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I've finalized my decision to move to NH in 2011. I lived there as a child and have always dreamed of returning. I'm concerned about a few things though. I currently live in FL where crime and child molesters are rampent. The schools are also absolutely terrible. I have 3 young children and am concerned for their safety. Hence, the reason I want to move to NH. I've been researching the few private schools in NH and was wondering if it really makes a huge difference whether or not a child goes to private or public school. Are the public schools fantastic or are the private schools drastically better? Also, I know that crime is really low but is there a problem with child molesters and child murders? There seems to be a rape and murder of a child almost every day down here and it seriously concerns me. Thank you all in advance for your replies!
Your questions are important but also too broad. The question is not "are the schools in NH good?" The question is "are the schools in the school district where we would be living good?" NH has some excellent, high-achieving public schools and some lousy ones, just like every state (even Florida!) The good ones tend to be located in relatively affluent towns like Amherst, Hollis, and Bedford. If you search the archives here, you will find many, many threads about various school districts and family-friendly towns. If you go to GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community, you can see ratings for almost every school in the state.
The second question isn't "are private schools better?" It's "Is the particular private school my child would be attending better than the public school s/he would be attending?" Again, private schools run the gamut. They all have the power to admit or expel students and are privately funded, but that doesn't have anything to do with their academic standards or performance. Some, the kind you're probably thinking of, have high academic standards, admit only qualified students, and train them to apply to competitive colleges. Other cater to kids with learning disabilities or behaviorial or emotional problems. Many place an emphasis on religious instruction rather than secular academics, which doesn't mean they don't teach math and English as well but may mean they're no more academically rigorous than the local public schools - parents are simply looking for religious instruction too. The reality is that if you can afford tuition at a good independent school, you can probably afford a house in a good school district, which should render the question moot unless your child has special needs.
Finally, can anyone guarantee you that if you move to NH your child will be safe from murderers and pedophiles? There is no place in the world safe enough to make that a realistic promise. Outside of NH's few cities, most of the state is low-crime, but as the recent murder in bucolic Mont Vernon shows, there are sickos and scumbags everywhere. Bad things happen. As a parent, I understand your fear, but it's also important to remember that the vast majority of sexual crimes against children aren't random - they're committed by friends and family members. The thought of a stranger snatching your child is terrifying, but it's also pretty unlikely no matter where you are. Outside of the big cities (and in NH I use the phrase "big cities" with a smile) there shouldn't be much crime, but you'll still have to be careful and hope for the best, as we all do.
There are lots of great places in NH to raise a family. Good luck in your search!
I second NH2008's comments above. Every NH town has a different personality.
As for crimes against children, while it can happen anywhere (and could back in the 1800s as well, don't kid yourself); NH does have the lowest crime rates per capita- which means that even when compared on an apples-apples basis (rate vs. total) you still are safer here.
As a sweeping generalization, NH schools overall are quite good.
There are a few reasons for this.
NH has:
- the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the nation at 7.6 births per 1000
(Nashua Telegraph, January 2009)
- the highest high school graduation rate in the nation, tied with MN and WY, at ~92%
(2003 US Census )
- the 4th highest percentage of adults with a Bachelor's degree or higher, at 35.4 percent. CO, MA and DC had 35.5%, 36.7% and 45.7% respectively.
(2004 US Census)
More sweeping generalizations...
I think parental involvement with their child's education is higher in areas where the parents themselves have a lot of respect for education. In addition, I believe it is quite logical to say that a child will get a better education in an environment where the fewest students are off having children of their own, and the most students are graduating from high school.
That doesn't mean that all of the schools up here are equal, each town has their own personality. Not all schools do everything equally well. If you have something that you are particularly looking for in a school system (competitive sports, Advanced Placement curriculum, accommodations for a student with special needs), please look very carefully at what your town has to offer. (Sorry if that is overstating the obvoius )
One point about crimes against children and sex offenders - convicted sex offenders in all states have certain restrictions, such as not being able to love within X feet of a school. Sometimes, these restrictions have resulted in the sex offenders of a community being concentrated in a few neighborhoods or in a particular part of town. Be mindful of this when investigating new neighbrohoods. Sorry again if I am being Captain Obvious here.
An incredible resource! Unfortunately, I just found out there is a child molester living one half mile from where I bought my dream land in the woods. The database provided a map of offenders, pictures, and the conviction info. Only thing it doesn't tell you that I wish it did was how long ago the offense was. This guy is 59 years old and was convicted of Felonious Sexual Assault (Victim 13 or older & under 16 & age diff more than 3 years). I wish I knew if he did it when he was 17 years old or if he did it last year - although both are crimes there's a big difference IMO. Regardless, I will show my son the picture, show him the house, and tell him to stay away from there and not talk to that person. I guess it's better to know you've got someone like that living near you so you can be prepared. After all, my son will be 8 when I start building my house there.
BTW, according to the site, FL had the 5th highest rate per thousand of registered offenders if I counted correctly. NH had half of FL's rate, but was not the lowest by any means. Map it out yourself - there's more out there than you'd think...
We have found the NH public schools to be very good. Many of my friends in MA send their kids to private school if they can afford it. Particularly from grade 7 or 9 onward....
Thank you all for your replies. That map was a big help!
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