Moving from Suburbs of New Orleans to suburbs of Detroit.

[nain rouge]

See, you're picking on the Digital Learning Center alternative high school. Well, that's great man. Keep tearing down Ferndale for trying to provide solutions. If you have your way, pretty soon you'll be tearing down Birmingham, too.

[Bham1982]

See, you're picking on the Digital Learning Center alternative high school. Well, that's great man. Keep tearing down Ferndale for trying to provide solutions. If you have your way, pretty soon you'll be tearing down Birmingham, too.

No, actually I'm picking on Ferndale schools. Three separate shooting incidents, three separate schools. Can't get much worse than that.

[Rolfsy]

The Ferndale schools are definitely not an 'easy' option, and I'd say for every middle class family that keeps their kids in, there's another that outsources to private schools or moves to get in a more esteemed district. There's been another influx of young families to Ferndale recently so it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next 5-10 years. Probably more of the same, but things might improve.

But anways, before I waded into the school debate, I wanted to suggest to the OP to keep Ferndale in mind as a decent 2nd choice to the Pointes. It's got a lowkey/inclusive vibe, decent mainstreet and is centrally located to the whole Metro Detroit region. That 'close to everything' aspect is actually one thing I would put over the Pointes [[archicture and commercial districts, not so much....). It's future is not set in stone like the Pointes, but I'd say for a borderburb it's one of the few that is above water with an upward trajectory.

[nain rouge]

You're right, as a parent I am prejudiced against school districts that have multiple shootings, coupled with abysmal school performance.

Hazel Park schools are poor performing too, but I am not aware of shooting incidents. Along with Oak Park, and Pontiac, these are probably the worst districts in the county.

I dare you to go to Hazel Park or Ferndale and tell people they aren't as good of parents as you are because they allow their kids to attend the local schools.

Michigan is so classist and racist. Bottom line, Hazel Park and Ferndale are pretty safe and have solid median incomes. The schools are largely populated by children from average middle class families. Of course, for you, that's probably a horrid thought. Average? Middle Class? Oh my God! Sounds as bad as Warren or Southfield! Ferndale sets up an alternative high school for underperforming children from less financially stable families and you determine that the whole district is done for.

[nain rouge]

But the test scores are a result of Ferndale serving a diverse chunk of humanity. I think this post explains this situation well, if it's a bit boosterish: http://patch.com/michigan/ferndale/b...rndale-schools . You've got Ferndale taking on kids from poor Detroit neighborhoods and impoverished Royal Oak Township [[different from the City of Royal Oak) and whites unduly fleeing the district as a result. If you're scared of an integrated school, by all means Ferndale is to be avoided. But IMO that's an unacceptable attitude in the 21st century.