COLO SPGS or Manitou SPGS ... Contractor and Homeschooling Mama relocating.. (Colorado Springs: co-ops, construction)

[otowi]

There are plenty of people who live in Woodland Park that commute to Colorado Springs for work year round, it is rarely a problem in terms of weather/snow but there could be some dicey days. Divide is getting pretty far - like an hour or more commute maybe?
Fountain/Security generally has less snow than further west or further north areas. Not always, but generally.
Winter is not humid, muggy, rainy. We don't have ice storms like, say, Oklahoma or back east, at least not that I've seen in 35 years here. Winter is dry, sunny, warm to cold, with occasional bouts of snow - some of those snows are dry and some are wet.

[froggin4colorado]

Keep in mind, if we get THAT bad of a snow storm where you are trapped for days, the rest of the city is also trapped and shut down. The funny thing about our area is that as soon as we see snow, the city shuts down with delays and closings, so you wouldn't need to go anywhere. You are advised to stay home. Otherwise, when it snows, the plows are out in the storm 24 hours a day (we rarely get a storm that lasts for that long though). Yes, you can a get drift, but its melts in a day or so. And if it is in a road, the plows get it. The last time we had an awesome storm were we shut down for a couple of days was the blizzard of 1997. Otherwise, we know a storm is coming, we shut down early and everyone goes home and rides it out overnight, you wake up and you have a delay and start your day around noon, after the plows are done. Seriously, if you are trying to get out in it, you will be one of very few cars on the road. No one expects you to be out during a storm.
I used to work at Manitou HS and there are still hippies and a lot of the kids are EMO, wear lots of black, guys with the long shoulder length hair...lots of drugs, openly. The kids' life evolve around parties and sex. There are high schools in the area that have this, but other clicks too where the majority of kids aren't like this. I would venture to say lots of liberals in the area. At least thats the scope of a lot of parents.
I think once you get here, you will check Manitou off your list of places to live. And just about everybody commutes to COS from Woodland Park and Divide. It isn't that far of a drive really.

[Fullback32]

Originally Posted by froggin4colorado

The funny thing about our area is that as soon as we see snow, the city shuts down with delays and closings, so you wouldn't need to go anywhere.

Hehe...District 20 closes if someone spills an Icee in the road.

[froggin4colorado]

LOL!!!!!! So true... OMG.

[CA****4]

Thanks again for all that good info... I've been poking around these forums for the past week and have collected a TON of information....

Thanks thanks !!
I cant wait to visit and check out all this stuff I read about.
The winters sound exactly what I'm looking for... I dont mind tons of snow or delays... but the cold and bitter freezing for days and days is what I dont enjoy

Not so sure about homeschooling though. I've read a lot about different groups available in CS.. and rumor that it is free to send your kids to it (just like a public school) but not sure which schools and what the rules are (if I can live that far away and still bring my kids to the charter school 2x a week)

Also -- what about carpenter jobs or contracting jobs? My husband isn't a genius at it all but he can get around and can handle electrical, plumbing, framing, roofing, decks, garages, windows, doors, basements, carpets, tile, bathrooms, kitchens, remodels, building brand new construction etc.....

are these kind of jobs common or not so much? Would he be working for someone else most likely or might he be able to start his own business and have it work out?? Does anyone know anything about the carpenters union? Does colorado have a lot of 'union' jobs or not so much??

[SabrinaWP]

Hi Amanda,
We moved to Woodland Park from Northern California about 8 years ago and we love it here! We homeschool, and homeschooled. We have and 18 year old starting her junior year at Univ. Colo. C.S. (she graduated early) and a 17 year old, who would be a senior this year, but as a homeschooler she is just about done with her courses. We also have a 9 year old girls who is also homeschooled (my biggest challenge yet). There is a large homeschool population with alot of options. It is a nice safe place to raise kids, ours are turning out pretty good.

The weather is has never been a problem. The pass has only been closed to 4x4 once since we have lived here. Very well maintained! As homeschoolers the snowdays are the best. When other kids have to go out to school we get to stay home and enjoy the weather. Lots of fun learning going on up here. Lets see the comparison....very seldom muggy and humid, ice packed roads that are shaded but slush is usually plowed or melts quickly because of the altitude the sun warms and melts, no freezing rain in the winter, hail with thunder storms in the summertime.

There are manufactured home up here in the mountains on some acreage. Out east is flat land, if you are looking for mountain living Woodland Park is someplace to check out.

If I can answer any other questions please send me a message. I love to talk homeschool and Woodland Park.

[CA****4]

Thanks SabrinaWP --- excellent information... and good to finally hear about homeschooling... makes me excited.
you helped me understand the weather a bit more too...

I guess my next question would be about the area itself... what stores are there, food, malls, home depot, etc. Is everything down in CS or does WP have any of these things?? How big of a town is it -- population wise....
Do your kids get involved with other homeschooling kids... my biggest concern is getting my kids out socially.... wondered what was out there for them.....
Also is WP welcoming to new comers mostly or not so much??
Do you know about union carpenters.......contracting/carpenter work by any chance?

Thanks so much

[tfox]

To answer your question about home schooling, it's pretty common statewide and the state is relatively supportive of homeschooling.

Home Schooling in Colorado

You mentioned being part of a homeschool charter school. I know that here in Denver there are several charter schools that offer a homeschool program combined with on-campus enrichment activities and extracurricular activities like Sports. I am sure that down there in the Springs there are as well. In the state's eyes, you're not actually a homeschooler if you participate in that charter schools, you're just a public school student enrolled in that charter school.

On the other topic at hand, if you want a mountain "feel" with trees, etc, you might consider Black Forest or Monument area. It will have the feel of the mountains with but be much more accessible to the Springs and, in the case of monument, points north like Denver.

[CA****4]

no one has said anything about carpenter/contracter carpenter union work....

This must be a crazy thing to ask about...

Does anyone have any opinions about it? Even if it is to tell me it doesn't exist in COS???

[Fullback32]

For myself, I have no idea. There are a lot of contractors, but I have no idea if they are union or non-union or the effect that the housing downturn has had on them.