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I am in consideration for a position in Taos and am trying to decide if perhaps relocating there might be the right decision for me. I am an older single mom with a three year old and do not want to live in a large city, but a smaller location with lots of culture, art, and activities. I have also considered Santa Fe and Durango. I can afford the housing costs in Taos, so that is not a huge consideration. Mostly I am wondering about how good the preschools are in Taos as well as the public schools? What might be the pros and cons of being a single mom in Taos? I like the proximity to Santa Fe, absolutely love the beauty of Taos (have been there a few times) and generally think I would be happy there. Right now we live in a town of 3,000 people that is located well over 2 hours drive from any larger city. It is extremely remote and that is my primary reason for leaving. Also, the amenities are almost non-existent.
I would appreciate hearing about the pro and cons from folks that live or have lived in the area, particularly any other single parents. Thanks!
Right now we live in a town of 3,000 people that is located well over 2 hours drive from any larger city. It is extremely remote and that is my primary reason for leaving. Also, the amenities are almost non-existent.
It's interesting that you want to stay away from the big city (which could use a definition), but you're looking at a city of 5,716 as of the last census. The weather is great there, but there won't be many amenities. The closest real city is Santa fe, and it's still a fairly small city. It's almost an hour and a half per Google maps.
No doubt, the scenery is beautiful, but it is beautiful in many parts of New Mexico and Colorado. The geography is simply wonderful.
Frequently I see people trying to move away from a situation they don't like. Unfortunately, it is very common that people leaving one place because it doesn't work for them will choose similar places because they think they liked most of the things about the area.
If you want amenities that don't suck and good quality schools, the cities offer both of those things. Sometimes it takes more money to live in the good quality school districts, but it is usually cheaper in terms of actual dollars spent to live in a nice suburb in a good city than to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. It is very counter intuitive for most people, but the reason cities were built was the economical incentive to benefit from economies of scale. Note that Santa Fe is a very expensive city, but ALBQ has very reasonable costs. I nearly moved to ALBQ a few years ago before I decided that Colorado Springs would be a better fit for me. It sounds like you may need to carefully consider what amenities you will seek, because it would be a shame to move and find yourself in the same position as before. If you don't mind not having modern amenities, then Taos may be a perfect option for you. I'm only concerned because you mentioned the quality of schools and availability of amenities which is the antithesis of what rural living offers.
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate the input. Right now, the largest "city" to where we live is pretty close to three hours away and that is a city of 60,000. As far as I am concerned, right now that "is" a city. The isolation here is just way, way too much. I would actually love just being an hours drive away from Santa Fe, that would make me feel like I was "somewhere"!! The town we live in now has only a handful of restaurants, one grocery store (closed on Sunday), almost no place to shop, and virtually no activities/classes for my daughter. Day care is solely in-home care, with no real options.
Taos would provide so many more of those opportunities (even though it is a small town as well), and be relatively close to Santa Fe. So I am just hoping to hear from folks that have lived In Taos as to their thoughts on the school district and if it was a good place to raise children. ABQ is a nice city, just not for me - too large, traffic, etc. Santa Fe is also an option I am considering as positions will be open there soon as well. Santa Fe is about as large as I want to consider in terms of city living.
Thanks for any input on schools and/or other pros and cons regarding a potential move to Taos!
So I am just hoping to hear from folks that have lived In Taos as to their thoughts on the school district and if it was a good place to raise children.
Thank you for the link to the threads, I saw most of those already, but one was pretty informative and I missed it earlier! Would love to perhaps hear some input from your neighbors whose children went to school there. It seems as though there are a few charter schools there now also. Education is very, very important to me for my daughter, although she has a few years before she will start school. However, exposure to the arts and cultural diversity is also very important to me as well, as well as natural beauty. Even though Taos only has a few thousand more people than the town we are currently living in, what it has to offer is well, well beyond our current location!
OP, what field is the position in, that you were offered? Taos is great. Also, there's a very interesting private alternative school in town, Yaxche it's called, that may offer scholarships. You should give it a try. They have a strong multicultural focus. Taos is the kind of small community where everyone knows everyone and is neighborly. NM schools aren't that great, though, generally, hence my suggestion you check out that other school.
Taos is greener and has a better water supply than Santa Fe. Less crime, too. And less isolated than Durango. IMO you're making a good choice.
Ruth,
I am a wildlife biologist, I haven't been offered a position yet. But I am interviewing for one in Taos tomorrow and will be also in the running for positions in Durango and Santa Fe. I am fairly sure I will end up in one of the three places, just trying to get a better feel for Taos so I am prepared to make the correct decision for myself and my daughter. I do like small communities the size of Taos, just not as isolated as the one I am currently living in - we are very remote here and it makes life pretty difficult at times. Good to know about the private school, though my salary is likely not enough to cover tuition and living expenses as a single mom, but I will certainly check it out. I appreciate all the input, I do not know anyone living there, so the feedback on schools is really important to me.
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