Peterborough (Concord, Keene, Marlborough: home, top schools, college)

[Valerie C]

I thought I already posted this link here, apparently it didn't "stick"... Anyway...

Northern New England Real Estate Network - Official Website of the Northern New England MLS

That's the website for the New Hampshire MLS. Plug in your criteria and search for property. It's actually better to search this site than many agent's sites because the vast majority of property addresses are shown to the public. Many agents are still suppressing the property addresses on their websites (I guess it's a way to get the phone to ring when people call to get the address...)

[renlouis]

Thanks for the link Valerie - that's a great site - on some of the others that I've looked at I only get one picture - this one gives me all the pics + a map feature. I appreciate your help!

[Rexicana]

Hi-

I'm not sure of your price range, but there are quite a few houses within walking distance to town available. High Street is a sweet neighborhood. It can get a little busy car-wise, but it is not a highway. Pine Street area is also nice and friendly, and quite close to town.

10 and 13 would probably go to the middle school (South Meadow). I hear mainly good things from people about the school, and a positive vibe about the changes the new superintendent is talking about. My kids are too young for it though, so it is not completely on my radar. The Well School has a great middle school program and a new, unique high school program.

Good luck!

[renlouis]

Thank you SO much Rexicana - THAT is REALLY useful information!! I will check out both the High Street and Pine Street area, as well as the Well School. I hadn't heard of that school, so I really appreciate the info!

[renlouis]

Oh my gosh Rexicana - I just looked at the Well School website - it looks AMAZING!! - if their website is reflective of what's really going on there, then it is exactly what I would like for my girls. I couldn't find tuition prices, so I e-mailed the school to ask. Is it really expensive? We've always been in public school (our public schools here in Flower Mound, TX are some of the best in the state), but there is ALOT of pressure both academically and in any activities they are in - in other words, there is alot of pressure for the team/band etc. to perform at an extremely high level in everything (which makes the school look better), but can really burn the kids out. We are having some issues with my 7th grader right now because she is in so many pre-AP classes, athletics, and symphonic band and she has hours of homework in addition to after school practices for athletics and symphonic band - which leads to her burning the candle at both ends - and she's only in 7th grade!!!!!) My husband and I think it is all too much and are thinking a simpler way of life with better life balance would be a wonderful thing for our family! It looks like the Well School might be a good match for that, while also providing a great education. Thanks again for turning me on to it!

[baobob girl]

We moved to Peterborough for a school right in the next town of Dublin. The school is called Mountain Shadows. They are really hard to find out about and they don't have a website but this school is the most amazing place. I highly recommend looking into it. We also really love Peterborough!

[Rexicana]

The Well School has reputation for being a bit snobby, but I really don't think it is. The graduates I know from there speak wistfully about their time in theater and outdoors there. It is more of a traditional "prep school" feeling than I thought it would be. They do some really neat things there though and it is a strong community. It is *really* beautiful there too.

Mountain Shadows is A-1! The Well School is more based on classical education than MS, but MS excels in individual attention, balancing the kids, providing them with lots of life opportunities, and and and . . . We'd be there in a second if we could afford it and if my son wasn't so happy at the elementary school

The local schools are not bad, but they are more traditionally schooly than the others. They focus a lot more on the kids than the tests compared with our experience with schools in CA. They also have some really great curriculum enhancement things. It is not a horrible option, and works out well for many. I met several recent graduates this summer and they all seem to have their heads in the right places.

Another school to consider is Monadnock Waldorf in Keene. I'm not a Waldorf parent, but I do like how the school encourages them to keep their youth. There is also a Waldorf school in Wilton that some go to, that also has a HS.

Also, the Dublin School in Dublin is a private high school . . . I don't know too much about it though.

There are also some private schools in Jaffrey, but I don't know a lot about them or any one who goes there.

Hope it helps!

[renlouis]

Wow! Thank you so much for the info Rexicana and baobob girl! Baobob - is the tuition for Mountain Shadows going to be about the same as the Well school? I haven't talked to the Well school yet, but I did find a listing online of private schools near Keene (listing was compiled in 2002) and tuition for middle school was about 8K per kid, so I'm guessing now about 10 or 11K per kid? It would be a stretch for us with two kids there, but maybe..................will probably depend on the house we buy and what I decide to do for work. Thank you both so, so, much for the info. It really helps - I'm excited about Petersborough - it looks like a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I can't remember if I said this on this thread or not, but my husband is going for an interview in Keene next week and I'm really hoping it works out!!

[renlouis]

Just out of curiosity, do lots of kids go to private schools in the Keene/Peterborough area?? I looked at some test scores for the public schools and wasn't very impressed, though I know test scores don't tell the whole story.............Do you all feel that the public schools graduate students who are well prepared for college?

[Rexicana]

I honestly don't know the percent of kids who go to private school. There are some great private school options here and that draws kids away from public school. My sense is that Conval, the district and especially the high school, is huge. It pulls kids from town all around. There is a mix of income and interests there - so not all academically driven, but some are very much so.


So my guess is that any kid can succeed there, but the ones who have the easiest route are ones with really involved parents who put their particular form of achievement on the fore front. I know a lot of kids who have gone on to big name colleges and some who have started their own businesses here while they are quite young. I'm sure there are just as many not so successful stories too.

It is different than Concord Mass (for example), which is a really high achieving school in Mass, in that there is not an all around push for excellence. That comes with its own set of challenges too. It depends what you want from schools though.

I asked some people who graduated from Conval HS about ten years ago if it mattered which elementary school you went to. They had gone to a variety of places, including the Well. They responded that it really depended on the kid.


Most kids in town go to the public schools though. I'm not surprised when I meet someone doing something different, but it does seem to be the general norm.