GCL Changing

The Catholic High Schools known as the GCL (LaSalle, Roger Bacon, Elder, Seton, Mother of Mercy, Purcell, McAuley, Moeller, McNicholas and Ursula are changing. (My guess is that Xavier and Ursuline are not part of this, but I am not certain.)
This article in the Enquirer discusses the competition the schools are facing to attract students. Until now, if you attended a certain parish, say St. Judes, you automatically attended a certain High School, say Elder. But Elder and Seton, whose feeder parishes ie: St. Lawrence, are in decline, have been asking to open up this process. They feel that their superior programs will attract students from parishes farther out. It will be interesting to see if they succeed. One thing is likely: One or two of the schools will close. The ones that will survive are the ones that are not coed, and have expanded offerings such as music and arts.

I have mixed feelings about this. These schools define part of the culture of Cincinnati. The scholastic programs and discipline are strong in the schools, but the teacher pay is crap and the schools help divide the city by class and race.

Cincinnati Public Schools have served us well, and I have met several other families in which the parents attended parochial schools, but now send their children to CPS because of the excellent programs. In addition, the tuition at the parochial schools has increased tremendously. When my father attended Roger Bacon, the tuition was nominal ($40 I think). Today it is probably $7,000 and Xavier is close to $10,000.

Because of how I was raised, I prefer the dress code and single-sex parochial schools, and I would consider it for my children's high school if it fit their needs. However, Walnut Hills, SCPA, and Clark are great schools too. Good thing we have several years to figure this out.

Washington Park Trees Photo

 

Seneca Place Austinburg

 

A good friend of mine works at the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, and I thought I would forward an announcement they recently made:

Please join us, Thursday, November 8th, 2007, starting at 8am and continuing all day, as 2 modular homes will be placed on foundations at 522 and 524 Thomas Street in Covington's Austinburg neighborhood. We will have a brief program at 9am to celebrate this great day.

The 2 homes will be used as models to sell 10 additional new homes to owner-occupants as part of this development. Each style of home offered has full basement, off-street parking, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The homes are Energy Star-rated:
- The Vineyard: 1,600 SF 2-story w/ front porch.
- The Rowhouse: 1,700 SF 3-story w/ 3 decks.

What makes Seneca Place so exciting is that it is the first new construction in the neighborhood in decades. Seneca Place is part of a larger revitalization initiative in Austinburg to help improve the lives of residents and to promote homeownership.

The house-setting event will be weather-permitting. In case of inclement weather, please contact Rachel Hastings at 859-866-7527.

[Where: 522 Thomas Street, Covington, KY 41014]

City Council and Streetcars

The following candidates support the current streetcar proposal: Jeff Berding, Chris Bortz, Laketa Cole, David Crowley, John Eby, Pat Fischer, Leslie Ghiz, Greg Harris, Joan Kaup, Chris Monzel, Mitch Painter, Roxanne Qualls, Cecil Thomas, George Zamary.

If you take out the Republicans and the ones I know nothing about the resultant list is: Bortz, Cole, Crowley, Harris, Kaup, Qualls, Thomas.

To me the Streetcar is a good litmus test as to whether a member believes in transforming and growing this city. I have been following the development of the streetcar proposal for about two years, and support the current plan. Many members, such as Cranley, give alternative transportation good lip service, but when the steel hits the rails, he will stall and quibble on details resulting in the status-quo: cars and buses as the only method of transport in the city.