Job in Port Arthur Area (Houston, Beaumont: how much, house, magnet school)

[gcctrumpeter]

From what I gather, I think I'm posting in the right forum...

I just saw an interesting job in Port Arther, TX - Principal of an Arts/Technology Magnet School. Can anyone tell me what Port Arthur is like? What are the schools like?

I'd appreciate any help.

[tstone]

Port Arthur is part of SE Texas, but not part of Houston. It's ~100 miles away, give or take. I have been there recently, as I am looking to start a job there soon. I can't say anything about the schools, but maybe this means something:

The town is in poor condition right now. The hurricane damage/mess from 2005: blue tarps for roofs, dilapidated structures, scattered trash & trees, etc is still everywhere to be found. A lot of businesses have closed or moved out, such as the Walgreens. (All that's left is the sun-fade letters on the old building.) Refineries are everywhere and the air quality isn't exactly healthy. It hasn't seemed to escape its past (segregation), it's obvious there's no local motivation for much of anything there, and I've heard that it's not exactly a safe place hang around either.

So the pay for jobs may be pretty attractive.

If you don't mind working there, you may be able to find a place to live in Beaumont. Housing supply is supposedly getting thin (and therefore expensive) due to people relocating for all the massive oil/gas projects in the Golden Triangle and the neighboring Sabine/Louisiana region.

[gcctrumpeter]

Thanks for the info!

Wouldn't be the first time I worked in a rough area, and I am actually hoping to find a district that would require a bit of a challenge. The pay is pretty good, comparable to some of the jobs here, but I'd never be able to afford a house in NJ.

What's the weather like down there? I know it can get pretty hot and humid here, so I'm wondering how much of a difference it is.

[Beto]

Originally Posted by gcctrumpeter

Thanks for the info!

Wouldn't be the first time I worked in a rough area, and I am actually hoping to find a district that would require a bit of a challenge. The pay is pretty good, comparable to some of the jobs here, but I'd never be able to afford a house in NJ.

What's the weather like down there? I know it can get pretty hot and humid here, so I'm wondering how much of a difference it is.

Hot and Humid it is.

[tstone]

Climate? Begin Louisiana wetlands, sorta. Compared to Houston, it's few degrees cooler in the summer and a few degrees warmer in the winter. Basically negligible because it is wetter- gets about 12 more inches of rain per year than we do, putting the heat index at the same, comfortable 105+. Wikipedia has your details.

Compared to NJ? I think you'll be sweating/showering and cleaning mud off your boots more often.

[thegriffs]

My husband and I stumbled upon this forum while doing research on the flooding in Port Arthur. We are from Galveston and moved away 10 yrs. ago because of the better pay in Phoenix, and now Las Vegas. We are ready to come home but not to Galveston. The pay is pathetic there compared to his wages here. He's a union carpenter and makes really good $$. He's willing to take about a $10/hr. pay cut to join the union in Beaumont but the housing is too much. We really liked the idea of living by the water again, so we decided to check into Port Arthur. The area we really liked is Griffing Park.
After reading some of the comments about Port Arthur though, we are wondering what the real deal is. Is it really that bad? We have 2 sons, 14 and 12, and a 15 month old girl. The schools are really bad here in Vegas, so we've been doing online schooling through a charter school. Is there anything like that there? My husband needs to be sort of close to the jobs, we want a good place for our children to live/ grow up. Traffic cannot compare to Vegas' so that's not an issue. The safety of our children is the main concern. Any input is appreciated.