Moving to Chattanooga

[Blessedwithboys]

For those of you that live in the Chattanooga area, can you give me some info? DH will be working in the downtown area. Would it better to live in Georgia or Tennessee? What about homeschool requirements and College scholarships (Hope)? There is so much to think about and consider, I feel a little overwhelmed. :confused1:

[ourjourneys]

Hi Leah, We live in Cleveland near Chattanooga and my husband was working in Georgia when we moved here. For homeschooling TN has better laws. You also do not pay state taxes in TN like you do in GA. I am not sure about the cost of housing comparison, but we would be happy to have you here! There are a lot of homeschoolers both in TN and N. GA... Good luck with your decision...

[Disney Dreaming]

I know nothing about TN and homeschooling laws. GA requires 180 days, 4 1/2 hrs a day and you must send attendance every month to the county school system. HOPE is available only if you score so high on the SAT.(that is what I have been told) Since I don't have a homeschooler in high school I don't know what that score is. HOPE is available for public schoolers if you graduate with a 3.0 and go to a GA college. HOWEVER, I have a senior at UGA now and can tell you that HOPE may not be around much longer, it is losing it's money fast with the economy the way it is.

[Blessedwithboys]

Thanks for the info. Anybody else?

[Jenny in Atl]

We almost moved to Chattanooga (had a contract on a house on Lookout Mt.) Long story short, it do not happen, and we are still in Metro Atl.

 

I think either state is fine. Home prices in close to the city like (North Chattanooga) will be way more than out in North GA (Ringgold) or the Chattanooga burbs (Hixson). The city is great to live in, but there is very high property crime, and tiny yards. I know Signal Mt. has a huge homeschool group, and Lookout Mt. is also still a favored spot to reside (parts are in TN & parts in GA).

 

The best advice is to go and visit. It's super easy to travel all over the area in a day or two at most, to get a feel for the neighborhoods. I know in TN you have to register with an umbrella school, while in GA, it's just some paper work, and test like the earlier poster said; really not hard at all.

[Blessedwithboys]

I appreciate all of the information. I will be visiting in a couple of weeks and hopefully will get a better idea of the different areas once I'm there.

[chanda7]

You DO NOT have to register with an umbrella school in TN. You can register with the local board of education. You just fill out a very simple application and turn in attendance (calendar with circled dates) at the end of the year, 180 days at 4 hours a day. Standardized testing is required in 5th and 7th grades (and possibly 9th grades, depending on interpretation), to be taken at the school you are zoned for. http://www.tennessee.gov/education/homeschool/

 

Welcome to the Chattanooga area :)

[runmiarun]

For the HOPE Scholarship, homeschoolers have to attend a GA public college for one year before they can qualify for the scholarship. But as a pp said, it may not be around much longer since it's a favorite dipping spot for governmental fingers.

[fairfarmhand]

I'm so JEALOUS! I live near Nashville but I grew up in the Chattanooga area and it is great! My dad is a real estate agent there (actually just over the state line in GA, but I think he's licensed for both states) and due to the economy, if you have the money, there are some great deals there. There is tons to do and visit there. Tons of Civil War history, interesting tourist stuff on Lookout Mountain and you have to see the TN aquarium.

 

I HS in TN. We do register w/ an umbrella school ourselves, but I know plenty of people who register with the local school board. It is 4 hrs a day, 180 days. I am not sure exactly how much paperwork and all those folks have to keep up with. I've never had any trouble at all with the truant people or school board. Most everyone I meet even through the school system minds their own business and assumes that we have our bases covered.

 

There are lottery scholarships available in TN but I am not sure about the eligibility requirements as my kids are not that old yet!

[Jenny in Atl]

You DO NOT have to register with an umbrella school in TN. You can register with the local board of education. You just fill out a very simple application and turn in attendance (calendar with circled dates) at the end of the year, 180 days at 4 hours a day. Standardized testing is required in 5th and 7th grades (and possibly 9th grades, depending on interpretation), to be taken at the school you are zoned for. http://www.tennessee.gov/education/homeschool/

 

Welcome to the Chattanooga area :)

 

Great, that must be new... about 6 years ago it wasn't. Its sounds same in as in GA, except for the yearly progress report. Thanks for correcting me. :)

[chanda7]

Jenny, this is only my fourth year of homeschooling, so I don't know what it was like before. I've registered locally every year, super easy and no hassles in my county (although I've heard it was different in the past, and some counties are more problematic). You don't even turn in grades.

[DaffodilDreams]

We live in TN and are registered with The Farm School (cat IV school) and operate as a satellite campus, so we are essentially considered a private school. As such, our only requirements are to submit grades and attendance 2x/yr. We are not required to test, and we are free to choose our learning style, materials, etc. By "attending" this private school in TN, our dd should be eligible for the Hope scholarship (assuming it's still around in several years and that requirements do not change). She will also receive a HS diploma as if she were part of The Farm School's main campus.

 

Chattanooga is a beautiful city, and you'll be close to Knoxville, the Smoky Mtn Nat'l Park, the Ocoee River, etc. Soooooooooooooooo jealous! I'd love to move back to East TN.