Northeastern PA school systems (Allentown, Washington: real estate, rental, buyer)

[njbuyer]

I've received different views on certain schools in NE PA. I'm moving from NJ in 5 months, and would value any opinions on Bangor, Nazareth, Wind Gap/Pen Argl or Bath's school systems. I don't want to "uproot" my kids, so I want to make sure we move to a decent school system. We've been leaning towards Bangor, simply because of the real estate prices.

[ff18wife]

I don't think those towns are anywhere near me but the Delaware Valley School District is outstanding. We just moved here from NJ a few months ago and so far, so good.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Also, Lake Wallenpaupack is one of the most outstanding school districts in the state. There is an article in the NY Times that you can get from ReMax up in Lake Region.

[poconosmama]

It really depends on what you are looking for and what your needs are. Just be very careful and ask a ton of questions, there are definitely some districts around here that are less desireable!

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Poconomama,

I think you present an excellent point worth mentioning. You have to be an advocate for your children. It is important to ask tons of questions, and not just listen to a couple of people. There is much research out there. Picking up a local paper like the Dispatch can give you some insight to what is going on in Delaware Valley, or the Pike County Courier. I admit I am not familiar with the other local papers in the other regions.

Good luck,

The Hat

[KristyLiz]

This site is very helpful Schools, High School, Public Schools, School District, Public High Schools - SchoolMatters

I know I looked into Nazareth a few months back when we were trying to decide where to live and it rated well. In the end though, we opted to stay east of Allentown (East Penn SD).

Good luck!

[pocono pal]

Check out anything you can find on the web at The PA Dept of Education!

[karen_s]

Of the above-listed districts, I would rate them in this order based on family and friends' recommendations: Nazareth, Northampton (school district for Bath), Pen Argyl, and Bangor. I believe my personal "ratings" are close to what is on SchoolMatters, I can't open that site right now for some reason. If you have a child that requires special education, then it would be Nazareth hands-down, as my friends with special needs kids all rave about their district.

I live in the Pen Argyl District but my children don't attend there, as they attend a Christian school which is better for us. I would be happy to help you with any further information, just let me know.

[njbuyer]

I've looked at Nazareth too, but in doing so found that it has a cement factory in the town with a history of releasing debris over the town...and health issues. One person even said that their porch had a dust-like material all the time from the factory. If this is true, my family's health isn't worth a school district that's a bit above the rest in the area. Anyone have thoughts on this?

[karen_s]

Originally Posted by njbuyer

I've looked at Nazareth too, but in doing so found that it has a cement factory in the town with a history of releasing debris over the town...and health issues. One person even said that their porch had a dust-like material all the time from the factory. If this is true, my family's health isn't worth a school district that's a bit above the rest in the area. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Only you can make this call. I know the dust used to be bad (I worked near the cement plants in 1990-1991) but it seems better these days. However, if you want to check, go down and visit and observe some cars that have been sitting outside Brown-Daub for awhile, that should give you the answer. You could also look at other areas of the Nazareth district such as Lower Nazareth Township or Bushkill Township which are miles away from the cement mills.

There is a reason the housing prices are lower in the Bangor area. The school is not quite as highly rated as the others mentioned, and there are many areas of the borough where I absolutely would not want to live. Again, come down and visit on a Friday night and see what is going on, that will tell you. I would avoid some specific areas in town, direct message me if you would like to know where. Generally speaking, areas of high rental concentration in Bangor/East Bangor are to be avoided. The townships like Mount Bethel and Washington are generally better areas to look, but usually the prices are much higher.

Pen Argyl or Plainfield is another alternative with good housing prices, but many residents who live near the Waste Management landfill think that has contributed to various health problems. WM has applied for a large expansion which would result in lots of truck traffic and more garbage coming in from out of state. They have already piled it so high that they literally created their own landscape there. My town is not directly adjacent to the landfill, but we bear the brunt of the garbage truck traffic and many of those trucks stink - ugh.

Hope this helps some! I realize it's a huge decision and wish you lots of luck with it.