Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We're a military family currently living in TN, but originally from MD. Getting ready for retirement and looking to move back to DC metro area. WV is appealing for lower taxes and housing prices, but we're concerned about the schools. We've been looking at the new Huntfield development in Charles Town, can anyone provide info on schools in that area?
And what the area is like in general? Anyone know of benefits of living in WV for military folks?
Huntfield is really nice....I live there. Depends on the age of the children...the new High School is right next to the HUntfield community and is VERY convenient.
Huntfield and the area around here is as quiet as it gets....having moved here via Bethesda and Oakton it was quite a change.
If you are an RVfamily as in recreational vehicle, find a place to park your RV before buying in Huntfield and check HOA rules anywhere if you do have a RV, many don't allow you to park them within the s/d. But there are many homes available outside s/d's where you can park on your own property.
Schools should be of consistant quality throughout Jefferson County. It's probably beneficial to live close enough to the school your child will attend to spare a longer bus ride.
Let me know if you have any specific questions about the area. I've lived here for quite awhile and know the area well.
Clint
PLEASE note the notion that West Virginia has inferior schools is a pure fallacy!! I grew up there, attended their schools, and in high school moved to a city in Ohio. My brother and I were assured having come from such a "Low" state as WV we would certainly be put back a year.
The opposite was true. It was early in the year and I had already completed most of this large city's work for the year and therefore ended up helping teachers grade foreign language papers, etc. The same for my brother, who was not a scholar.
Their schools are superb!!
Karen
P.S. Years later when my children were in elementary school we had moved to a tiny town there. Two years later we again moved to a large city, and the same was their experience - they had already done the work, were far ahead of their new classmates.
There are two high schools here, one on the south end of the county next to Huntfield--Washington High-- and one in the mid-north section of the county at Shenandoah Junction--Jefferson High. There is a middle school next to Jefferson High and a new elementary school under construction a few miles south-east of Jefferson High. Also on the north end there is Shepherd University with it's recently opened wellness center which is available to the public.
Here's the county BOE website: Jefferson County Schools - JCS District Homepage (http://boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1 - broken link)
And the SU wellness center: Welcome to the Shepherd University Wellness Center
You are right about living in WV for overall lower cost of living, including house prices & taxes etc. If you purchase outside a s/d and have a house with a good functioning well & septic, your monthly expenses are only electric, RE taxes, insurance, phone & garbage. Not having to pay HOA, water & sewer can help on a retirement income.
Out of the recently developed subdivisions in the area, if you like small lots with a 'small town' feel and layout, Huntfield is my favorite. There is a diversity of home designs and the community amenities have been being constructed as the project has progressed (this isn't always the case when many builders & developers are going bankrupt.) I like the garage in the alley design which gives the s/d an old town feel, but I don't think I could park my Nissan Titan in one of the garages without swinging into the yard of the neighbor across the alley way.
I'm not sure of any locational benfits for retired military specific to the area, but the VA medical center is in Kearneysville--less than 20 minutes from anywhere in Jefferson. If you are so inclined to continue part time work, there are probably many opportunities for someone with a military back ground: WV Air Guard in Martinsburg, US Coast Guard & ATF in Kearneysville, DHS-BP firearms training facility in Harpers Ferry and I think you get a boost in selection for employment with the Park Service at Harpers Ferry.
Clint
Last edited by clintsullivan; 04-05-2010 at 08:14 AM..
Thank you all for you input. We'll have a 4th grader, 6th grader, and 10th grader, so one in each school. I've been reading that depending on where you are, your kids may be in for a long bus ride. Anyone know if that would be true in Huntfield?
Also, is there still currently a 'welcome' tax to WV on your vehicles? I've been reading threads about it but can't figure out if that is old info or not?
From Huntfield the youngest would probably attend Page Jackson, about a mile towards Charles Town on the same rd as Huntfield, middle school would be Charles Town Middle which is only a few miles away near the intersection of Rt9 & Rt340, and the oldest should be Washington High which is adjacent to the s/d. Travel times could vary based on the bus route, but due to the number of kids in Huntfield I would think there would be one bus from the elementary & the middle with a direct route.
Looks like they elimnated the "welcome" tax. Take a look here at the DMV website for new residents. Vehicle License Information
We now have a DMV office just on the north side of Charles Town.
You should also consider the Spruce Hill developments and Cloverdale Heights ..... all are convenient to Washington High and Huntfield. The other developments would probably have slightly larger lots.
I have a son at Washington High and one at Charles Town middle school. Both are doing very well academically, and both seem to be part of a good group of kids. It's a good place to live.
Thank you all for you input. We'll have a 4th grader, 6th grader, and 10th grader, so one in each school. I've been reading that depending on where you are, your kids may be in for a long bus ride. Anyone know if that would be true in Huntfield?
Also, is there still currently a 'welcome' tax to WV on your vehicles? I've been reading threads about it but can't figure out if that is old info or not?
Hello!
My family moved to Huntfield 2/04 & we love it here!
As far as schools the 4th grader would go to Wright Denny Intermediate. Wright Denny Intermediate School - WDIS Home (http://boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/education/school/school.php?sectionid=74 - broken link)
Your 6th grade student would go to Charles Town Middle School.
Charles Town Middle School - Charles Town Middle (http://boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/education/school/school.php?sectionid=64 - broken link)
And last but not lease your 10th grader would go to Washington High.
Washington High School - Washington High School (http://boe.jeff.k12.wv.us/education/school/school.php?sectiondetailid=21055 - broken link)
Both Wright Denny & Charles Town Middle School are about a 5 minute drive from Huntfield, and Washington High in the Huntfield subdivision.
The only thing I do not like about living @ Huntfiled is the cost of propane. If you move to Huntfied go on a fixed payment plan so you are not in sticker shock during the winter months.
If you want a middle class quite neighborhood to raise your kids I would consider Huntfield as an option.
Hope this info helps!
Thank you all for you input. We'll have a 4th grader, 6th grader, and 10th grader, so one in each school. I've been reading that depending on where you are, your kids may be in for a long bus ride. Anyone know if that would be true in Huntfield?
Also, is there still currently a 'welcome' tax to WV on your vehicles? I've been reading threads about it but can't figure out if that is old info or not?
Clint is right. If you go to the County Assessor's office and get a new resident waiver, you don't have to pay the Privledge Tax on newly registered vehicles. You still have to pay a yearly personal property tax though.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Charleston, WV schools
