Southern California Teacher looking at Wyoming as a possible relocation state (Cheyenne: renting, sex offenders)

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

Yes, Gillette does have a "satellite campus for Sheridan Community College" AKA Northern Wyoming Community College. It's grown to the point that it's hardly a satellite campus. I'm not sure how Sheridan and Gillette compare in size, but I think Gillette's campus is about as big as Sheridan's at this point, and growing rapidly. Gillette should certainly be considered as one of your options.

I'm not sure about this either, but I think high school teachers get paid more than community college teachers in Wyoming. I understand that used to be the case.

I'd echo what's been said about gardening in Wyoming. Sunsprit is the expert on this. You'll see few gardens of any size in Wyoming. The short growing season and crappy soil combine to make it tough. A green house of some kind would certainly be your best bet.

I stand corrected.

[calintz333]

It sounds like Wyoming is a fantastic place to move as a teacher. Maybe not to follow our dreams to live off the land but otherwise it seems like the state has everything else that my wife and I value.

I will look into the towns and cities that you all mentioned where community colleges are found. I wonder if there is any way to find out online how I would go about getting a high school teaching credential for the state. In CA there is typically some kind of test that I would need to pass for each subject that I want to teach unless I majored in that subject in college. I know some states don't allow people to teach a subject unless they obtain at least a bachelors degree in that subject.

I hope Wyoming is one of those states that allows me to test / prove that I can teach subjects outside of Communication & Political Science — which would probably be seen as "government" at the high school level.

[jody_wy]

Become a Teacher in Wyoming | Teacher Certification in Wyoming | Certification Map

[calintz333]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

Become a Teacher in Wyoming | Teacher Certification in Wyoming | Certification Map

Thank you very much for that. It doesn't seem like it would take very long to get certified at all. In fact, if I become certified to teach certain subjects here in CA that certification could even be acknowledged in Wyoming.

[ElkHunter]

Here are two links, one for teacher standards and one for teaching openings. May cover the same as what Jody posted.

Home
Wyoming School Boards Association

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by calintz333

It sounds like Wyoming is a fantastic place to move as a teacher. Maybe not to follow our dreams to live off the land but otherwise it seems like the state has everything else that my wife and I value.

I will look into the towns and cities that you all mentioned where community colleges are found. I wonder if there is any way to find out online how I would go about getting a high school teaching credential for the state. In CA there is typically some kind of test that I would need to pass for each subject that I want to teach unless I majored in that subject in college. I know some states don't allow people to teach a subject unless they obtain at least a bachelors degree in that subject.

I hope Wyoming is one of those states that allows me to test / prove that I can teach subjects outside of Communication & Political Science — which would probably be seen as "government" at the high school level.

Calintz, I posted a reply to you over on the Boise, ID forum, because it was more appropriate to address certain issues there. Do follow your dreams, but tailor them to the feasible! The contrast between SoCal and WY is dramatic, and you absolutely need to come for a visit before making any decisions. I suggest a glorious road trip where you explore the states on your wish list, focusing on the college towns. Seek out realtors and collect flyers of properties on 5-10 acres within 30 minutes of town, and go visit some of them so you learn the difference between what's printed in the ad, and what it actually looks like! Treat it as a research project, and it'll be fun and rewarding. Then when you come home, it's time to make up your mind and start applying for positions...maybe after a winter visit...

Best of luck! And remember, if you decide on Idaho, Montana or S Dakota, WY can become your favorite getaway state.

[georgiainwyo]

WyoEagle hit the nail on the head about teacher wages. I taught in Montana for several years and have no idea why it took me so long to move back home to Wyoming. I thought I hit the lottery when I got my first paycheck in Gillette. Of course, Gillette is one of the best paying districts in the state, but my take home pay DOUBLED between the higher wage, no state income tax, no union dues. As WyoEagle said, SD is also low, like Montana. There are many teachers who come from those two states to teach in Wyoming.

[bawha]

I think it is a given that anywhere you choose in Wyoming is going to pay you more in the teaching profession than any of the other states you have on your list.

Looking at your other criteria, you may want to narrow your search to areas in Wyoming. These would be areas with substantial farm land, which would be more likely to offer small acreages with decent soil. With your preference of being near a college that would narrow the areas down to a few choices. The Cody/Powell area has a substantial amount of irrigated farm ground. Cody is approx. 9,500 pop. and Powell is 6,500 and the communities are 24 miles apart. Powell has a community college, both have hospitals and several other medical industry businesses and there are several school districts within the area. The other area to look at would be Lander/Riverton. Riverton is approx. 11,000 pop, with a community college and Lander is approx. 7,500 with a new/small Catholic 4 yr college. Again they are 24 miles apart with a substantial amount of irrigated farm ground. Each has a hospital and there are 9 school districts in the area.

These two areas would offer you and your wife good job opportunities within a short commute, if needed,; small acreages of farm ground, and close proximity to the mountains.

Other similar areas, but commutes a little further would be Sheridan/Buffalo and Torrington/Wheatland.

Good luck with your search

[Claim Jumper]

Powell or Cody would be nice areas. Powell is a farming town and Cody a tourist town. I have lived in Cody, it does get windy there but you get used to it.
Land is still very reasonable

[Land_Girl]

For $250k you would possibly be able to build a new home on 5 acres within 15 minutes of any part of the city of Gillette. Gillette has a lot of money as a county, and, as a result, they have some great things to offer the community. There are 2 high schools and an alternative high school. There's also 2 junior highs and numerous elementary schools. In addition, there's a junior college in Gillette.

Depending a lot on your credit and income, you could possibly qualify for a USDA Rural Development Loan. Most property outside of the city limits seems to be able to be financed USDA RDL. They are no money down, government backed loans with interest rates lower than conventional or FHA financing. Of course you could still put money down if you choose to, but you wouldn't need to if you qualified for the loan. If you decide to build a home, there are builders in town who will contract with you to build your house and they will actually buy the property and carry the construction loan. Once the house is complete, they sell it all to you for the pre-determined amount. They'll typically do this for you for 2% down on what the final cost of your home/land will be.

A neighborhood to look up: Red Hills Subdivision, in Gillette. It has lots that are 2-9 acres and they just dropped the property prices on the remaining lots by up to 30%, in November. You can get a 5 acre lot there for around $65k. The neighborhood has electricity to the property lines, city water so you don't need a well, and paved roads. Some lots have mountain views. Some lots have seasonal ponds. My husband and I are currently working with a builder to build our house in Red Hills, so feel free to PM me if you have any questions about it and I'll share what I know/have heard. Prior to making the decision to build, we looked at quite a few houses in our price range, on acreage. At some point we realized we could build a brand new home, the way we want it, for about the same cost. At that point, it became a no-brainer to just build.