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I just got back from Eugene and I loved it....except for the schools. Those are some of the oldest, most run down looking buildings I have ever seen! I studied the area and drove by the schools rated 8 9 10 on greatschools.net and everyone of them (pretty sure I drove by most of them were so depressing looking. overgrown weeds in the school yards, dirty windows, falling apart buidings etc....
Not to sound all wierd but I was a bit concerned looking at the kids as well. Now I am no prude...but the kids all looked a bit like urchins. I don't necessarily need my kid to have name brand clothing or even to match (which most of them did not) - but I do comb her hair!
Am I just getting the wrong impression here?
I am moving from a brand new school rated a 10 in Gilbert Arizona and I guess it is so different that it scared me a bit. I want to send my First Grader to school with a great group of kids and parents that care.
Do they?
South Eugene High School looked like a school out of areas in Phoenix where you do not walk in the daylight. Am I just warped with my new school image here in my brain?
Help!
Also - which areas are the nice ones to live in and which should I avoid in terms of schools?
South Eugene HS is the only school in Eugene that I'm familiar with, and though the building is a bit dated, it IS a very good school.
You can't judge everything on appearances. I'm sure that coming from Arizona, where everything is shiny and new, it can be easy to do. There really isn't a "bad" part of Eugene. There are no places in the Pacific Northwest (including Portland & Seattle) where "you do not walk in daylight," just FYI.
You can't judge by appearances in Oregon. It's the oddest place, really, in that aspect. People don't care so much about how things look. The only people who care about appearances here are the people that move here from other states - especially the Californians! lol They are the ones with those McMansion types or who live in the new developments... but anyway...
South Eugene High School is a good school, though. But I think at all the high school campuses now they have the International School! http://schools.4j.lane.edu/ihs/ That is an excellent program! Sheldon is also a good school, probably our third choice for high school, but has a reputation for being too sports-oriented and a bit uppity, or so I've been told a few times by local parents. Sheldon High School
South of Eugene, too, is the sweet little Crow-Lorane-Applegate school system. I've heard wonderful things about those little schools from a couple that owned a lavendar farm out there. They were both lawyers, but quit their jobs and reitred here to raise their daughter in a small, quiet, community with good schools - and that's where they decided to do it. Crow-Applegate-Lorane Schools Main Page
The Family school is also in a beautiful new building. Family school is a wonderful school, too. ENTER SITE HERE
Also - which areas are the nice ones to live in and which should I avoid in terms of schools?
Also wanted to add: You wouldn't want to live anywhere near West Eugene or downtown. South hills are great, north eugene (near Gilham) is great, Moon Mountain area can be great... Hendrick's park area is great... College Hill can be great (parts of it)...
Thurston is a place you might want to check out. It's a nice little community on the other side of SPringfield. Coburg, north of Eugene, has some really nice areas as well. It's a tiny little town. If you lived in Coburg, the public schools would be Cal Young middle school and Sheldon high school. Coburg is that small - it only has one teeny tiny elementary school. It's a sweet little place with some very nice homes tucked away up there. Kind of surprises people when they find out about it.
Thanks so much. I feel better! I really am not worried about looks as much as a great education but it seemed odd to think that a building where the kids could not see out of the wimdows they were so dirty would be a great place to send your kids...but if it is..it is!
