[faisalsk70]

Any idea which of these towns (Brookfield, Bethel, New Fairfield, & Danbury) have a better resale value / return? Other than school system that is another worry I had - dont want to be stuck with a place that will not be sellable in 5-7 years...

[foxywench]

i think of the 4 bethel, brookfield and new fairfeild, then danbury...
the only real big issue with danbury is a bad school system, if your willing to go with private/peroquial there are some areas of danbury that are very nice.

i will agree that the public transport around here leaves lots to be desired, but danbury has a better system than bethel

[Trainspotter]

Having moved from Danbury to the Amity school District I have to say in all honesty I wish I hadn't. Yes, Amity has some good qualities but they have enough negatives for me that I pulled my youngest out and am sending him to a magnet school in New Haven. Believe me, test scores are only one part of the picture. Having grown up in Bethel, and being familiar with the area, New Milford was not considered a very good school system during my high school years, but maybe that has changed. New Fairfield is nice but I would still jump at the chance to move back to Danbury if my job were closer. We have several friends whose children were high achievers, did very well in Danbury and got into excellent universities. Parental involvement is still the key.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Trainspotter

Having moved from Danbury to the Amity school District I have to say in all honesty I wish I hadn't. Yes, Amity has some good qualities but they have enough negatives for me that I pulled my youngest out and am sending him to a magnet school in New Haven. Believe me, test scores are only one part of the picture. Having grown up in Bethel, and being familiar with the area, New Milford was not considered a very good school system during my high school years, but maybe that has changed. New Fairfield is nice but I would still jump at the chance to move back to Danbury if my job were closer. We have several friends whose children were high achievers, did very well in Danbury and got into excellent universities. Parental involvement is still the key.

I am not sure what your issues are with Amity but I can tell you that you are in the minority on this. I think that there are very few people that would prefer sending their children to Danbury over Amity. Danbury HS is one of the largest in the state. It is overcrowded from what a friend that teaches there tells me. It has some urban related issues since Danbury is a small city. New Fairfield, Bethel and New Milford do not have these issues. they would be the better option if the Op wants to send their kids to public schools IMHO. Jay

[foxywench]

bethel public schools are deifnatly "not bad" not the best in the state but dont have the 'inner city" type problems that danbury does. i hear good things about the new fairfeild system too.
i dont know anything about brookfield schools.

[faisalsk70]

Thank you all....

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Trainspotter

Parental involvement is still the key.

I am quite familiar with the Amity schools and parental involvement is huge in that district. Huge.

[Trainspotter]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I am quite familiar with the Amity schools and parental involvement is huge in that district. Huge.

Yes it is, as it is in most upper middle class communities and all the successful kids that I know that went through Danbury had equally involved parents. Amity certainly doesn't own the market on that. My college aged daughter spent the first half of her school years in Danbury and the second half in Amity and she preferred Danbury because Amity tends to be "stuck up and all about money". If you like that, great. I've got a house I can sell you. Anyway, my point is simply that Danbury is not New Haven or Hartford and children can do very well in a place like Danbury if parents take an active role their education. Since the original poster isn't interested in Amity anyway, it's a moot point.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Trainspotter

Yes it is, as it is in most upper middle class communities and all the successful kids that I know that went through Danbury had equally involved parents. Amity certainly doesn't own the market on that. My college aged daughter spent the first half of her school years in Danbury and the second half in Amity and she preferred Danbury because Amity tends to be "stuck up and all about money". If you like that, great. I've got a house I can sell you. Anyway, my point is simply that Danbury is not New Haven or Hartford and children can do very well in a place like Danbury if parents take an active role their education. Since the original poster isn't interested in Amity anyway, it's a moot point.

I guess you have a point, but not everyone at Amity is "stuck up and all about money". Perhaps your daughter had trouble making new friends in her new school, which isn't uncommon.

We're in the process of looking at houses again and are focusing on Orange and Woodbridge. Everyone I know from both towns are incredibly friendly and, while Woodbridge is substantially wealthier, this IMO isn't an issue. Orange is very much a middle/upper middle class suburb.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Trainspotter

Yes it is, as it is in most upper middle class communities and all the successful kids that I know that went through Danbury had equally involved parents. Amity certainly doesn't own the market on that. My college aged daughter spent the first half of her school years in Danbury and the second half in Amity and she preferred Danbury because Amity tends to be "stuck up and all about money". If you like that, great. I've got a house I can sell you. Anyway, my point is simply that Danbury is not New Haven or Hartford and children can do very well in a place like Danbury if parents take an active role their education. Since the original poster isn't interested in Amity anyway, it's a moot point.

There is a big difference between going to an elementary school in an urban area and going to a middle or high school there. Usually the elementary school is smaller and most children are from the immediate area. Middle and high schools brings a large number of kids together from all over town and along with the age behavior issues, you have a wide range of personalities to deal with. I am not sure your child would have the same opinion had she gone to high school in a city. Yeah, Amity has stuck up kids but I would rather deal with those types than some of the issues found in a VERY large urban school. Jay