Living in Columbia Ill and teaching in St Louis? (Kansas City: military, job)

[bayfritz]

I have an job opportunity in St Louis and my wife is a high school chemistry teacher. Her qualifications would transfer no problem. Are there any restrictions that would prohibit us/her from living in Ill and teaching in St Louis?

I would like to live in Ill because they don't tax my retired military pay. Tried to dig this up on the web, with no luck. Thanks in advance.

[Jerry Lauder]

Columbia is a great little town. We pair it with Waterloo which is cheaper, but further from the core. I'm on the flip side in Oakville, Mo.. People in Monroe county Ill are socially linked with the southern burbs around 255/55. There finally is a push over the river because Columbia-Waterloo share the value.

If I planned to move to a more rural area it would be your target area.

[Debbie Walus]

Lots of teachers do this. As an ex-teacher in Hazelwood District, we had several in our building alone.

Debbie Walus

[stltova]

Columbia is cute, but it's going to grow beyond belief (commercial developments) Have you looked in Millstadt? It's 10 min from Columbia but a great little town to be in! Good luck wherever you decide!

[parnoldo]

We have lived in Columbia Il for almost four years now and I work in the city (St. Louis) We absolutely love it. Great neighbors, easiest commute to the city in the whole region, great schools and very safe. It is growing, but mostly by new sub divisions. Commercial development is focused on the west edge of town along Rt.3. New develoment on Main St. is restricted so it still looks like an old small town Main St. We may have to move to the Kansas City area and it's breaking our hearts. We really love it here.

[chicagoerin]

I think it's funny that people who live in Columbia think the schools are great...ummm, have you looked at their rankings on the state web sites where they actually compare them to other reputable Illinois districts like the suburbs of Chicago? They rank way below average.

[jojojohnson76]

^ In cities, a "great" school is where you can put yoru kids and feel safe....so in Columbia, the fact that they can drop their kids off and feel "safe" is probably their idea of a good school. Because I definitely wouldn't call the school I went to (in rural illinois) "great' or even "good," but it was safe.

[Bobster]

The taxes in Illinois are a lot higher than in Missouri, so does this negate any of your tax savings on the retired military pay?