Athens Alabama Information

Be very careful moving to Athens.  This is a small town with a small town attitude.

My grandson lost a tremendous amount, his father, his house, his neighborhood and his friends.  He moved into our house at the end the school year 2008.  He made friends in our neighborhood over the summer.  When we went to enroll him for the 2008/2009 school year at James L. Cowart Elementary School (our zone), he was denied as the classrooms reached full capacity at 16.  The Principal of Cowart sent me off to the Registrar, Mr. Oldroyd who told me I would be put on a list for the next school year and my student was assigned to Athens Elementary.  It is a 10 minute drive to school from our house.  It is a one hour and twenty minute bus ride from school to our house.  Needless to say, he does not ride the bus which means he must be driven and picked up everyday.  The school is old and delapidate.  There are no computers.  The principal is retired in place and the teacher my student has is lazy, and not computer literate at all.  She will do nothing extra, and communication is very troublesome.  She doesn't seem to like the kids much from what I have seen.  She did not want anyone coming in to help the student with reading.   

For those of you moving to Athens....don't.  Move to Madison County or Huntsville where there is much more diversity.  Athenians as a whole do not welcome folks who did not grow up here.  WE MADE A BIG MISTAKE.  Before you decide to settle, make sure you think you will be happy.  We have lived here since 2000 and will be thankfully departing after the 2009/2010 school year.