What's in the future of Kent Country Club

[sudoclam]

Not to stray off too far of the original topic, the last post makes for some thought. At least on my part.

If a parent(s) decide to have their kids in the GRPS system with a uniform. They are committing to their kids future. If they allow their kids to choose a school by dress code, will it be less of a commitment to that child’s education? (I only say this by a thought of caring whether their child attends for an education or a requirement.) With that thought, then maybe there is Merritt behind the proposed new GRPS ideology.

I guess I strayed a bit, too far with this post. Maybe time for a Creston HS thread also.

Sorry, back to Kent Country Club and a redeveloping area.

[wmrharris]

I think one of the primary impediment to new high end subdivision development in GR is the school system. That's why I mentioned "guaranteed" admission to City. Reviewing current building stats, it has among the highest building usage of all GRPS schools and there is claimed to be waitlists, so moving to Creston sounds viable. This is a program that needs to expand both in size, and in breadth if the City is ever to expand and support new development. My concept would likely be more of a "if you meet this standard, your kid gets in, and is guaranteed to stay." Ideally you could pull kids with a high potential in lower grades (i.e. starting in 1st), and guarantee a track through a "prep school" curriculum that would feed into City. Almost anyone that normally would choose Forest Hills would probably make it. The mean ACT composite at City was 25 last year, and 24.6 at Forest Hills Central. I've got to think a lot of people that live out in the 'burbs would like less of a drive. It's a shameless marketing tactic, but I don't see how else we've ever got a shot of doing a high end development in the city. I'm just trying to figure out how it could work. It would be great if you could just do it geographically on a whole development (like a city within the city with its own school system), but I would suspect some possible issues if it wasn't a merit-based program. I know it's a total fantasy, but it's entertaining to try to come up with ways someone might ever build a $300k+ development in GR. Whatever the case, it's good to see the new administrator at least start thinking about making some changes. Her uniform proposal is a nice start. I think they're going to have to be much more radical, though, to draw kids in and ever have even the remote potential of facilitating development.

To follow up on the school aspect. Schools of choice -- the option of sending your student to another district -- has been eroding enrollment in GRPS for sometime. In the NE side, Forest Hills Northern and Northview are filled with students from GR. Likewise in the south, Kentwood has received a number of students as well. The school closings reveal this reality. North of Knapp (the north boundary to the property) lie Riverside, North Park and

Aberdeen. Effectively, most students living north of 3 mile are in North view. Likewise a similar situation obtains in the SE end. Whole neighborhoods no longer send children to GRPS schools. If you wanted to put housing up, why not offer FHN? Write a contract for Dean transportation and include it in the development fees.

But again, I don't think that folks live there because of schools. The location becomes attractive for its connection to Downtown, and the redevelopment corridor up Monroe. Give the Creston neighborhood a little more vibe and you may have some potential. This then becomes a neighborhood with urban amenities, yet close to the City, and minutes away from the Walker office neighborhood (Ann St dead ends into the Country Club).

[jas49503]

My concept would likely be more of a "if you meet this standard, your kid gets in, and is guaranteed to stay." Ideally you could pull kids with a high potential in lower grades (i.e. starting in 1st), and guarantee a track through a "prep school" curriculum that would feed into City.

so you'll allow kids of rich parents to enroll in your school and discriminate against everyone else. I'd love to see the ACLU get a hold of that one. You have no way of evaluating kids on their own merit when they are in first grade. you would have to use the success of their parents which condemn large groups of students to lesser schools while those of privledge are admitted to the "superior" school based on income of the parents. That would be considered elitiest far more than what the admission process to city high is now.

What kent country club should do is market more heavily to people living downtown who may not want to drive out to the suburbs to play golf. there isn't a more convienient place to play near the city center. I personally think it would be a shame to turn it into another boring subdivision filled with cookie cutter McMansions.

[Explorer55]

How many people actually have kids that are school age, anymore? It's a shrinking part of the population. Schools are not the big deal they perhaps once were. If KCC or any other large piece of undeveloped land becomes available within the GR boundaries, I hope developers, the City, or whomever looks beyond suburban type housing that will hold two parents (or one) and 2.3 kids. Again, mixed use, mixed housing types, even something like cohousing (intergenerational or for those over 55) can be considered. Be creative to attract the creative class.

The quality of the schools should not be the controlling factor of every development project, just as parking shouldn't be all consuming either (although I realize in GR there are few really good alternatives to driving for every day needs except in a few select places or situations). And other communities have figured out how to improve at least certain schools within certain areas to attract residents who do have school-aged children and are very concerned about the quality of the local schools (and it doesn't necessarily mean sending the kids to a private school). Besides, I bet even in the FH School District, there are kids that "fail" (or are just "ordinary"), just as there are kids in the GRPS who "succeed".

[Explorer55]

Right on point about improving local schools, this is in the latest Rapid Growth issue:

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/CongressElementaryElizabethBlog.aspx

And that's my old elementary school. Glad to see there are neighbors who care.

[GRDadof3]

How many people actually have kids that are school age, anymore? It's a shrinking part of the population. Schools are not the big deal they perhaps once were. If KCC or any other large piece of undeveloped land becomes available within the GR boundaries, I hope developers, the City, or whomever looks beyond suburban type housing that will hold two parents (or one) and 2.3 kids. Again, mixed use, mixed housing types, even something like cohousing (intergenerational or for those over 55) can be considered. Be creative to attract the creative class.

The quality of the schools should not be the controlling factor of every development project, just as parking shouldn't be all consuming either (although I realize in GR there are few really good alternatives to driving for every day needs except in a few select places or situations). And other communities have figured out how to improve at least certain schools within certain areas to attract residents who do have school-aged children and are very concerned about the quality of the local schools (and it doesn't necessarily mean sending the kids to a private school). Besides, I bet even in the FH School District, there are kids that "fail" (or are just "ordinary"), just as there are kids in the GRPS who "succeed".

There are certain schools within GRPS that are very good and rank amongst the best in the State. But to build single family homes in that district is a pretty risky endeavor, IMO. At least, on a large scale. And GRPS just announced that Creston HS next door to the country club is closing and being consolidated to other high schools.

I think a development that included some retail along Plainfield, mixed with retirement living, medium density apartments/condos, a park or two, could do well in this area.