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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
DH and I have been playing with the idea for a while of moving to Bucks Cty. We are looking at Perkasie and Quakertown. I went on web sites but they don't really give me a good idea of what is what with the schools. All I hear is that it's very family oriented there which I take as my kids will be good to go till they're 10. I want to make sure there are a lot of activiites for teens as to me it's more important to keep teens busy and allow them some independence without sacrificing their safety. I always use the activities and sports list from Commack schools since that's where I went and the web site list of sports and activities is huge.
We want a much larger home on good sized property without the pain of the cost of LI. Our current situation is a cramped ranch with basemnt, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on 40x100. We are miserable b/c we have no space and we are finding ourselves very cluttered. We don't even have a garage and there's no place to build one. I just lost my job and due to my pregnancy probably won't be back at work till next march if I'm lucky. Think I'd rather just stay home and enjoy or figure something else out for work, but DH feels moving to one of these places would take the stress of our mortgage off. It is very important to me that the schools offer a lot of activities and sports in addition to good education. And not just cheerleading and football, plus 2 or 3 other things thrown in.
TIA
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Posted 6/15/09 8:26 PM  |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
I'll try to rephase my question a bit...
To those who have moved OOS, especially if it's somewhere you knew no one else (no friends, no family), how did you "research" the school districts and what criteria did you use? Who did you contact?
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:18 PM |
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JRD2008
CT. here we come!!
Member since 5/08 2944 total posts
Name:
Kathleen
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
We are moving OOS to Connecticut in September or October. We basically narrowed our search down to 3 towns. We than went online and went to city-data forums, greatschools.bet, schoolmatters.com, and the district websites themselves. Most district homepages will link you too what extracurriculur (sp?) activities they offer.
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:25 PM |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by JRD2008
We are moving OOS to Connecticut in September or October. We basically narrowed our search down to 3 towns. We than went online and went to city-data forums, greatschools.bet, schoolmatters.com, and the district websites themselves. Most district homepages will link you too what extracurriculur (sp?) activities they offer.
I will try these other sites. I have been on city-data.com and while it gives actual ratings for most NY schools (ranked 0-100), there were no such rankings for PA, at least not in the area we were looking. My current SD is 80/100 so I want something comparable or better. But it won't compare NY schools to PA anyway.
As for the school sites. Perkasie seemed to have more than Quakertown. However, I notice a lot of schools play up their football teams so it's hard to get a real sense of what else is offered. While DH and I are very pro competitive sports (I was a gymnast and track/field athlete and he was a scholarship track and field athlete and black belt in Karate), we want a district that can offer a full range of athletics as well as other activities in case our kids don't take on our atheletisicm or just have other interests. High school activities are very important to me as well as a good curriculum of course.
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:35 PM |
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Porrruss
Nya nya nya
Member since 5/05 11618 total posts
Name:
Amy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
What about joining a website similar to this one? I belong to a meetup.com group where there are lots of other moms who offer insight about everything from school districts to daycares to thinkgs to do.
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:42 PM |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by Porrruss
What about joining a website similar to this one? I belong to a meetup.com group where there are lots of other moms who offer insight about everything from school districts to daycares to thinkgs to do.
I'm going to do a search right now... great idea!
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:44 PM |
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Bxgell2
Perfection
Member since 5/05 16438 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
I live in PA, in Montgomery County, to be exact. I have several friends with children in the Bucks County school system - just like any county, it really all depends on the particular school you are looking at. I've heard Quakertown is fairly good, though I've heard nothing about Perkasie. As far as activities, I have no clue, but I can say that Bucks County is a REALLY nice area, so I would be suprised if there weren't a slew of activities.
As for websites - there's one forum that's pretty good for the Philly area, and they have groups dedicated to the different counties - buxmontmommies.com. Register, introduce yourself and then ask away!
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| Posted 6/16/09 1:47 PM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
I grew up in Princeton, very close to Bucks County, and had friends there. I would choose New Hope school district in that area.  That said, many kids commuted to my private school in Princeton from Bucks County.
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| Posted 6/16/09 2:30 PM |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by Bxgell2
I live in PA, in Montgomery County, to be exact. I have several friends with children in the Bucks County school system - just like any county, it really all depends on the particular school you are looking at. I've heard Quakertown is fairly good, though I've heard nothing about Perkasie. As far as activities, I have no clue, but I can say that Bucks County is a REALLY nice area, so I would be suprised if there weren't a slew of activities.
As for websites - there's one forum that's pretty good for the Philly area, and they have groups dedicated to the different counties - buxmontmommies.com. Register, introduce yourself and then ask away!
This is awsome! I did a google search and came up empty. I'm going to register. Quakertown's athletic department is horrible it seems. For girls it's like Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball and cheerleading. Coming from here, that's deplorable. I always pull up Commack schools just for comparison... there are pages of activities. I mean, there's not even a track and field team? Perkasie I think has more, but it's also a bigger enrollment. I'm going to register on that site now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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| Posted 6/16/09 2:32 PM |
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Bxgell2
Perfection
Member since 5/05 16438 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by clwp
This is awsome! I did a google search and came up empty. I'm going to register. Quakertown's athletic department is horrible it seems. For girls it's like Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball and cheerleading. Coming from here, that's deplorable. I always pull up Commack schools just for comparison... there are pages of activities. I mean, there's not even a track and field team? Perkasie I think has more, but it's also a bigger enrollment. I'm going to register on that site now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It's definitely not LI, I'll give you that. Part of the problem, too, is that Quakertown is in a more rural, less populated area, so they don't have as much funding from taxes as compared to some of the more elite districts in Bucks, like New Hope, Doylestown, etc. That's where most of the money is. The benefit, of course, in these areas is that the houses are much less expensive. You have to weigh the pros and cons, and maybe consider some of the more elite Districts in the area, where the cost of a house may be slightly higher, but still significantly less as compared to LI.
