PLease I need specific school areas in Knox. (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: relocating, property taxes)

[menglin]

HI we are coming up for a visit and of coarse we were thinking of relocating. I have been on this board for a couple months and researching like crazy. I was focusing on the Maryville area since the schools are so good in the city. But there is a double tax on property if you live in city limits. I was looking at listings in Knoxville, but don't know which are the good and bad school areas? Please some suggestions so I can look when I am up there. Are there areas where the schools are as good as Maryville? I am looking to get more house and land for my money as well as giving my kids a good education. I don't want to be house poor. Oh yeah my buget is up to $250,000, 4/2 house. I know you are probably tired of this question, but I appreciate the help.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by menglin

HI we are coming up for a visit and of coarse we were thinking of relocating. I have been on this board for a couple months and researching like crazy. I was focusing on the Maryville area since the schools are so good in the city. But there is a double tax on property if you live in city limits. I was looking at listings in Knoxville, but don't know which are the good and bad school areas? Please some suggestions so I can look when I am up there. Are there areas where the schools are as good as Maryville? I am looking to get more house and land for my money as well as giving my kids a good education. I don't want to be house poor. Oh yeah my buget is up to $250,000, 4/2 house. I know you are probably tired of this question, but I appreciate the help.

Have you considered living in Blount County outside of Maryville? You wouldn't be double-taxed, and you'd be in the Blount County school system which is also very good.

Otherwise, in Knox County you have good schools in every part of the county. The Hardin Valley area is popular; the county is building a new high school out there because of all the growth. It's supposed to alleviate overcrowding at Farragut High School and Karns High School.

Here are the Knox County high schools that are in the rural parts of the county where you would not pay city property taxes: Carter, Gibbs, Halls, Karns, Powell, and South-Doyle. There are also small sections of the rural county that are zoned for Bearden, Farragut, and West high schools. Since you don't want to live in the city and pay city property taxes, then you should avoid Austin-East, Central, and Fulton high schools since their zones are all within the city limits.

But remember, all of Knox County is under one school system, so the only difference from school to school is the socio-economic background of the students. Otherwise, they all have the same curriculum, same textbooks, etc.

You can view the report card for every school in every school system at the Tennessee Department of Education web site:
http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/rptcrd06/

Good luck.

[menglin]

Thank you, what do you think of the school sytems in the towns surrounding Maryville? Alcoa, Townsend, Oak Ridge?

Thanks

[JMT]

Originally Posted by menglin

Thank you, what do you think of the school sytems in the towns surrounding Maryville? Alcoa, Townsend, Oak Ridge?

Thanks

Oak Ridge has an outstanding school system, arguably the best in the state. But you have to live in the city of Oak Ridge, and Oak Ridge has among the highest property tax rates in the state.

Townsend is part of the Blount County system. I don't know much about the Alcoa school system, but I imagine it's also pretty good. You can check the school system scores at the link I put in that earlier post.

To be honest, there aren't many school systems in the Knoxville area that I would avoid; they're all pretty good. But if you want to live out in the country so that you don't pay city property taxes, you can't go wrong with either Blount County or Knox County schools. Otherwise, if quality of education is really important, you might go ahead and look at Maryville or Oak Ridge and pay an extra few hundred bucks a year in property taxes.

I hope that helps.

[menglin]

Knoxville, TN 37918
, Knoxville, TN 37923 TN 37932 37918 37931 37934

Can you tell me about these zips? schools, neighborhoods? I found houses in all these areas, that I want to see.

Thanks

[menglin]

Your right, I have alot to look at when I get there. I will check out Oakridge and Maryville is still top of my list. Thanks for all your help it helps me focus. LOL I am one of those people who gets sided tracked easily. LOL