missoula elementary schools and neighborhoods (Hamilton, Lolo: sex offender, how much, houses)

[missoulabound]

We are probably going to relocate to Missoula over the summer for my husband to work at the university and would like input on neighborhoods and schools. He has been told "all the schools are great", probably in an effort to ensure that he accepts the job, but I am sure some are better than others!

Does anyone have suggestions on family friendly neighborhoods with good elementary schools? Based on my research on test scores, crime/sex offender maps, access to trails/mountain views, etc. it seems like Linda Vista and Rattlesnake are the best family-oriented neighborhoods with good schools, Rattlesnake and Coldsprings. I like Paxson too, but probably can't afford a home in the University District that doesn't look like a crack shack!

I am visiting Missoula next month to check out neighborhoods and schools. Thanks for your input!

[AT-AT28]

Not to rain on the parade but our school district has some of the worst staffing and administration this side of the Mississippiustate. Our public schools have been horrendously under funded, over worked and under paid staff with some really great teachers that put up with a lot of bs from the school district for decades.

My mom was a teacher for the district for over 30 years and she is so burnt out from the stress of trying to do all this extra work, keep up with paper work and industry changes, attend training sessions after working 12 hour days with over crowded classrooms filled with kids dealing with broken homes and personality disorders as a result, my mom's life long passion to teach has been ruined by working up here. And she is only one of hundreds of horrendously overworked and underpaid teachers in this area.

On top of all that we are now dealing with a slimey new superintendent who took a 50k a year raise while teachers like my mom are having to ration pencils for kids through the day, buy paper out a there own pocket and other classroom materials because the damn district is to greedy and stupid to make things right to even get basic materials for teachers to work with. Don't even get me started on the over crowded classrooms sizes.

We have very talented and loving teachers like my mom here, but our school system is on the fringes of collapse with no answer in sight and a lot of angry and upset parents in the process.

As far as what neighbor hood to live in, how much money you bringing with you? Basic 3-4 bedroom houses around 40 years old will start at 220k easily and if you want some thing nicer and newer like in the Linda vista or upper or over middle creek area, plan on 350k easily. Reserve has cramped dual housing neighborhoods for around 150k but you can forget having a yard or privacy with the houses built so close. Rattlesnake and patty creek are nice but prepare to shell out even more for the privkedge. University area will be hit or miss with nicely redone 80 year old homes to beat up shacks that college students live in.

Mullan road area is nice with newer developments, for a price and not all will have sewer access, especially in the big Sky high school and fort missoula area. Forget about finding anything nice in east missoula unless you pay big bucks for developments on back of Mt jumbo or around golf course.

The university is also still recovering from serious issues of on campus rapings and muggings over the last decade, especially with grizzly football players being charged with assualt, robberies, drug use and trafficking, rape, molesting, mugging, drunk driving and breaking and entering.

Oh, and most of the people living in the bitterroot area from Hamilton, Florence, Stevensville and Lolo are some of the worst drivers in the country.

Welcome to Missoula.