Stowe vs Manchester......Schools and quality of life? (Burlington, Essex Junction: private schools, taxes)

RedPlate · 03-15-2018, 09:29 AM

I'm looking to move to one of these towns. I have two young boys, so the schools are our highest priority. Anyone been through the process of trying to decide between these two towns? Both school systems seem to have a great reputation, but perhaps Stowe is slightly better? For some reason, Burr and Burton's ratings have dropped over the past year or two. These "ratings" can be misleading though.

Stowe's proximity to towns like Burlington and Montpelier is also a plus. It just seems to be surrounded by nicer areas. Manchester seems to be relatively isolated in that regard.

We love Manchester and were planning on moving there, but after reading about, and visiting Stowe, we've begun to second guess ourselves. They both seem to be great places to raise a family though.

Any impressions regarding how you like living in either of these two towns, and their school systems, would be much appreciated.

Riley. · 03-15-2018, 11:29 AM

If you have the finances to handle the high taxes, I'd take Stowe. We live over the hill and spend a lot of time there instead of Burlington. Lots to offer, events all summer, a fantastic ski mountain that Vail Operations has taken over (so ski passes are now actually affordable. I'd move to Stowe if I thought I could afford it when I retire

RedPlate · 03-15-2018, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pamjedlicka

If you have the finances to handle the high taxes, I'd take Stowe. We live over the hill and spend a lot of time there instead of Burlington. Lots to offer, events all summer, a fantastic ski mountain that Vail Operations has taken over (so ski passes are now actually affordable. I'd move to Stowe if I thought I could afford it when I retire

Thanks for chiming in Pamjedlicka. Yeah, skiing is definitely something we love! One thing that's great about the Manchester area is that you have your choice of at least four mountians to ski at. I believe Vail has also purchased Stratton mountain as well. Is Stowe mountain the only nearby option around there?

millerm277 · 03-15-2018, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedPlate

Thanks for chiming in Pamjedlicka. Yeah, skiing is definitely something we love! One thing that's great about the Manchester area is that you have your choice of at least four mountians to ski at. I believe Vail has also purchased Stratton mountain as well. Is Stowe mountain the only nearby option around there?

Define "around there"?

Smugglers Notch, Sugarbush and Mad River Glen are all about 45 min. Bolton Valley is more like 30. Jay is an hour. Burke and Killington are both about 1.5hrs. There's probably more within that range that I'm forgetting, but that's at least a lot of the major ones.

tkln · 03-16-2018, 04:09 AM

If you moved to Waterbury you'd be central to all those mountains.

RedPlate · 03-16-2018, 05:48 AM

Nice! Yeah, within an hour is definitely what I'd consider "around there". Thanks for the info.

Anyone have any info regarding the schools?

RedPlate · 03-19-2018, 11:41 AM

Anyone have any impression/opinions regarding the school systems?

tkln · 03-19-2018, 01:27 PM

I don't have kids, so can't tell you specifics, but I know the parents and the community are very involved in the Stowe Schools. Not sure how things might (or might not) change with regards to Act 46 - Stowe and Morrisville are petitioning to run as separate districts instead of merging, but this will require approval from the state. So things could change next year. I know Stowe is very against merging - there is a definite air of 'we're better than they are' about the whole situation.

Waterbury merged into one district last year and our taxes went down and I have to say, it was quite fabulous lol. And it's seen as a positive, not a negative, as they can now equalize programs available to students across the district.

GeoffD · 03-19-2018, 03:05 PM

On the skiing part, Stowe must average 300+ inches of natural snow per year. Stratton is the best of the lot near Manchester and it gets half the amount with tons of rain events where it's snow at Stowe. In general in Vermont, the farther north you go, the better the skiing. The terrain is steeper because it has always received more snow. It doesn't get crushed with New Yorkers though I haven't been to Stowe since the Epic Pass.

Stowe is something of a professional bedroom town for Chittenden County. UVM Med School / Medical Center physicians live there. A number of GlobalFoundries tech workers live there and commute in to Essex Junction. Plus the trustafarians and self-made affluent flatland refugees who bail out of the urban mayhem.

With the proximity to Burlington and I-89, it kind of makes Stowe a no-brainer if you can afford the housing.

Judder · 03-19-2018, 03:30 PM

The Manchester area has excellent schools. It's one of the areas in the state that offers school choice, so you can attend any public or private school up to a per pupil cost of around $18k. There is no public high school in the area and most of the high school kids go to Burr and Burton, although there are other options such as Long Trail School and Stratton Mountain School. Some towns like Winhall, Stratton, and Sandgate offer school choice K-12, so you can take your pick of from the many excellent private schools in the area.