Quality of education, proximity and community are all factors parents consider in deciding what school their children will attend. Parents may decide to look into private schools, other counties or public school systems in their areas. Athens-Clarke County began to see residents fleeing to Oconee County with the rising black population in Athens.
“White flight” refers to the shift of white residents to another area of town after a rise in the black population. Andrew Hacker author of Two Nations argues, “White flight begins when the black population reaches 10- 20 percent.”
According to the University of Georgia Family and Consumer Economics site, Georgia Facts, Oconee County’s black population has decreased from 22.14% in 1960 to 7.1% in 2009. Compared to Clarke County’s black population which has remained the same at 25.6% in both 1960 and 2009.
The Georgia Department of Education uses Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to measure academic performance for every public school. It is measured by evaluating two state exams including the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. The Georgia Department of Education also takes into account attendance and graduation rates.
According to the Georgia Department of Education 2010 AYP report 18 out of 21 schools in Clarke County, and 10 out of 10 schools in Oconee County met AYP. Also, in the 2010 AYP report, 76.3% of students in Clarke County “meet or exceed” in academic performance in CRCT Math compared to 95.0% in Oconee County. Georgia County Snapshots reports for the year of 2005-2006, Clarke County dropout rate was 7.7 out of 100 (enrolled students) compared to Oconee County 1.3 out of 100.
Camille Fulmer, a married white woman age 68, is a current resident in Oconee County after raising her two children in Clarke County. She now helps her daughter, age 34, a 1995 Cedar Shoals High School graduate, raise her son.
“We are very glad we live here with the prospect of Jackson (grandson) going to Oconee Schools,” said Fulmer. “We can get a house a whole lot cheaper in Clarke County than here (Oconee County), but that is not an option for us.”
Fulmer has been living in Oconee county for seven years after moving out of Clarke County. Fulmer said, “Once you get out and you see how it is you just don’t go back.”
“Pull factors into Oconee County is the school system,” said Douglas Batchel, a Housing and Consumer Economics Professor at the University of Georgia. “It has real high educational attainment levels and real high income levels and low minorities.”
Fulmer endured difficulties with both her son and daughter being taunted. Fulmer described to me a time when her daughter was harassed over a necklace she was wearing. Her daughter Joy Fulmer said, “I was the only white person in my freshman PE class at Cedar Shoals. After coming from a private Christian school with no black people. That was scary.”
University of Georgia Assistant to the Executive Director of University Housing, Dr. Carla Dennis, is the mother of three and currently resides in Clarke County. Her oldest son is currently enrolled in public school in the area, and she views living in Clarke County with a different perspective.
“For me I am very passionate about the neighborhood school. I really feel like there are good experiences that kids can get from public schools,” said Dennis. “We wanted them to be in a diverse environment not only in terms of race, but socioeconomic status and religion.”
Clarke County offers diversity that many families may find important in the development of their children. “We wanted a community that we felt was family oriented, but one that would meet our needs to feel comfortable and diverse and that’s one of the reasons we really liked Clarke County,” said Dennis.
According to the Georgia Department of Education the total enrollment for Clarke County is 12,371 students and out of those students 19.1% are white. Compared to the total enrollment for Oconee County which is 6,489 and 83.7% of students are white.
“Oconee and Clarke counties have push and pull factors for the school systems,” said Batchel. “Its like a blender you throw all these social factors in there and push it on puree and it goes like that.”
“White flight” refers to the shift of white residents to another area of town after a rise in the black population. Andrew Hacker author of Two Nations argues, “White flight begins when the black population reaches 10- 20 percent.”
According to the University of Georgia Family and Consumer Economics site, Georgia Facts, Oconee County’s black population has decreased from 22.14% in 1960 to 7.1% in 2009. Compared to Clarke County’s black population which has remained the same at 25.6% in both 1960 and 2009.
The Georgia Department of Education uses Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to measure academic performance for every public school. It is measured by evaluating two state exams including the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. The Georgia Department of Education also takes into account attendance and graduation rates.
According to the Georgia Department of Education 2010 AYP report 18 out of 21 schools in Clarke County, and 10 out of 10 schools in Oconee County met AYP. Also, in the 2010 AYP report, 76.3% of students in Clarke County “meet or exceed” in academic performance in CRCT Math compared to 95.0% in Oconee County. Georgia County Snapshots reports for the year of 2005-2006, Clarke County dropout rate was 7.7 out of 100 (enrolled students) compared to Oconee County 1.3 out of 100.
Camille Fulmer, a married white woman age 68, is a current resident in Oconee County after raising her two children in Clarke County. She now helps her daughter, age 34, a 1995 Cedar Shoals High School graduate, raise her son.
“We are very glad we live here with the prospect of Jackson (grandson) going to Oconee Schools,” said Fulmer. “We can get a house a whole lot cheaper in Clarke County than here (Oconee County), but that is not an option for us.”
Fulmer has been living in Oconee county for seven years after moving out of Clarke County. Fulmer said, “Once you get out and you see how it is you just don’t go back.”
“Pull factors into Oconee County is the school system,” said Douglas Batchel, a Housing and Consumer Economics Professor at the University of Georgia. “It has real high educational attainment levels and real high income levels and low minorities.”
Fulmer endured difficulties with both her son and daughter being taunted. Fulmer described to me a time when her daughter was harassed over a necklace she was wearing. Her daughter Joy Fulmer said, “I was the only white person in my freshman PE class at Cedar Shoals. After coming from a private Christian school with no black people. That was scary.”
University of Georgia Assistant to the Executive Director of University Housing, Dr. Carla Dennis, is the mother of three and currently resides in Clarke County. Her oldest son is currently enrolled in public school in the area, and she views living in Clarke County with a different perspective.
“For me I am very passionate about the neighborhood school. I really feel like there are good experiences that kids can get from public schools,” said Dennis. “We wanted them to be in a diverse environment not only in terms of race, but socioeconomic status and religion.”
Clarke County offers diversity that many families may find important in the development of their children. “We wanted a community that we felt was family oriented, but one that would meet our needs to feel comfortable and diverse and that’s one of the reasons we really liked Clarke County,” said Dennis.
According to the Georgia Department of Education the total enrollment for Clarke County is 12,371 students and out of those students 19.1% are white. Compared to the total enrollment for Oconee County which is 6,489 and 83.7% of students are white.
“Oconee and Clarke counties have push and pull factors for the school systems,” said Batchel. “Its like a blender you throw all these social factors in there and push it on puree and it goes like that.”
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