Moscow Idaho (Lewiston, Post Falls, McCall: home, transfer, school rankings)

[wildberries61]

Does anyone know about he high school or middle school what is the school rating? Also, knowing it is a college town do the students seem to be grounded or kids gone wild!!
Looking to move out of so much snow considering the Potlatch area and having my middle schooler attend school in Moscow he wants to be in a big school.

[Brutal Attack]

Hi, I graduated from the U of I and lived in Moscow for several years. It's not a big time party school. Most of the partying is low key and mainly restricted to Greek row and the bars. Overall, it's a great little town with much diversity. I'm not sure on the school rankings but as far as Idaho goes they are probably top notch. If your worried about snow, don't go to Potlatch as that is even further north. Moscow isn't too bad, it's alot of snow then melting, then ice then more snow....

To get out of snow you would have to go 40 miles south to Lewiston or Clarkston but then you would have a 90 mile round trip commute which sucks in teh winter. I did it for a couple of years.

[wildberries61]

As far as snow no wheres can be worse then Valley County. Thats were I'm now. But, as far as ice that can be another story in Idaho. Do the roads from Moscow to Lewiston get icy? The highway coming into Lewiston is quit steep.
It's getting harder and harder to find the perfect place. One thing with Idaho are the small towns are so far away from convenices and very limited to social resources and entertainment for kids.

[Brutal Attack]

Originally Posted by wildberries61

As far as snow no wheres can be worse then Valley County. Thats were I'm now. But, as far as ice that can be another story in Idaho. Do the roads from Moscow to Lewiston get icy? The highway coming into Lewiston is quit steep.
It's getting harder and harder to find the perfect place. One thing with Idaho are the small towns are so far away from convenices and very limited to social resources and entertainment for kids.

Highway 12 between Lewiston and Moscow doesn't really get all that bad in the winter. There is usually a couple of big storms that make for treacherous driving and sometimes the highway even closes due to drifting snow but that is rare. It's really not all that bad, certainly not on par with the stretch through McCall. But, we have had some pretty mild winters for the past decade.

Moscow has just the right mix of small town atmosphere and big city diversity. Plus your only about an hour or hour and a half from Spokane or Post Falls shopping.

There is all kinds of social programs for kids in Moscow and there is the water park, rec center, sports, things put on by the Universit etc.

I really reccomend you visit there I think you guys will really like it.

Plus, it's not that far to go to Lookout Pass or Switzer or other places for skiing.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by Brutal Attack

Hi, I graduated from the U of I and lived in Moscow for several years. It's not a big time party school. Most of the partying is low key and mainly restricted to Greek row and the bars. Overall, it's a great little town with much diversity. I'm not sure on the school rankings but as far as Idaho goes they are probably top notch. If your worried about snow, don't go to Potlatch as that is even further north. Moscow isn't too bad, it's alot of snow then melting, then ice then more snow....

To get out of snow you would have to go 40 miles south to Lewiston or Clarkston but then you would have a 90 mile round trip commute which sucks in teh winter. I did it for a couple of years.

BrutalAttack
you also have a college right there in Lewiston. does that also provide diversity to your town?

[RodFarlee]

I graduated from MHS and UI... but it was some years ago! So looked up the stats on the Moscow school district website and state dept of ed website.
Moscow school district consistently performs solidly above the state average on all test scores, and the state performs slightly above the national average.

As far as living in Potlatch school district and sending your child to Moscow, I don't know anyone who's done this, but I believe Idaho allows voluntary inter-district transfers if the accepting district has space and you are willing to pay the cost of instruction out-of-pocket. (I did know a family that actually rented a home in Moscow so their son could attend HS there.)

Finally, during the senior HS year, it is possible to take courses at UI (as a dual enrollment or non-degree student) or even enroll in UI (using SAT/ACT scores in lieu of HS graduation or GED). That's one way to avoid "senioritis"!

Being a college town is a real advantage to the schools. There's a constant stream of new teachers who are spouses of university grad students or staff. It isn't a "party town" because UI is more a grad school than an undergrad school, more an engineering school than a liberal arts school. It's just not a big factory undergrad school with thousands of unsupervised and anonymous freshmen; it has more the atmosphere of a smaller private school.

[Brutal Attack]

Originally Posted by Southside Shrek

BrutalAttack
you also have a college right there in Lewiston. does that also provide diversity to your town?

Yes it does some. It's a small liberal arts college (not a university, there is a big difference) with many exchange students. However, the diversity isn't nearrly as high as it is in Moscow. In Moscow, you can get ethnic foods/crafts from foriegn venders, t here are numerous cultural clubs etc etc. Probably not the same in Lewiston. I didn't attend in Lewiston, but I did grow up there.

[wildberries61]

Thanks, for both of your insites on Moscow. What are the skateboard parks like? Do they provide snowboard or ski actitives through the school? Thanks

[Brutal Attack]

Originally Posted by wildberries61

Thanks, for both of your insites on Moscow. What are the skateboard parks like? Do they provide snowboard or ski actitives through the school? Thanks

I don't know about the snowboard/ski thing. I only know about ski clubs/trips though the University.

I know there is at least one skate park but I don't know for sure how good it is or if there is more than one. THere are plenty of places to skate though espeically on the university campus and downtown.

[RodFarlee]

MHS had (should still have?) an active ski/snowboard club. They organized weekend bus trips to various ski areas and got group-rate lift tickets, but were not subsidized or sponsored by the school district.
UI has very active ski and snowboard clubs.