We drove around endlessly. I did like a neighborhood that I believe was off of Fairmont something? That seemed nice. Maybe I could ask it this way. I loved the idea of being on a hill ...in the trees. I like that whole foresty feel. I also did not want to be too far (30 minutes) from the Gateway Mall area where my husband will be working but I have read that Eugene is nicer than Springfield. Eugene did seem to have better schools rating wise as a whole. If I want to live on a hill and I can spend up to $500,000 but hopefully will not have to spend so much monthly to be in a nice area. What is a good HILL to consider? Are there hills to avoid? (There are only three of us and we do not need a huge place) The main thing to me is that she grows up with a very well educated "somewhat" open mind and accepting other people but not necessarily want to have her ending up with arm pit hair down to her elbows and a meth problem and a lesbian lover....which was a recent warning thrown at me. (I will probably get reemed for saying that...if thats what she chooses ...I will deal with it but kind of prefer the thought of a son in law someday.) Is this just too dang liberal for me and I think I am quite liberal. I suppose I would prefer that hetrosexuality was the norm...and that she grows up accepting alternate lifestyles but not neccessarily seeing boys kissing boys in the hallways at school and girls doing likewise. I did see alot of couples strolling along holding hands and embracing of the same sex and I am fine with it but want her to grow up with more traditional families around her and still seeing it as the exception rather than the rule. Lets say she goes to prom in Eugene...will she likely be asked out by girls or boys? (just kidding - but would like some insight into the liberalness of the area)
Also somewhat of a wierd question and please do not read negative where NONE is intended. I have never seen so many handicapped people than on my trip to Eugene. What is the reason for this? Is it a very handicapped accessible town? No snow? Is there a great program there of some sort? It seemed as though there were wheelchairs everywhere....and every time we stopped for a light for people to cross there were several people that were in a wheelchair or struggling to cross etc... I have a brain damaged Nephew and volunteer at a hospital- so please do not assume I don't love handicapped individuals - I do. I am just curious. I started to think there was maybe a handicapped convention or something in town last weekend and that still might be the answer.
One last question. My allergies were starting to get to me and it was not allergy season. How bad is this problem? I heard when they burn grass seed - I will die a slow miserable death (LOL)
The schools mentioned were mostly 7/10 on the great schools site. But we did miss a few 9's including
the family school (9) and Sheldon High (9).
The Schools site was important to me and always has been. The ratings are given by average test scores. So a 10 means for the most part kids are scoring in the 95th percentile when compared to the US. A 7 was where I had drawn the line in that we were coming from an all 10 area and I realize at a 7 that half the kids were below that and I wanted the bar a bit higher.
I was surprised at some of the high performing schools that no money seemed to be put into the structure itself - Lots of rusty old swingsets and bent slides that looked like they had been donated from someones backyard back in the 60's. I want something in her head but I also don't want her falling off a swing and cracking her head on some jutted out concrete on the playground. Arizona has less money on education than any other state. I think we are dead last. It just surprised me but I will try not to judge a book by the cover. I think there are at least some good options there! Thanks all!
I did see alot of couples strolling along holding hands and embracing of the same sex and I am fine with it but want her to grow up with more traditional families around her and still seeing it as the exception rather than the rule. Lets say she goes to prom in Eugene...will she likely be asked out by girls or boys? (just kidding - but would like some insight into the liberalness of the area)
Eugene is fairly liberal, yes. If you're afraid that your princess might be infected by seeing same sex couples holding hands on the street, I'd suggest you look into Freehold, Iowa, et al.
Quote:
One last question. My allergies were starting to get to me and it was not allergy season. How bad is this problem? I heard when they burn grass seed - I will die a slow miserable death (LOL)
It's seriously terrible.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 06-10-2009 at 09:21 PM..
Where is Moon Mountain? Thanks for the links! I am breathing easier about the schools. I look forward to my move out there soon! You do have one beautiful town!!! Tried too much snow/ too conservative (Utah) Too Much Sun (Arizona) Maybe Oregon will be our happy medium!
The main thing to me is that she grows up with a very well educated "somewhat" open mind and accepting other people but not necessarily want to have her ending up with arm pit hair down to her elbows and a meth problem and a lesbian lover....which was a recent warning thrown at me. (I will probably get reemed for saying that...if thats what she chooses ...I will deal with it but kind of prefer the thought of a son in law someday.) Is this just too dang liberal for me and I think I am quite liberal. I suppose I would prefer that hetrosexuality was the norm...and that she grows up accepting alternate lifestyles but not neccessarily seeing boys kissing boys in the hallways at school and girls doing likewise. I did see alot of couples strolling along holding hands and embracing of the same sex and I am fine with it but want her to grow up with more traditional families around her and still seeing it as the exception rather than the rule. Lets say she goes to prom in Eugene...will she likely be asked out by girls or boys? (just kidding - but would like some insight into the liberalness of the area)
You will be seen as a right-wing extremist in Eugene, I think. I am not exaggerating. I believe I speak for the majority (or at the very LEAST a plurality) of Oregonians when I say we believe that a person's sexual orientation is an inborn characteristic and not a choice. You, for example, probably couldn't just change your mind about what gender you're attracted to. Statistically, about 90% of the population is heterosexual, and that goes for everyone, everywhere in the world. Your daughter is who she is, whether gay, straight, bi, etc. Your daughter will not be turned gay by anybody in Eugene, despite how very accepting it is for all types of people most of the time. If you want her to grow up in an accepting environment, Eugene is probably a good place for that. And who knows, maybe you'll surprise yourself and also learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and acceptance while living in Eugene.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minaflewis
Also somewhat of a wierd question and please do not read negative where NONE is intended. I have never seen so many handicapped people than on my trip to Eugene. What is the reason for this? Is it a very handicapped accessible town? No snow? Is there a great program there of some sort? It seemed as though there were wheelchairs everywhere....and every time we stopped for a light for people to cross there were several people that were in a wheelchair or struggling to cross etc... I have a brain damaged Nephew and volunteer at a hospital- so please do not assume I don't love handicapped individuals - I do. I am just curious. I started to think there was maybe a handicapped convention or something in town last weekend and that still might be the answer.