We live in an area about 15 miles away from the City - good school district, though I'm looking to move to another one that is better, in a few years. The activities offered are pretty good, and we were able to buy a beautiful 3000 sq/ft house, on a half-acre, for $340k  Of course, our taxes are RIDICULOUS ($10k per year), but it's a trade off...
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| Posted 6/16/09 2:42 PM |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
the site buxmontmommies.com is pretty strict I guess about registration. It said you have to live there or plan on it within the next 6 months and it seems your application has to be approved. I applied, but it takes 48 hours I think it said to get approval. Hope I get approved.
I just looked at our price range in New Hope and there was only one (crummy) house. We may have to live in one of the "less elite" but not quite rural either areas. I guess I have to scope out something in between. I told DH to look into Montgomery county - is that near Bucks? I don't remember it. It's alos near Philly right?
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| Posted 6/16/09 2:58 PM |
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Bxgell2
Perfection
Member since 5/05 16438 total posts
Name:
Beth
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by clwp
the site buxmontmommies.com is pretty strict I guess about registration. It said you have to live there or plan on it within the next 6 months and it seems your application has to be approved. I applied, but it takes 48 hours I think it said to get approval. Hope I get approved.
I just looked at our price range in New Hope and there was only one (crummy) house. We may have to live in one of the "less elite" but not quite rural either areas. I guess I have to scope out something in between. I told DH to look into Montgomery county - is that near Bucks? I don't remember it. It's alos near Philly right?
New Hope, Newtown, Doylestown, etc, those are the most expensive areas in Bucks (and some of the most adorable too).
Montgomery County is closer to the city - it's right next to Bucks County, but further South, closer to downtown, and stretches out further West, towards the Main Line.
The Main Line has AMAZING school districts, but the house prices out there are RIDICULOUS. Another area in Montgomery County that has a GREAT school system is Abington. It's about 20 minutes from downtown, and the houses aren't nearly as expensive as the main line.
If you don't get approved, let me know - I'm registered, though I never post on there, but I could post some questions for you.
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| Posted 6/16/09 3:24 PM |
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
We DH and I moved OOS to FL after college (we're back on LI though  ) we used "The Places Rated Almanac". You can get it on Amazon. It's a VERY detailed book that rates and gives info for everything from health care to schools to crime index to leisure activities. Check it out. There is another book called "Best Places To Raise Your Family". That might be of some use too. Also check out Money Magazines website. They also have detailed information on different areas to live in the country.
Good luck. I hope it works out. Honestly, if I was not upside down in my huge insanely overpriced mortgage right now I would get the h@ll off this island. It's ridiculous how expensive it's gotten. I would love to leave at this point now that I have my DD and want more kids. It would be nice to have the freedom to not worry about $$$ anymore and be able to give my DD and future kids everything. Crossing my fingers the housing market turns around sooner than later.
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| Posted 6/16/09 3:30 PM |
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clwp
Love my girls!
Member since 10/06 2114 total posts
Name:
mommy
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
I'm just hoping moving would even make a difference financially. Honestly, my monthly bills wouldn't change. The mortgage of course would, but DH and I are paying off credit cards and my Student loan... those things don't change just b/c my zip code does. We actually do go without a lot and other things we always had paid for or supplied by our jobs. My new SAHM not by choice necessarily, has definitely added a lot of new bills that I haven't had in a long time from gas to car insurance to cell phone and internet. We can probably get about $420k for our house, so we want to keep our price range as $400k or under b/c of moving expenses and closing costs. I don't need the "Great Neck of Pennsylvania", but certainly want an area where most people are college educated so as to fit in the best for us and our family.
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| Posted 6/16/09 10:05 PM |
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: moving OOS question... anyone know anything about Bucks County PA and the school districts there?
Posted by clwp
I'm just hoping moving would even make a difference financially. Honestly, my monthly bills wouldn't change. The mortgage of course would, but DH and I are paying off credit cards and my Student loan... those things don't change just b/c my zip code does. We actually do go without a lot and other things we always had paid for or supplied by our jobs. My new SAHM not by choice necessarily, has definitely added a lot of new bills that I haven't had in a long time from gas to car insurance to cell phone and internet. We can probably get about $420k for our house, so we want to keep our price range as $400k or under b/c of moving expenses and closing costs. I don't need the "Great Neck of Pennsylvania", but certainly want an area where most people are college educated so as to fit in the best for us and our family.
I'm sure you'd be better off. I have credit card and student loan debt too and moving wouldn't change that as you said however, NOT having a $480K mortgage to pay every month.............that would be a HUGE help!! Because my DH would basically get paid his NY salary wherever we would move to that would leave us A LOT of extra money that would normally go to our huge mortgage payment that can now go towards paying off debt and enjoying life!! And we'd probably have a smaller mortgage and a much bigger, nicer house too then here on LI. But, I can't go anywhere until this housing market changes. 
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| Posted 6/16/09 10:39 PM |
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