Dunmore or Mid valley? (Philadelphia, Scranton: upper-class, real estate, attorney)

[new2pa]

OK, still me, trying to figure out where we wre going to live. We are coming to the Scranton area (finally) at the end of the month, we have a real estate agent who is sending us listings in both the Mid Valley and the Dunmore school districts. As much as I would have LOVED buying in the Hill section, everyone we've talked to has strongly urged us to stay away from Scranton Public schools when it comes to special ed, so we have had to compromise. We have also pretty much decided that we do not want to commute, so right now we are looking at Dunmore or Mid valley, possibly North Pocono but it seems really too rural for my taste and my kids are involved in theater, ballet etc, I think being in town would be best. Any opinions on these areas and schools?
TIA

[I LOVE PA!]

The North Pcoono area is a very large area and has some very desireable communities, all with a 15 minute ride to the Dunmore/Scranton Area.
It is a very convenient location, I am trying to find something that is affordable for my family s well as in an area where I will have neighbors. I do not want to live in a rural area where I can't get to know the person next door. North Pocono schools have an excellent reputation.
You might also want to look into the Abington School Dsitrict, it has an excellent reputation overall with a great special Ed. program. Abington School District is the Clarks Summit area, some real nice houses there and also very convenient location to Scranton.

[new2pa]

We are still considering North Pocono too but so far I haven't seen any good listings on the MLS site...too rural, too isolated.
Clarks summit, I got in a fight with the spacial ed director the first time I called so it's not really an option. Mid Valley and Dunmore have been very nice and they seem like good, safe communities.

[RDCofDE]

Originally Posted by I LOVE PA!

The North Pcoono area is a very large area and has some very desireable communities, all with a 15 minute ride to the Dunmore/Scranton Area.
It is a very convenient location, I am trying to find something that is affordable for my family s well as in an area where I will have neighbors. I do not want to live in a rural area where I can't get to know the person next door. North Pocono schools have an excellent reputation.
You might also want to look into the Abington School Dsitrict, it has an excellent reputation overall with a great special Ed. program. Abington School District is the Clarks Summit area, some real nice houses there and also very convenient location to Scranton.

If you have a child in special ed avoid Abington. The reputation is overrated and you'll get killed by the taxes.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by RDCofDE

If you have a child in special ed avoid Abington. The reputation is overrated and you'll get killed by the taxes.

Agreed. People champion Abington Heights onto some unrealistic pedestal when, in all reality, the only reason its test scores are so high is because the majority of its students hail from upper-class families who can afford to provide their children with the latest and greatest tools to enhance their learning, amenities which are unavailable to the econically-disadvantaged children in the city. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that, on average, the child of an attorney and physician in South Abington will academically outperform a minority in the city who only has a single working mother. If you were to "flip-flop" the demographics of Scranton vs. Clarks Summit, you'd likewise "flip-flop" the reputation of the school districts and their perceived "quality." I'm not saying Abington Heights is a bad school district, but the teachers enjoy way too many "atta boys" up there for student successes that are realized moreso from socioeonomic statuses as compared to incredible teaching abilities. Look at any affluent area of our region and notice that the "reputations" and "quality" of the schools is skewed higher to reflect the abundant wealth of the student body---Crestwood (Mountain Top), Dallas (Back Mountain), and to a lesser extent North Pocono (Moscow). That's also more easily-identifiable in SEPA, where schools like Central Bucks (affluent part of Bucks County) are championed while Philadelphia (poor inner-city) are drilled into the ground. In any event, "you get what you pay for." The taxes in Abington Heights are also exorbitant and make the taxes in Scranton look like pocket change in comparison.

Between Dunmore and Mid-Valley, I'd opt for Dunmore. I just think the town of Dunmore itself is a lot more attractive than the communities in Mid-Valley, and roughly half of Dunmore is similar in nature to the Hill Section or Green Ridge in Scranton, especially the "Hollywood" neighborhood near Marywood University and St. Joseph's Center. I've also often had a fondness for some of the smaller stores near Dunmore Corners, especially the candy shop!