Arapahoe County or Boulder County? (Denver, Aurora: home, neighborhoods, best schools)

[rebagirl]

I've visited Colorado, and am torn between two areas. I have young children and am interested in either Littleton Public schools, which I believe covers parts of Centennial, or Broomfield area (Boulder Valley schools). I do not want year-round education, so Douglas County is out. I liked Broomfield, except for the fact that there is no real "downtown" area, or "mom and pop" restaurants--mostly chains. The new mall is nice, but some of the people seemed like they were trying real hard to impress. Looking for a sense of community, good schools that are not overly populated, safe and fun area in which to live, not too snobby--just average, down-to-earth people.

[2bindenver]

there are some elementary schools on the traditional school year, in Douglas County. Littleton Public schools cover Littleton. Cherry Creek covers Centennial.

Littleton has a nice downtown.

You cannot go wrong in your choices. Average price range is under $300,000 for all these area.

[rebagirl]

Thanks for the info. It is a bit confusing, because many of the schools serviced by Littleton Public School District have a Centennial address.

I didn't have much time to visit the areas south of Denver when I was there, so much of my info regarding Littleton is based on internet research. Parker seems nice also, but I know the majority of those schools are year-round. As a teacher, I find the track system to be of little benefit-- too much confusion for young kids, and a pain for the teachers.

I hope to take another trip within the next few months, but in the meantime, I appreciate these forums!

[2bindenver]

As a mom with two in high school and one on A track, I have a few other words to describe how I feel about tracks...The kids share 6 weeks off together, and I have more "mommy & me" time with my 10 year old, then the teens. I think they loose less of what they have learned when they are only off for 3 or 6 weeks. I may move the 10 year old next year to another neighborhood school, if they switch to conventional.

Douglas County has a list of which elementary schools are on the conventional calendar on their website. http://www1.dcsdk12.org/
http://snipurl.com/xv33

[xxman777]

Originally Posted by rebagirl

Thanks for the info. It is a bit confusing, because many of the schools serviced by Littleton Public School District have a Centennial address.

I didn't have much time to visit the areas south of Denver when I was there, so much of my info regarding Littleton is based on internet research. Parker seems nice also, but I know the majority of those schools are year-round. As a teacher, I find the track system to be of little benefit-- too much confusion for young kids, and a pain for the teachers.

I hope to take another trip within the next few months, but in the meantime, I appreciate these forums!

You are right the boundaries are a little weird. It isn't exactly Littleton Public Schools (LPS) = Littleton and Cherry Creek = Centennial. About half of LPS is actually in Centennial. The remaining portion of Centennial is in Cherry Creek. And most of the rest of the Cherry Creek district (over half the district) is in Aurora, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Foxfield or the County. Overland and Cherokee Trail High Schools shouldn't serve Centennial but the rest of Cherry Creek Schools should partially serve the city. In Littleton most or all of Heritage serves Littleton. About half of Littleton High serves Littleton the rest is in Centennial, and almost all of Arapahoe serves Centennial. Of course I don't know the exact boundaries but this is a pretty good approximation.

You have picked several nice areas. Littleton is going to be the closest to what you are looking for in Arapahoe Cty but the downtown area is pretty small. Boulder is going to have much more of a old town downtown feel. The people are going to be pretty down to earth (and by that I mean back to nature types, environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts, etc.) but very snobby about it. Schools are excellent in the Boulder area as well. Have you considered Ft Collins?

[rebagirl]

Thanks to all who responded.

2bindenver: I respect your opinion regarding year-round school, and it is refreshing to hear a positive. My main concern was that the kids are never in the same classroom, as they rotate to "pods". It also sounds as though the teachers have to cart their materials in and out, which would drive me completely insane. It would be like moving from a small home every few weeks. Correct me if I'm wrong in my assumptions--I've only spoken to teachers here in California who have done it and they HATE it!! And do kids really lose that much during the summer? In my 15 years of experience teaching, every grade begins with assessing all of the students. Some know it and some don't. Of course, it's obvious which parents read to their kids and find enriching activites.

xxman777: We loved the openness of the land near HWY 36. We don't really want to live right in Boulder, for a number of reasons--one of which you mentioned. However, we may be interested in Broomfield or some other area within Boulder County. We haven't visited Fort Collins, although I have heard wonderful things about it. Part of my problem is that I have family in the not-so-nice portion of Aurora. And although I don't expect to be seeing them once a week, reasonable driving distance would be great.

[Kaligirl]

XXman If I can jump in here.....I am considering FT. Collins/Loveland area, anything to add here regarding schools etc.? Appreciate your feedback.

[xxman777]

Kaligirl: Ft Collins schools are excellent. Poudre HS seems to have a little of a leg up on the others but I suspect it has something to do with the fact they have an IB program. Of course the benefits that come from having an IB program can also flow over into the regular programs. Ft Collins HS students also seem very impressive to me. I’m not really familiar with the new HS (Fossil Ridge) but I’m sure that it is excellent also. All the schools in Ft Collins are going to be on par with the best schools in the Denver or Boulder area.

I really like Ft Collins downtown (called old town by locals). It’s extremely walkable with many shops and restaurants. There is also a lot of residential nearby so you can live within walking distance. The only problem is it can be over run by college students but it isn’t anywhere near as bad as Boulder. I don’t know Ft Co neighborhoods all that well but I do know the northern part is really the only section you want to stay away from. There are some bad neighborhoods mixed in with the rest but most areas are pretty safe. One of the other threads specific to Ft Collins can probably give you more information then I can. One thing to remember though, the land near 36 may be open right now but it isn't going to be for long. Not long ago there was absolutely nothing in between Broomfield and Foothills Pkwy in Boulder, just fields.

Rebagirl: If you are moving to be close to family then Ft Collins to Aurora is going to be a little far. Broomfield is nice but you seemed to get a pretty accurate impression of it. It's a suburb, a typical suburb. Mostly chains, no real downtown (even though they seem to pretend they have one). Boulder could offer some more alternatives. Erie (although technically in Weld) is the hot place to go now. Louisville and Lafayette (although suburbs) are nice places and Longmont is becoming very popular. One thing to point out about 36 is while the land may seem open now it won't be for long. Just 10 years ago there was absolutely nothing in between Broomfield and Foothills Pkwy in Boulder, just fields.

[2bindenver]

Broomfield has a brand spanking new events center www.broomfieldeventcenter.com

[rebagirl]

Thank you again. Yes, I do want to be near my family, but not to the extent that I'll sacrifice a nice area in which to live. Sometimes I feel like the more research I do, the more confused I become. I guess it's because we're all looking for the perfect place, which of course doesn't exist. As far as the land goes, I just hope it won't become like Southern California for a long while. Every inch of land seems to be gone here. And if we want to escape the city, we have to be prepared for freeway gridlock just to get there, regardless of the time of day. Sorry, I know I'm getting off topic here.

One reason I have shied away from Douglas County is it supposedly is the fastest-growing area in the state. That doesn't make me want to join the throngs.

I will look into some of the towns you mentioned, even though Fort Collins does sound pretty close to what I'd like (I've researched quite a bit, including this forum)--but a bit far from northern Aurora. (How long of a drive would it actually be--about an hour or so?) Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.