Moving to Wisconsin with Family - pls advice (Brookfield, Franklin: neighborhood, school district)

[Engineer_Guy]

Originally Posted by Maxfacs

Great, thanks- how would you rank them? if we were to pick an area which one would you say is to go for?
Newer homes 2500 to 3500sqf - single family with enought back yard for kids- type of cimmunity? safe, young family type, parks, Rec centers around, etc...

Thanks again

I think the western suburbs are great for what you are seeking. You will find bigger, newer homes with bigger lots in the Brookfield or Menomonee Falls areas. Very safe and family friendly communities with everything you'd need very close by. Plus the drive to downtown will be no more than 20 minutes on a typical day.

[Badgerman1139]

I have lived in the Milwaukee area for the past 20 years. Definitely stay away from the Milwaukee public schools and some of the southern suburbs. Whitefish Bay and Shorewood have always had great schools along with Mequon, Germantown, and Hamilton. Every five years Milwaukee Magazine does a comparison of school systems, K-8 and High School. Click on [url=http://www.milwaukeemag.com/article/4192012-BestSchools]MilwaukeeMag.com - Best Schools[/url] to read the article.

[Maxfacs]

Originally Posted by Badgerman1139

I have lived in the Milwaukee area for the past 20 years. Definitely stay away from the Milwaukee public schools and some of the southern suburbs. Whitefish Bay and Shorewood have always had great schools along with Mequon, Germantown, and Hamilton. Every five years Milwaukee Magazine does a comparison of school systems, K-8 and High School. Click on MilwaukeeMag.com - Best Schools to read the article.

Great info thanks-
Does Wisconsin have open-enrollment law that allows students to attend any public school in the state? so it doesn't have to be the one near your house??

[Maxfacs]

Does this city ranking make any sense? Based on schools- I found this and the list goes on 400+ !! confusing.


Fremont
Richfield
Arena
Hatley
Colgate
Plain
Genesee Depot
Lannon
Cassville
Kohler
Kansasville
Lyndon Station
Ridgeway
Elkhart Lake
Fish Creek
North Prairie
Merton
Sussex
Benton
Merrimac
Elm Grove
Gilmanton
Redgranite
Mequon
Hartland
Newton
North Lake
Hamburg
Cedarburg
Waunakee
Slinger
Abrams
Germantown
Whitefish Bay
Jim Falls
Franklin
Hales Corners
Theresa
Ogema
Brookfield
Ridgeland
Columbus
Oostburg
Combined Locks
Muskego

[mizzou65201]

About half of the cities in your list are nowhere near Milwaukee. They are in outstate Wisconsin, some of them several hours away.

I would start by looking in Brookfield, Elm Grove, New Berlin, Menomonee Falls. Maybe also Franklin and Mequon. Mequon is going to have (generally speaking) the largest and most expensive homes. New Berlin, Menomonee Falls, Franklin will have more affordable options.

Of these Brookfield/Elm Grove (Elmbrook School District) and Mequon probably have the "best" school districts based on test scores & general reputation. But that is not to say the others are not very good.

Fox Point/Bayside might also make your list. But the homes there are generally older.

[Maxfacs]

Originally Posted by mizzou65201

About half of the cities in your list are nowhere near Milwaukee. They are in outstate Wisconsin, some of them several hours away.

I would start by looking in Brookfield, Elm Grove, New Berlin, Menomonee Falls. Maybe also Franklin and Mequon. Mequon is going to have (generally speaking) the largest and most expensive homes. New Berlin, Menomonee Falls, Franklin will have more affordable options.

Of these Brookfield/Elm Grove (Elmbrook School District) and Mequon probably have the "best" school districts based on test scores & general reputation. But that is not to say the others are not very good.

Fox Point/Bayside might also make your list. But the homes there are generally older.

Like I said, 45minutes drive its not a problem as long as kids get to the good schools. Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciate it.

[slamont61]

here are a few districts to look at:

Pewaukee School District - Index (Pewaukee)
Oconomowoc Area School District (Oconomowoc)
Arrowhead Union High School District (Heartland)
Kettle Moraine School District (Delafield)

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by Maxfacs

Like I said, 45minutes drive its not a problem as long as kids get to the good schools. Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciate it.

I think you're confusing the Wisconsinites because there just isn't the disparity among schools there that you find in other places.
Yes, some have better scores than others, but mostly it's just stay away from the city of Milwaukee and maybe a couple of suburbs if good public schools are your biggest concern. Otherwise, it's up to the amenities and lifestyle you want.

[Maxfacs]

Originally Posted by northbound74

I think you're confusing the Wisconsinites because there just isn't the disparity among schools there that you find in other places.
Yes, some have better scores than others, but mostly it's just stay away from the city of Milwaukee and maybe a couple of suburbs if good public schools are your biggest concern. Otherwise, it's up to the amenities and lifestyle you want.

Thanks for the info-

[amy53005]

Hi,
I would go with Brookfield. Elmbrook school district is very highly rated. Brookfield has a nice suburban feel to it, nice homes, homes under 10 yrs old are expensive but many nice ones can be found which are about 20-30 yrs old, low property taxes, plenty for kids to do, nice friendly neighborhoods with good park system. Safe. Easy commute into the city for work. Feel free to message me if you need any other info.
Amy