I have no idea! That is kind of odd I suppose. I've never really noticed it, but I imagine with the temperate climate, accepting atmosphere, and good public transit (anyone know if they have kneeling/handicap accessible buses?) would be attractive to handicapped individuals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by minaflewis
One last question. My allergies were starting to get to me and it was not allergy season. How bad is this problem? I heard when they burn grass seed - I will die a slow miserable death (LOL)
When were you there? It probably was allergy season and you just didn't know it! Just north of Eugene (about a half hour) is the "Grass Seed Capital of the World" and yes, they do burn the fields sometimes. If you are specifically allergic to grass and certain trees it will be AWFUL because the pollen, etc. all gets trapped in the valley air. I suggest some strong anti-histamines.
I did not mean to come across that way. It is a difficult question to ask about liberalness without sounding judgemental. I truly believe everyone should live as they please. Just wondering about what to expect is all. We came from Utah where being Non Mormon/ Not as Conservative was an issue and there is a happy medium on many things in my mind. I do not want to be in a town where people are ushering their children inside if we have a beer on our front porch but also are not blasting us for not participating in the gay pride parade either. "Your not coming? Your are not fighting for what I want? Well... if you are not with us - you must be against us attitudes." I want to live in a town where people are perhaps gay but do not move there because they are. I feel that way on many issues. We moved out of Utah for that reason...For example be Mormon but you do not have to all congregate together...and condemn people for not participating. I still like Mormons though...the ones that have balance. I feel the same way about gay lifestyles/ hippies/ drugs/ drinking etc.. I don't want to live in an area where much is pushed on anyone or that is known for a particular lifestyle. That is the root of my question. Is Eugene a place where people congregate and come together on certain issues in a major outstanding way that I need to be aware of? I have a gay friend that invited me to a rally for marriage equality for example and was all put out when I did not want to go. (just did not want to..no hidden drama..no political stand - I just didn't feel like fighting for his cause. As I said..If I had to choose - I would chose a "son In law" but it is not my choice. But...which is exactly my point - it does not mean that I am against gays. But in some places - you are going to be taken that way more often. I have my own causes, issues and rallys that are important to me to get out there and go the extra mile for. I give to the AlS foundation - but it does not mean that I am against the Heart Association if I turn them away at the door is the best way I can describe how I view a lot of it. I want a free to be me balance. (Even for my "little princess" who has her monster moments! LOL)
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It's a sweet little place with some very nice homes tucked away up there. Kind of surprises people when they find out about it.
I believe I speak for the majority (or at the very LEAST a plurality) of Oregonians when I say we believe that a person's sexual orientation is an inborn characteristic and not a choice. You, for example, probably couldn't just change your mind about what gender you're attracted to. Statistically, about 90% of the population is heterosexual, and that goes for everyone, everywhere in the world. Your daughter is who she is, whether gay, straight, bi, etc. Your daughter will not be turned gay by anybody in Eugene, despite how very accepting it is for all types of people most of the time. If you want her to grow up in an accepting environment, Eugene is probably a good place for that. And who knows, maybe you'll surprise yourself and also learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and acceptance while living in Eugene. 
