Looking to Relocate to Rochester (Marshall: apartment complexes, crime, homes)

[tracy.weeden]

I was thinking about relocating to Rochester MN. I wanted to know if they have a good educational system. I have and 8year old and a 13 year old. My 13 year old will be entering High School next year. I wanted to know what side of town would be a safe and affordable place. I am looking for a 2 for 3 bedroom apartment. I have experience working special needs adults in a group home setting. I also have experience working at special needs adult day services/workshop. Are there any types of programs in the Rochester area dealing with special needs adults.

[fromupthere]

Yes, Rochester has a good educational system. There are 3 public high schools, and all have over 1500 students in them. I am not really sure which of the 3 is the best, as I haven't started looking at high school yet. You shouldn't have a problem finding a relatively affordable 2 or 3 bedroom apartment. There are certain areas where there are a large number of apartment complexes all bunched together, which of course leads to higher incidence of "problems". I would say stay away from 41st NW, Marion Road and the area around RCTC. You can check out Rochester911.com | Crime & Fire Incident Maps and Reports for Rochester, MN and Surrounding Communities for a map of the different crimes reported in any neighborhood in Rochester. For finding a rental, to get an idea of what prices are and some of the places around, check out a site like rent.com. Also you can check the Post-Bulletin online Postbulletin.com: Rochester, MN.

Yes, you can find special programs for adults with special needs. I'm not sure of all the homes around that may have facilities, but you can check out ABC Inc. (Ability Building Center) or PossAbilities. I know those are 2 larger facilities here.

good luck! If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

[BillWallace]

I grew up in Rochester - it's a great place to raise a family with its high standard of living from the Mayo Clinic and large IBM plant.

Most of the city is relatively safe. I would concentrate on which school you want to attend. While I attended John Marshall high school and have an affinity to it I would honestly think that going to Century would be a better choice these days. It's almost new so the building will be a lot nicer and it draws from a little newer area of the city.

[fromupthere]

While Century may be appealing, keep in mind it is bursting at the seams and sounds like it has been from the start.

There is always the option of living in Rochester and going to school in a nearby smaller community. Not uncommon. Only issue with that is transportation to and from, but worth exploring I think.

[BillWallace]

Originally Posted by fromupthere

While Century may be appealing, keep in mind it is bursting at the seams and sounds like it has been from the start.

Are you sure?

The Minnesota State High School League shows the following 9-12 grade enrollments:

Century - 1538
Mayo - 1525
John Marshall - 1356

I know JM can handle a lot more students as there were 1700+ in 10-12 when I was there.

It sounds like the bigger issue in Rochester is that they are having problems with school funding (as are most school districts) which is causing all the schools to have large class sizes which make it feel crowded.

[fromupthere]

I know someone whose sibling went there and said it was overloaded right from the start. He was there first year it opened.

According to Great Schools, JM has 1540, Century 1639 and Mayo 1682.

Of course the school district is suffering financially, but I think Century's reputation as being the best high school in the city and open enrollment has a greater impact on the number of students there.

[rochesterite]

all of the high schools in town are over 1500 kids.

John Marshall~ used to go there.. GHETTO (its still the best though, GREAT times there, haha.) my little brother goes there right now and his grade is about 490 kids and the freshmen class is even bigger

Mayo~ its a giant circle.. still good though :P

Century~ newest and nicest school.. "rich kid" school.. its the edina/eden prarie of this town as far as public schools go.