towns/neighborhoods for families

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Well, if you want artsy + family friendly + nature, and bike able, Port Townsend checks all the boxes. It's at the foot of the Olympic mountains, and is on the water as well, so there's kayaking and sailing--and a kids' sailing program, as well as hiking and a biking club. BUT it's more remote than anything previously suggested, and has a pulp ill in town, which isn't noticeable most of the time, but on the rare occasion, that the wind shifts, it hits you over the head. Also, the schools are rumored to be somewhat mediocre. But Pt T is one of those super-scenic places. Pouslbo, however, is closer to "civilization", FWIW, and people seem to love it, including families that relocate there.

If finding top quality schools and communities that are super supportive of schools is a top priority then you really need to be focusing on the larger employment centers and suburbs that are drawing in new families with children. Basically:

Seattle and suburbs/exurbs to the east out to Issaquah and north up to Lake Stevens
Wealthier parts of Tacoma and nearby burbs
Olympia
Bellingham
Spokane (especially affluent suburbs like Mead)
Vancouver and adjacent suburbs like Camas

There are plenty of super cute scenic small towns scattered all over the state that might have good elementary schools but start lacking options when you get up to the HS level. Elementary is MUCH MUCH easier to do than High School. And funding in these sorts of tourist and retiree meccas is always problematic when parents with school-age children are a much smaller percentage of the population than in traditional suburban and urban areas. Especially when the local population is more dominated by retirees and service workers as is the case with places like Sequim.

[509]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

If finding top quality schools and communities that are super supportive of schools is a top priority then you really need to be focusing on the larger employment centers and suburbs that are drawing in new families with children. Basically:

Seattle and suburbs/exurbs to the east out to Issaquah and north up to Lake Stevens
Wealthier parts of Tacoma and nearby burbs
Olympia
Bellingham
Spokane (especially affluent suburbs like Mead)
Vancouver and adjacent suburbs like Camas

There are plenty of super cute scenic small towns scattered all over the state that might have good elementary schools but start lacking options when you get up to the HS level. Elementary is MUCH MUCH easier to do than High School. And funding in these sorts of tourist and retiree meccas is always problematic when parents with school-age children are a much smaller percentage of the population than in traditional suburban and urban areas. Especially when the local population is more dominated by retirees and service workers as is the case with places like Sequim.

Did NOT the McCleary decision equalize public school funding throughout Washington state??


This should be a non-issue....thanks to the Washington State Supreme Court.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by mjdboulder

You are right, I think I may have narrowed down my list prematurely! I should probably just be asking people for their town suggestions in WA since there are clearly so many other options we just didn't consider because we didn't know about them.

I'll check out Poulsbo. My husband also said he heard Snoqualmie and Carnation were nice, but of course, I don't know anything about them either.

Ultimately, we like the homes in Sammamish (and the family friendly vibe), the "artsiness" of Bellingham, but aren't sure what town fits that bill.

I'll definitely look into these other suggestions, thanks all. I am sure I'm missing more than this as well. sigh.

Sammamish is nothing special IMO - overpriced houses, no downtown, pointless lake (unless you have a house with a view) and pretty much nothing to do unless you go to Issaquah or Redmond... So it's basically Maple Valley with Bellevue prices.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by 509

Did NOT the McCleary decision equalize public school funding throughout Washington state??


This should be a non-issue....thanks to the Washington State Supreme Court.

No, it did not. What it did to some extent is change the formula for how state dollars are allocated, and raised the overall pot of state money. But that is largely for operating costs not capital costs. Local districts are still dependent on passing bonds for school construction and that leads to hugely inequitable outcomes when one district cannot pass bonds and a neighboring wealthy district passes them easily. Here is one local example in the Vancouver area:

This is Prairie HS in the Battle Ground school district which has failed to pass new bonds for years and has schools that are falling apart. https://goo.gl/maps/CEzkpbBh2Az8yi759 This is their alternative high school campus called Summit View: https://goo.gl/maps/sbjXYdip9hoEn71o8 This was the district's most recent attempt to pass a school improvement bond: https://www.columbian.com/news/2018/...-bond-measure/

This is neighboring Camas High School in a more affluent neighboring district which has never (in recent history anyway) failed to pass a construction bond: https://goo.gl/maps/oShkcgh63Q41eRGN8 and the brand new alternative project-based learning campus Discovery High School within Camas built in 2018: https://www.robcon.com/project/camas-pbl-high-school/

And Union High School, also next door in the more affluent Evergreen district that is able to pass bonds: https://lswarchitects.com/project/union-high-school/ And this is the alternative high school within the Evergreen district. The Henrietta Lacks Heath and Bioscience High School built in 2013: https://goo.gl/maps/DWx6HKEWegXn32up7

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Sammamish is nothing special IMO - overpriced houses, no downtown, pointless lake (unless you have a house with a view) and pretty much nothing to do unless you go to Issaquah or Redmond... So it's basically Maple Valley with Bellevue prices.

Um, that's why it's so popular (no downtown, no big box stores, peaceful and quiet, low crime). There are actually 3 lakes, Lake Sammamish, Pine Lake and Beaver Lake, all enjoyed by the residents. You can still buy for under $800k, in fact a neighbor's house just went on the market Wednesday, smaller 2,300sf but 12,000 sf lot for just $729k. All day yesterday cars were coming and going, Zillow shows 897 views, 41 saves, so apparently people still want to move here.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

If finding top quality schools and communities that are super supportive of schools is a top priority then you really need to be focusing on the larger employment centers and suburbs that are drawing in new families with children.
...... Elementary is MUCH MUCH easier to do than High School. ...

Fortunately for WA students and parents, there is no need to waste your days sequestered in a public High School. (Running Start has been a viable option since the 1990's). Works great for many, but not ideal for all.