[derbyshire]

We have no experience with towns that regionalize schools. Were looking at 2 houses both in nice towns but one town regionalizes with another. It has us worried because the house is located about 20 mins from the high school. That obviously takes longer on a bus. Does anyone have experience with regionalized schools?

Were leaning more in favor of the town that has a highschool 4 minutes down the road. Both towns are equally nice, similarly priced and both public schools perform well.

[kidyankee764]

Some of the best districts in the state are Regions (5, 9, 15).

[ctcoldplay11]

Agreed, Kid.

Amity, Pomperaug, RHAM, Joel Barlow, Norwich Free Academy are particularly notable, and among the best in the state! Which regional district are you looking at?

[dazzleman]

I wouldn't care if a district was regional, as long as the schools performed well and the distance wasn't inordinate. Regionalization for small towns is much more cost effective than having a whole slew of tiny school districts.

[AMSS]

We live in a Regional District and we like it. It can get frustrating since you're trying to please or convince two towns when it comes to budget time, but since I live in the town more prone to knock down the school budget, I'm glad the other town lifts us.

NFA is a little different, I believe, though when it comes to funding.

[JayCT]

I wouldn't worry that a town is part of a regional district. Even by Connecticut standards our regional districts are small serving just a couple of towns at most. In other states, regional districts are the norm and IMHO that is where the problems arise with this country's public education system. There is less oversight and accountability in these systems so the education suffers. But that is not what happens here. Jay

[derbyshire]

What is more concerning to us is not the quality of the school but the distance of the middle and high school from the home we like. Norwich Free Academy is very far from my job and I don't think Norwich would be a town we would consider anyway. We are looking on the western side of the state.

[AMSS]

Are you looking on the Northwest side (Litchfield County)? Most of the those schools (Shepaug, Wamago, Northwest, Housatonic Valley) are regionalized because of the towns' small sizes and high summer populations. They are all good schools in educated communities.

As for distance…well, you just deal with it. I spend A LOT of time in the other town because my kids are younger. It will come full circle in high school they say. They are used to the 45-50 minute ride and not bothered by it. You just make the best of it. Honestly, my kids feel like they are part of two communities. Also, many people travel twenty minutes or more to a school even if it's in the same town.

Also, want to add that any schools that are regionalized will stay that way no matter how much opposition there is. Orange had enough students to go on their own, but were rejected. Prospect and Beacon Falls are not even next to each other and went through a bitter war over the high school, and they were rejected. As far as the state is concerned, regionalized school system are one town.

[derbyshire]

We're looking at a house on the far end of Bethany near the Naugatuck line, and another house in Quaker Farms off Rockhouse Hill Road right by the high school. I have never lived in a rural town so its possible that the remote section of Bethany will be a shock to our system. I don't know why but some of the houses in Oxford online say Per BOE under the high school listing. They don't still bus kids to Masuk I thought, unless it depends what section of town you live in.

Can someone give a recommendation for a good realtor in the Seymour Naugatuck area?

[derbyshire]

Another problem with Bethany could be if they're good friend lives in Orange. Mapquest estimates it at 32 minutes. What are these towns thinking?! The more I think about Bethany and Orange being part of the same high school, the more I'm turned off to it. That's a big area.