How Important IS it to be in a Great School System ?

I'm not going to quote statistics here.  You can go to our website and pull up information on both Jefferson County (metro Louisville) and Oldham County (where we live and specialize) stats.

(go to:  www.TheShaferTeam.com , and click on the school tabs at the left of the page)

I can only speak from 20 years of experience selling homes in Oldham County.  Our clients tell us that they get transferred to Louisville, and find themselves wanting to come to Oldham County after hearing about our schools. 

They come for a number of reasons, but two key reasons always rise to the top of the list:  a more rural atmosphere with homes are larger lots, and our schools. 

I can tell you that our children loved school, and if I can brag a little:  our son, Chris is now a neurologist at The University of Louisville. 

Our kids are grown now, but Jerry and I stay on top of what's going on in the schools by going on tours with our clients.  And I was lucky enough to be recently chosen to take part in a program through the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce called LEADERSHIP OLDHAM COUNTY.  A small group of active Chamber members was chosen to participate, and one of my favorite parts of this nine-month program was getting to take tours of many businesses and points of interest in the county.

My very favorite tour was hosted by Mr. Paul Upchurch, Superintendent of Oldham County Public Schools.  We met at South Oldham High School, and Mr. Upchurch explained our school system's vision through a very interesting power point presentation. 

That vision:  "not only for all schools to reach proficiency by Kentucky's standards by 2014 -  the vision also includes preparing all high school graduates to compete with their peers at the international level by the year 2020."  Understanding that the United State's position as leader in the global marketplace is being threatened, Mr. Upchurch explained that it is imperative that we prepare our students for unparalleled competition globally. 

Mr. Upchurch stated that "education is the great equalizer."  We learned that ACCOUNTABILITY is a central focus:  teachers are being held accountable to make sure the kids "get it".  "Instead of making the child sit at the back of the classroom of 30 kids not understanding algebra, why not pull him aside with a small group and work with him until he does get it?" 

After hearing Mr. Upchurch's presentation and touring South Oldham Middle and High Schools, I gained a fresh appreciation for Oldham County Schools and can understand why Oldham County schools have out-performed and out-ranked Kentucky districts for over 30 years.