikes.. I can't defend them during this. When you're constantly running coaches off when you provide them with nothing much at all to work with then that's a recipe for a dung casserole every year.

Sounds like they have Margaritaville playing in the office on a constant loop.. yes it's their own darn fault.
 
No, they are convinced that any increase in taxes is bad, and unfortunately as the cost of living rises, so do expenses for school budgets.

You hit the nail right on the head! If it weren’t for the community cultures that most of the schools enjoy, along with the extra cash that many of the parents in the northern Davidson County schools can inject into various projects, it would kill us.

For example, every bit of the athletic complex at North Davidson High School was paid for by the booster club. Every. Single. Bit. Well, that’s not entirely true, the commissioners chipped in a bit for the initial construction of the tennis courts so that the community could use them during off-time periods. But all of it! Even the land was purchased by them as well.

I don’t begrudge schools systems that do a better job funding programs. I think it is great that Forsyth County chose to fund the new home stands for Glenn and Mt Tabor. You’ll never see the commissioners put up any extra money like that in Davidson.
 
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Merger with redistricting, with the per pupil rate brought to the level of the highest system of the three (Lexington). I hate it, but that’s the answer. But it won’t happen.
 
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You hit the nail right on the head! If it weren’t for the community cultures that most of the schools enjoy, along with the extra cash that many of the parents in the northern Davidson County schools can inject into various projects, it would kill us.

For example, every bit of the athletic complex at North Davidson High School was paid for by the booster club. Every. Single. Bit. Well, that’s not entirely true, the commissioners chipped in a bit for the initial construction of the tennis courts so that the community could use them during off-time periods. But all of it! Even the land was purchased by them as well.

I don’t begrudge schools systems that do a better job funding programs. I think it is great that Forsyth County chose to fund the new home stands for Glenn and Mt Tabor. You’ll never see the commissioners put up any extra money like that in Davidson.

There are reasons counties like Davidson, Iredell, and Rowan have so many openings each year. Teachers can go to neighboring metro counties and get paid more when better funded schools.

Part of this funding issue also falls on the state. The state tries to put too much on counties. Idk how some eastern and western school systems survive.
 
Merger with redistricting, with the per pupil rate brought to the level of the highest system of the three (Lexington). I hate it, but that’s the answer. But it won’t happen.

So who would get the most of their kids? That would be a fun what if to see.
 
So who would get the most of their kids? That would be a fun what if to see.
There are more students inside the Thomasville city limits that are assigned to Davidson County schools than to Thomasville City Schools. There are kids who literally can step across their property line and be standing on the property of Thomasville Primary School, but they are assigned to a county school several miles away. Realistically, most of them should attend Thomasville. In every city school system in North Carolina besides Thomasville, the school district lines and the city limits lines are the same (except Lexington whose school district is larger than the city limits). But there obviously would be a ripple effect if there were ever redistricting. But all of that is moot, because the politics of it will keep it from happening.
 
There are more students inside the Thomasville city limits that are assigned to Davidson County schools than to Thomasville City Schools. There are kids who literally can step across their property line and be standing on the property of Thomasville Primary School, but they are assigned to a county school several miles away. Realistically, most of them should attend Thomasville. In every city school system in North Carolina besides Thomasville, the school district lines and the city limits lines are the same (except Lexington whose school district is larger than the city limits). But there obviously would be a ripple effect if there were ever redistricting. But all of that is moot, because the politics of it will keep it from happening.

Elkin's district is larger than the city limits. It also encompasses State Road.
 
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There are reasons counties like Davidson, Iredell, and Rowan have so many openings each year. Teachers can go to neighboring metro counties and get paid more when better funded schools.

Part of this funding issue also falls on the state. The state tries to put too much on counties. Idk how some eastern and western school systems survive.

Davidson has its problems... but there is no where near a shortage of teachers in the system. Actually, in many cases, teachers will leave for Guilford and Forsyth for “more money”. Many times they return. Not always of course...

That being said.. are the best and brightest in all of NC and beyond drawn to Davidson County? No. They’ll look at Wake, Chatham and other systems with large supplements. But the grass is not always greener. I’d teach in Davidson way before I’d apply in Forsyth. Mostly for the community feel that most schools have.

In Winston, if you build a new high school, people will step on their grandmas to get to the new school... When Davidson built Oak Grove... Ledford and North Davidson parents were flipping out trying to keep their kids at their original school. Why? Because they love them, and they support them.

Try to shut down South Davidson and see what happens... People will completely flip out. They don’t want anything to change... but they want everything to be fixed. It’s next to impossible.
 
Of course not all those are teaching openings but that's still quiet a bit.

49 total teaching openings. That’s kind of low, given that some of those are from teachers who are retiring. If this year goes like years past, 95% of those will be filled by late July-early August.

If you look at the attrition stats statewide, which document what percentage of teachers leave their school system each year, Davidson County always comes in below the state average.
I’m not saying they’re perfect... I’m not saying Davidson is the best in the world... I’m certainly not claiming that they have decent funding.

The only thing that saves Davidson County Schools is that they are community based. From the time a 5 year old walks in their elementary school, they know what middle school and high school that they’ll attend. That builds pride.

As far as South, when half of Silver Valley is unemployed and Denton is shrinking, you just don’t have college graduates who are certified educators just laying around. They drive from other places to get their foot in the door. I know South Davidson teachers who have lived in High Point, Kernersville and Winston Salem. They won’t keep up that commute. If they are happy where they live, they’ll opt for an opening at Ledford, OG or ND when one comes available.
 
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