[lmatckie]

My husband and 3 children (ages 14, 11, 7) are considering a move to Stowe, VT. I would love to hear from those who have experienced the school system in Stowe, specifically, the High School. It is a top-ranked school in the state... what are it's positives and negatives? What is the feel of the community? Beyond the tourists, is there a sense of community among the residents?

[vter]

One of our regular posters just moved to Stowe full time so hopefully she/he will chime in.
For me the only negative about living in Stowe would be the tourist nature of the town-its personally not for me. There are lots of second homes in town as well and is a fairly transient community (lots of people come for winter to ski but leave during the summer). You'll deal with quite a bit of traffic during peak times (though as a local you'll learn the routes to avoid the worst of it) and having to compete for restaurant reservations etc.
Other than that...the skiing cannot be beat (if that is one of the reasons you are moving there!).

[tkln]

Originally Posted by vter

One of our regular posters just moved to Stowe full time so hopefully she/he will chime in.

That's me!

Okay, so first, I have to agree with everything that Vter says. I've been coming here since I was a kid, almost 40 years now, so I knew what we were in for with the move. Unfortunately, due to some factors that I can't control, we have to stay in/around Stowe for the time being. We got up here at the end of August and the first few months were fine but now the crowds have come and I hate them, lol. I basically try and hibernate all weekend, it's ridiculous some days. If you want to eat out on a weekend, make reservations way in advance.

We don't have kids so I can't give you specifics on the school system. I can tell you what I've heard/read/etc and it seems that there is a lot of town involvement in the school, between activities and the budget/etc...parents are very involved and there is a lot of support for the education system. In fact, there was some discussions about looking into merging with Morrisville and Elmore and it's been a very heated debate...it's off the table for now but the state may force their hand at some point down the line.

Regarding the feel of community, I do find a solid sense of community. However, I came here from NYC, so my version of community could be different than yours. Since we don't have kids, we do have to make a more concerted effort to meet people, so I go to town events when I can. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer and participate in events/etc. It is a small town and you eventually start to see the same people around. There has been some very inspiring fund raising events recently that brought a lot of businesses together and it was a really great thing to witness.

Obviously, yes, the skiing is great, but keep in mind, it's ridiculously expensive. There is NO discount for residents. They do have special programs, etc, but quite frankly, I think it's obscene that the locals are generally priced out. Of course, living here, you have the benefit of going during the week when it's a lot less crowded, but that would depend on your schedule/etc.

Lastly, keep in mind that because it's a tourist town, Stowe's taxes are considerably higher than other towns in the state. Property taxes in VT are high to begin with; if you have a view or are in a certain neighborhood in Stowe, prepare to pay for it. Real estate in general is also pretty expensive.

I would personally also consider Waterbury, which I find to be a great town...close enough to Stowe for the restaurants/skiing, plenty of very very solid dining options there too and I believe the school system is quite good as well.

[68vette]

If you are interested in skiing, Sugarbush and Bolton are much more affordable and not that far away. I personally think Sugarbush has much better skiing.

[tkln]

If you consider Waterbury, you'd have your pick of Sugarbush, Bolton or Stowe...