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Old 03-18-2015, 06:43 AM
 
94 posts, read 181,284 times
Reputation: 21

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Please help! I do not know where to start...we will be relocating soon and we have no clue where to look for a house. I have to commute to Tacoma downtown and my husband to Seattle downtown We need to find a neighborhood with good schools and a decent priced house for up to 550k that will allow for reasonable commute time. I hate driving but my husband enjoys it. He would like to have the option of taking the train as well. I considered Maple Valley but seems to be far for both of us. We are looking at Puyallup but seems that traffic will be a tough and the schools are hit and miss. I am lost. Unfortunately I do not know traffic patterns and the Google maps gives me only an estimate with is probably not true in reality.
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Old 03-18-2015, 08:48 AM
 
Location: Spokane Valley, WA
486 posts, read 842,328 times
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I work in Downtown Seattle and know plenty of people who live here who commute to Downtown Tacoma.

Me, personally, I drive the 10 miles to Kent Station and hop on the Sounder and commute to Downtown.

Maple Valley might be "out here", but for the price of housing and a top ranked school district it is a good trade off.
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Old 03-18-2015, 11:04 AM
 
Location: Independent Republic of Ballard
8,067 posts, read 8,358,268 times
Reputation: 6228
Normandy Park?

Single Family Homes For Sale - 20 Homes | Zillow

Marvista Elementary School - Normandy Park, Washington - WA - School overview
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Old 03-18-2015, 11:10 AM
 
9,618 posts, read 27,330,094 times
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Normandy Park is absolutely lovely, and Marvista is a great school. But what happens after elementary school? Last I heard, Marvista was by far the best school in the Highline district. Maybe that's changed, and other schools have improved?

Other than that, maybe that part of Renton in the Kent school district, where the kids go to Ridgewood or Carriage Crest Elementary. Might be an equal commute time to DT Seattle and Tacoma.
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Old 03-18-2015, 11:15 AM
 
Location: Spokane Valley, WA
486 posts, read 842,328 times
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Highline School bond fails to pass, levy goes through | The Highline Times / Des Moines News


If the bond measure had passed over $370 million dollars would have been used to fix crumbling interiors, leaking ceilings, and outdated construction that plague many facilities throughout the Highline School district. To supplement the hefty cost an increase in taxes for local property owners would have been required.


As it stands the levy that has passed will allow for the current operating costs allotted to the district to continue for another three years.


“Our job now is to find a solution to our overcrowding that is least harmful to our students. Like other districts in King County that have failed bonds, we will have to consider portables on play fields, double shifting, and busing students out of their neighborhoods,” wrote Superintendent Susan Enfield on the Highline Schools website of the results.


There are no immediate plans to present another bond measure but immediate consideration of the issue of overcrowding is now on the minds of school officials.


“In terms of the bond we have a sobering reality ahead of us in terms of overcrowding for the next few years. We’re going to have to have some tough conversations with our community and ask them to help us find solutions with the overcrowding that is going to be our reality for the next few years,” said Communications Officer Catherine Carbone Rogers.


Money from the bond measure was to be used to supplement brick and mortar costs to repair and enlarge facilities that are in some cases over a century old. According to Rogers these repairs would not only have updated the buildings but made them more capable of handling the ever-growing student population.


“We’re going to have to consider putting portables on our playing fields, if we can get permission from the city to do that. We are already maxed out on our portables on all of our campuses, our elementary school campuses.


We have to bus kids out of their neighborhoods to less crowded schools already but then in a short period of time there won’t be any less crowded schools,” explained Rogers.


One option that is being considered would be double shifting for yearlong schools. This is an option that would be years out and considered if portable space was no longer available.
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Old 03-18-2015, 11:25 AM
 
9,618 posts, read 27,330,094 times
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How about Sumner? It's a small town that some people may find boring. But the schools are good, the views are fantastic, and the Sounder train stops there.
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Old 03-18-2015, 11:50 AM
 
94 posts, read 181,284 times
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Sumner was on my list but I saw that Sumner Senior High school was not the greatest in terms of ratings. Maybe the reality is different. I will look into finding more about the area. Unfortunately all of my husband co-workers have no knowledge about areas that are too far commute from Seattle.
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Old 03-18-2015, 12:39 PM
 
Location: Seattle
1,882 posts, read 2,078,525 times
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Okay, well I'll throw out a serious curve ball. How about Vashon Island? There's a park and ride lot at the north end ferry terminal (RapidRide bus from Fauntleroy on the Seattle side to/from downtown, 30 min. + 20 min. ferry ride) or water taxi, 22 min. straight to downtown.

At the south end of the island, there's also a park and ride, and a bus from the Tacoma side (Pt. Defiance) straight to downtown Tacoma, 25 min.

Good schools, some affordable housing on the island, real sense of community. But of course it's an island.
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Old 03-18-2015, 02:13 PM
 
94 posts, read 181,284 times
Reputation: 21
Gardyloo...I am not a big fan of islands....I am sure is beautiful though��
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Old 03-18-2015, 04:22 PM
 
Location: Independent Republic of Ballard
8,067 posts, read 8,358,268 times
Reputation: 6228
Quote:
Originally Posted by leanne62499 View Post
Gardyloo...I am not a big fan of islands....I am sure is beautiful though��
Vashon Island is worth a look. Excellent schools (elementary/middle/high) - much better than any others you're liable to find that meet your criteria. The high school is rated a 9 by GreatSchools, I believe. You should be able to find houses for under $550K. The ferry crossings are about 15 minutes. There is also a passenger-only ferry that runs from Vashon directly to downtown Seattle.

North Tacoma also has some excellent schools: Franklin-Pierce HS is ranked an 8, Morris Ford Middle School a 9, and Washington-Hoyt Elementary School a 10. Your husband could drive to the Tacoma Dome Station (free parking) and commute to Seattle via Sounder commuter rail.
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