Rural spokane? can you help (Orchards, Cheney: real estate, low crime, homes)

[jamielynn22]

My family and I will be moving to spokane in the next 5 months from Arizona, My husband and I both grew up in washington,but it was a small farm town and small schools. SO....we are trying to find the best schools for our kids in a rural setting. we have horses and want acreage, but have less then a 30 minute commute to spokane. can anyone recommend an area to us? we just want....

*Safe and smaller schools
*less than 30 minute commute to spokane
*rural
*low crime/safe area

Thanks in advance

[Deena160]

This is a repeat from other posts--you can learn a lot if you have several hours to kill reading here.
Most of the schools in Spokane are above average(see greatschools.com). People have posted some good things to say about smaller Medical Lake School District which is south-eastish from Spokane and Nine-mile which is north. I also think Mead(which is a bigger school district and supposedly the best in the area) covers some of the rural areas to the North. I used to have a fairly useful map, but I can't find the link now.
You also have to remember that you don't have to go very far out from anywhere in Spokane or Spokane Valley before you're in a rural area. Have you been to visit yet? We've been 3 times so far(and still figuring out how to move over there) and it's funny to be one minute in a suburb area and the next in a rural feeling with deer grazing in the fields.
As for crime, you should be alright if you're in any rural area close to town. Here's the link for the crime map for Spokane: Spokane CrimeMap (http://www.spokanegis.org/crimemap/default.asp - broken link) I don't think they've got one for the Valley.
Hope this helps. Welcome and good luck! :~) D

[skinem]

Take a look at Medical Lake, Four Lakes/Cheney area. That ought to fit your criteria. Good schools, low crime areas and some still for-real rural areas.

[mistyriver]

Deer Park. It has a wonderful small town atmosphere and is very horsey. Schools are decent too.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by mistyriverranch

Deer Park. It has a wonderful small town atmosphere and is very horsey. Schools are decent too.

I should have mentioned Deer Park as well. Good area. Little more snowy...more trees.

[Godfrey01]

I'd recommend looking north as well, partly for the schools, partly for the landscape and partly for the real estate potential; a highway connecting the northern 'burbs to I-90 is under construction. Mead schools are indeed well supported and well run, although not small. The Wild Rose Prairie/Colbert/Chattaroy area is very nice. Green Bluff is gorgeous but pricey. Be careful to stay on the Mead side of the school boundary; schools to the north are poorer and rougher (rural does NOT equal "safe").

South to Valley Ford or Spangle is another possibility, and beautiful. So is east along the I-90 corridor to Otis Orchards/Post Falls, although prices rise quickly as you approach CDA. Personally, I'd avoid the west plains and Medical Lake due to air traffic from Geiger and Fairchild, as well as to the flat barrenness of the place, but prices there are low.

[jessysunshine]

I grew up in Deer Park from grades 5-9 (1984-1989), and it really is a wonderful little town...was then, is now. I'm proud to say I lived there.

[Good4Kids]

contact a realtor. Look at lots of homes. We looked at over 60 twelve years ago.