New job in KCMO - Where to live and what to consider? (Lee's Summit: how much, theatre)

[thriftylefty]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

So, you just shrug off the difference between a 45min and a 15min commute?

Considering the guy has kids, would you reconsider your input?

It depends on the trade off. Is a better school/ housing situation worth the extra hour per day? Coming from NJ 45 minutes may seem normal. Last year in New York I needed to give myself 30 minutes to get to an appointment that was one mile away and another 15 minutes to find parking. It’s all going to be relative. You can hit commuter traffic from Miami co. going north in the morning. I wouldn't be suprised if people from Linn or Bourbon co commute to KC. I have a relative who works with someone who commutes from Neosho Co. to KCK . These are people who obviously think the trade off is worth it. I came close to taking a job last year that had a 80 mile commute.

[Sambamboo1]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

I see this thread and wonder if you got the job that I interviewed for and was passed over.... LOL Hope you enjoy it there. Looks like a good place!

You a tax attorney?

[Sambamboo1]

Originally Posted by thriftylefty

It depends on the trade off. Is a better school/ housing situation worth the extra hour per day? Coming from NJ 45 minutes may seem normal. Last year in New York I needed to give myself 30 minutes to get to an appointment that was one mile away and another 15 minutes to find parking. It’s all going to be relative. You can hit commuter traffic from Miami co. going north in the morning. I wouldn't be suprised if people from Linn or Bourbon co commute to KC. I have a relative who works with someone who commutes from Neosho Co. to KCK . These are people who obviously think the trade off is worth it. I came close to taking a job last year that had a 80 mile commute.

Its all a balance, really. Wife is committed to the kids going to the very best rated school in the area. We will then buy the nicest house we can find that is tied to that school...and that's my commute

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by Sambamboo1

Its all a balance, really. Wife is committed to the kids going to the very best rated school in the area. We will then buy the nicest house we can find that is tied to that school...and that's my commute

In that case, I reiterate my advice to check out the Blue Valley School District. I think it's admirable of your wife to want the very best school for the kids, and admirable of you to be willing to commute further if necessary so your wife can have the kids in the best school.

[thriftylefty]

The best Nationaly ranked high school in the metro is Sumer Academy but nobody wants to live near that school.. trust me.
Top Kansas High Schools | Best High Schools | US News

[luzianne]

Originally Posted by thriftylefty

The best Nationaly ranked high school in the metro is Sumer Academy but nobody wants to live near that school.. trust me.
Top Kansas High Schools | Best High Schools | US News

Yep. Sumner's not a public school though. And right behind that is Blue Valley.

[TabulaRasa]

Sumner actually IS a public school..just like all magnets.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by thriftylefty

It depends on the trade off. Is a better school/ housing situation worth the extra hour per day? Coming from NJ 45 minutes may seem normal. Last year in New York I needed to give myself 30 minutes to get to an appointment that was one mile away and another 15 minutes to find parking. It’s all going to be relative. You can hit commuter traffic from Miami co. going north in the morning. I wouldn't be suprised if people from Linn or Bourbon co commute to KC. I have a relative who works with someone who commutes from Neosho Co. to KCK . These are people who obviously think the trade off is worth it. I came close to taking a job last year that had a 80 mile commute.

I'm a transplant from Chicago that used to have over an hour commute each way so I'm well aware of the transition.

It will boil down to personal preference and ultimately the decision of the OP.

Just throwing in my 2 cents that adding 1/2hour or more to each days commute when IMO BV schools aren't really any better or enough better to warrant it.

If we were talking about other parts of the metro then I would completely agree to take the longer commute.

The poster is free to do some research on school quality and come to their own informed decision.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by luzianne

Yep. Sumner's not a public school though. And right behind that is Blue Valley.

Yep, BV is more uniformly upper-middle class than some of the other schools in the area.

Other parts of JOCO have larger immigrant populations that are uneducated which pulls down the test scores,while the large pockets of east asian immigrants whose parents are math\science\computer types reside south of 435.

It really shows up in the % taking AP tests etc.

So, at that point it boils down to the kid because a gifted student is still going to have all the access to AP, IB etc. and no one is running around stabbing kids in the hall at the other JOCO schools.

[kcmo]

I don’t care where you are from, the commute from Blue Valley (especially southern Blue Valley where it’s more affluent) would be a ridiculous commute to the KCI area, especially when you have equally great schools near KCI (Park Hill, Platte etc) and plenty of other choices between (Western Shawnee Mission etc).

Trust me. As person that has a 1 hour plus commute each way, you might reconsider what’s in the best interest of your family because you don’t have to do that kind of commute in KC for the “best” schools in your situation.

Blue Valley has higher test scores than some other really good suburban school districts in the metro just because Blue Valley is so ultra new/white collar/affluent. There is just nothing down in that area to offset and give the district a little bit of a reality check. Like I have always said, it’s easy for a district like that to have high test scores, it should be a given.

But when you have even 10% of your students that are not from affluent sheltered homes and you are still able to maintain excellent educational results (like Shawnee Mission, Park Hill, Lee’s Summit etc) that’s where you know the schools are working well.

Personally, I would want my kids exposed to at least “some” diversity (be it racial, economical, social etc) so they don’t leave high school with a very skewed and misunderstood viewpoint of reality and people in general.

But there is a segment of the population that needs to be in the statistically “best” area for their kids for that piece of mind I guess. If that’s the case, do not look anywhere else and just get you a house at 175th and Quivira and you will be in good company.

Personally, I would reduce my commute and find an amazing home (probably for a little less money and in a more desirable area topographically) that would be closer not only work and KCI if you fly a lot, but also most things in KC that you might want to take advantage of culturally.

Hope you are happy where ever you end up and good luck in KC. I Don’t know what part of Jersey you are from, but nearly all of metro KC, even some areas that locals wouldn’t recommend, might be a step up for you.