[soccermom9]

We are moving to the area and commuting to hartford. I have been researching Avon, Simsbury, Glastonbury, Farmington, Windsor . I know they have very good schools. I understand that Glastonbury has a very big high school. I am looking for good schools that are not extremely large. My children would be overwhelmed with a large school coming from a small school. How do these areas measure up in regards to class size and school size. I prefer a small town feel. ANy advice is appreciated, as well as suggestions for other areas. Thanks

[mlassoff]

You may want to look in to Canton. Glastonbury, I believe has a high school enrollment over 2,000. Canton has less than 700. I believe the other schools you mentioned would be 1000 - 1500.

They are all nice towns, with Windsor, perhaps, being my least favorite. The rest are lovely places to live.

[soccermom9]

I have not heard about Canton. I will look into that town. Thank you.

[RogerAnthony]

Windsor is not a good school system. They are certainly not in the same class as those other town you mentioned. I'd stay away from there if you are looking for top quality education.

[MikefromCT]

One last question, do you have a budget? Based on the towns you mentioned it sounds like this probably won't be an issue, but Avon and Simsbury are the most expensive. Farmington and Canton are more moderately priced, and both are beautiful towns with great schools, just keep in mind that the latter has no highway access to Hartford so it may be a schlep getting into Hartford. At least wtih Farmington you have I-84 which takes you right into the city, and that has its share of traffic and accidents, but it's a breeze compared to Route 4.

[JayCT]

Where would you be working and commuting to? That should be key to where in greater Hartford you look for a home. You should avoid living on one side of Hartford and working on the other. Commuting through the city is difficult.

Glastonbury High is a big school by Connecticut standards, though compared to other parts of the country is about average for a suburban community. Dispite its size, it is considered to be an excellent school.

Windsor schools do not perform as well as the other towns mentioned. It is a more diverse community so the schools there tend to perform lower on the state standardized tests; the Connecticut Mastery Test and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test. You can find more information on schools in Connecticut at the link below:

State Department of Education - CEDaR

Jay

[Stylo]

Canton will suit you well. Maybe even New Hartford if you don't mind the commute. Avon and Simsbury have "medium" sized high schools by CT standards. Smaller than Glastonbury, but bigger than some of the small towns in the area. That might not be a bad option. You could also look into the Marlborough/Hebron area. RHAM High School is good and relatively small, and the area is rural and quaint.

[kidyankee764]

I would second Simsbury and Canton for small towns with good schools.

[soccermom9]

Thanks for the advice. I thought Windsor was questionable but a co-worker had mentioned it. I am not familiar with the area and commuting so I am not sure. Is it more difficult to travel from Simsbury, Avon and Canton to Hartford. I have heard something about a mountain and winding crowded roads? Is Canton much further than Avon/Simsbury? We have a budget of about 550,000. Is Canton comparable to Avon and Simsbury. Is there shopping available? Most importantly is the schools..we definately are looking for something on the small side . Also trying to keep the commute to 30 minutes or less.

[JayCT]

Commuting from Simsbury, Avon and Canton will be tougher because there is a range of small mountains that separates the Farmington River Valley where these towns are located from the rest of greater Hartford. The roads connecting these towns to Hartford are not great. This is deliberate because those towns want to limit their growth and maintain the character of their communities.

Avon and Simsbury, along with West Hartford, Farmington and Glastonbury, are considered to be the top suburbs in greater Hartford primarily because of their schools. You will pay more for homes in these towns because of this. Towns like Canton, Burlington, Granby, South Windsor, Marlborough, Tolland, Bolton and Hebron are considered a half step lower. Still they are very nice towns with great schools but they do not have the same socio-economic makeup of the other towns. You should not write them off because of this.

Canton does have shopping along Route 44 and in the Colinsville section of town. The Route 44 shopping is an extension of shopping center along the route in Avon and Simsbury. Canton also has the very nice Shoppes at Farmington Valley which is a lifestyle shopping center with many upscale shops and restaurants. Jay