Orrington v Veazie (maybe Brewer) Elementary schools and more! (Bangor: rental, sex offenders)

[britt_brt]

Hello,

We will be moving in one month! And we’ll be up later this week to secure a rental. My husband will work primarily out of Bangor, and rental options include Orrington, Vieazie, and Brewer (and possibly Hancock). I’m not super familiar with Brewer, but something about it feels off. It is a nice house, but close to the Riverfront, and the schools, amount of sex offenders, and crime seems high for a town of only 9,000. I prefer Bangor to Brewer, but we haven’t found the right property. I’ve read mixed reviews - is Brewer not a good choice? The school is not what I was looking for - it is huge. But I’ve read good things about it too.

Orrington is my first choice. It is a bit closer to the coast, seems peaceful, just rural enough, very pretty town, and affordable. My kids are in 1st grade and pre-k, and the Orrington school district, statistically speaking, is great. Student teacher ratio is high, 19:1 - that bothers me. I’d love to know more about the school - and anything else about living/ raising kids in Orrington.

Veazie - I’ve read such mixed reviews about this town!. Again, statistically, they have a good elementary school. I don’t love the area, I wanted to be more in the Holden/ Dedham Area, but the rental is a better fit. Student teacher ratios are better - overall the school isn’t ranked as well as Orrington, but test scores dont define a school. So I’d love to hear more about life in Veazie. The rental is more expensive than Orrington. I’m not sure why - possibly the location is more “convenient”?

Hancock - it’s a solid commute to Bangor, but he will work from Ellsworth occasionally - just not sure exactly how often. In Connecticut, a 30-40 mile commute is nothing. I worry more about the snow. We get our storms but it is much warmer here, melts within a few days. And we only get a few bad storms a year, if even. I’m comfortable driving in the snow, but I’m not used to doing it in Maine. Living downeast would be a dream come true, and Hancock seems very safe, and so beautiful. I prefer Hancock County to Washington. I’m fine with Penobscot - but Washington seems most conservative of the three. I don’t know much about the town of Hancock or its schools. I’d love to know more!

So, we have options, and the rental will be for 6-12 months, so we aren’t stuck. Please share with me, I want to know as much as possible before Friday. Ha. Thank you!