Ashland details please! :-) (Medford: houses, school districts, living)

[Me&T]

We thought about talent, but the concern again is the schools. Even though ashland is going to allow open enrollment, there is no guarantee that all three of our girls would get in. Then we will be stuck in talent schools which I believe will suffer from many kids going to Ashland schools. I read that schools are funded $6000 per yeat per student. So, if 200 students left talent and went to ashland thats $120,000 less for talent school district. Maybe I'm all wrong, but thay would be my concern. However, please let me k.ow of nice areas in talent. . What about Jacksonville? Thanks everyone for all your help. .

[Me&T]

Hahaha... Typo. 1,200,000... I believe the actual number was 100 students, which would be 600,000 loss... Yikes!

[daddypants]

Jacksonville is full of retired folks. Very few young families. And the few kids that live there funnel into South Medford schools which is less desirable than North Medford.

Ashland school district is better. Plus we need your kids!

[Fiddlehead]

Well, hopefully someoone will chime in for Talent. It is a nice little town, which has been the magnet for a lot of nice young families for the last ten years. Not a bad choice at all, IMO.

However, Ashland, despite the change that have been so overwhelming over the last decade or so, is a truly exceptional town, with an amazing YMCA, strong civic spirit, and a terrific quality of life. I don't think this means the schools are demonstrably better, but the whole experience is pretty good. I think kids could work through the primary grades in many good locations between Medford and Ashland, but Ashland High is a pretty exceptional school.

Jacksonville seems more like a retirement town than Ashland, but I could be wrong.

[Me&T]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.. we really appreciate all the insight. If you can think of anything else that would insightful, please do share. But again, thank you.

[daddypants]

Also, Me&T, you need to have stable employment if you choose to live in So. Oregon. Oregon is well known for not being business friendly and I've see many business move out of state since I moved here 4 years ago.

I was laid off a year and a half ago, first time ever, and my wife and three of her colleagues were laid off two years ago. The company I worked for moved their operations back east to save money. Many of my friends here in Ashland work for themselves and I can see why.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by daddypants

Also, Me&T, you need to have stable employment if you choose to live in So. Oregon. Oregon is well known for not being business friendly and I've see many business move out of state since I moved here 4 years ago.

I've never heard this. And I've lived significant amounts of time in Southern Oregon, plus have family there. Oh, and have family who have/had businesses in various parts of Southern Oregon.

Every single time the reason they went out of business was the economy. Not unfriendly business environments.

[daddypants]

Originally Posted by hamellr

I've never heard this. And I've lived significant amounts of time in Southern Oregon, plus have family there. Oh, and have family who have/had businesses in various parts of Southern Oregon.

Every single time the reason they went out of business was the economy. Not unfriendly business environments.

I'm not talking about small businesses (mom and pop shops) southern oregon is full of these. I'm talking about the lack of major employers here.

You would think, that with the good weather here, having an international airport, the proximity to I5, being in between San Francisco and Portland and having ample numbers of unemployed people that big industry would be dying to relocate here. Not the case. Even when begged to move here, big companies are reluctant. Look how long it took Trader Joe's to make the commitment.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by daddypants

I'm not talking about small businesses (mom and pop shops) southern oregon is full of these. I'm talking about the lack of major employers here.

You would think, that with the good weather here, having an international airport, the proximity to I5, being in between San Francisco and Portland and having ample numbers of unemployed people that big industry would be dying to relocate here. Not the case. Even when begged to move here, big companies are reluctant. Look how long it took Trader Joe's to make the commitment.

Lack of trained workers. Lack of steady economy. Cost of transporting goods. Those are the same issues that have been plaguing that area since the first White Settlers stopped to rest their weary feet.

[Me&T]

Thanks for the tip... I plan on working in the medical community. I am finishing up my RN degree now, and will work on getting my Nurse Practitioner license or possible Physician Assistant degree. I actually plan to work per diem here in Sacramento area (possible Redding) because the pay is so much higher here. I think eventually I will work at the hospital in Medford, but thankfully I can commute down here... I'll just work 4-5 shifts, then come home. My husbands job (Fire Chief at the local Fire department) allows him to work 3-4 days in a row as well. Ashland is only 4 1/2 hours or so away from where we are living now, so the commute would be doable for a few years while we figured things out up there. And even if we didn't figure things out, the flexibility of both of our jobs would allow for commuting to continue until retirement! :-)

Thanks for all the tips... We are still looking for a place. Ideally we would love 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a few acres. I love gardening and have dreams of growing lots of fruits and veggies... plus chickens, and a few horses. :-) I'm a county girl at heart and Sacramento is WAY TOO big of a city for me!!!