When did/do kids start school in your area?
#63

Hey N1cky, join the rest of the silicon valley ex-pats here in sunny Austin!
We live about 1 mile from MS and 3 from HS. Kids take the bus which gets them to school in about the same time as it takes me to drive it. Not too many kids bike to school as in our area it's very hilly and hot.
We live about 1 mile from MS and 3 from HS. Kids take the bus which gets them to school in about the same time as it takes me to drive it. Not too many kids bike to school as in our area it's very hilly and hot.
Where we used to live, school bus cost you $400 a year.
Where we are now, you've got to be over a mile for the bus up to first grade, it's 1.5 miles for second grade and goes up a little more each couple of years. Seems most kids don't qualify for the middle school and possibly about half for the high school. The thresholds are lower than the state requirements...but they're measured as the crow flies so we don't qualify but it's not a bad walk in spring/autumn, bit sweaty in summer and nearly hazardous during winter.
Car drop off gets silly busy in winter and it's silly busy at the middle and high school to the point there has been a EPA complaint
Where we are now, you've got to be over a mile for the bus up to first grade, it's 1.5 miles for second grade and goes up a little more each couple of years. Seems most kids don't qualify for the middle school and possibly about half for the high school. The thresholds are lower than the state requirements...but they're measured as the crow flies so we don't qualify but it's not a bad walk in spring/autumn, bit sweaty in summer and nearly hazardous during winter.
Car drop off gets silly busy in winter and it's silly busy at the middle and high school to the point there has been a EPA complaint

I'm hoping we can finally buy a house next year, and we can be on the other side of town, and she'll be able to walk/ bike to high school. Not to mention the constant outings to friends houses that I won't have to chauffeur her to.

#64

Yeah, not to bad if the average property tax wasn't around the $10K mark.

#66
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
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Mental, isn't it? There are towns round here, closer into Chicago or to the North Shore where $10-15K isn't uncommon for large lots. Ours is around $3,600.00, which is reasonably cheap for this county.

#67



#68
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#70

2,750 sqft nominal, based on the exterior dimensions of the house, equivalent to about 2,450sqft of living space, IIRC, and sitting on 1.5 acres. We pay another $170 dollars tax for the vacant adjoining lot.

#71
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Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
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#72





#73
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Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Ohio
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But then according to that interesting Niche site someone here mentioned the other day, OH teachers are earning an average of $80k compared with their AZ colleagues on an average of around $50k. Which explains why when I went for my son's high school Open House the either day, the teachers were universally enthusiastic, passionate, skilled-sounding educators, whereas the best I used to hope for with his AZ teachers was an amused, jaded cynicism which at least played very well with Son on a personal level.

#74

Yeah, but that was the only town in the area doing it, when all the neighbouring towns had similar tax rates.
Then again, they also did a pay by the bag rubbish collection thing, which wasn't cheap...really nickel and dimed you that town
Then again, they also did a pay by the bag rubbish collection thing, which wasn't cheap...really nickel and dimed you that town


#75


