Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 66
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Silverton, CO
    Posts
    82

    Ski towns with best K-12 schools

    Which ski towns have the best K-12 schools (public or private)?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    50 miles E of Paradise
    Posts
    15,570
    Define "ski town".

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
    Posts
    12,966
    The Park City school system is among the best in the country. It is the most important reason that we moved here.
    In 2006, the year we moved here, Park City H.S. was rated top 160 of all high schools in the country. Since you are from NY, I will tell you that we moved from the Millburn/Short Hills school system. According to US News, these two school systems were right next to each other in the rankings. The elementary schools have a dual emersion system, with spanish and french. There are two charter elementary schools here, too. I can not speak about the quality of their education, but one (The Winter School) is in session from ~May thru Dec., so the kids can ski all winter. The other, Weilmann, I know nothing about, other than kids are separated according to their strengths.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Wasatch
    Posts
    6,256
    Quote Originally Posted by schindlerpiste View Post
    The Park City school system is among the best in the country. It is the most important reason that we moved here.
    In 2006, the year we moved here, Park City H.S. was rated top 160 of all high schools in the country. Since you are from NY, I will tell you that we moved from the Millburn/Short Hills school system. According to US News, these two school systems were right next to each other in the rankings. The elementary schools have a dual emersion system, with spanish and french. There are two charter elementary schools here, too. I can not speak about the quality of their education, but one (The Winter School) is in session from ~May thru Dec., so the kids can ski all winter. The other, Weilmann, I know nothing about, other than kids are separated according to their strengths.
    The PC public schools are excellent. They are a big part of the reason we moved here. The academics are above reproach and they do a nice job of exposing the kids to the unique local athletic opportunities.

    I am sure many other ski towns have good public schools as well. They tend to have a strong property tax base along with nice quality of life/cultural factors that are conducive to raising children.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    393
    I'm interested in this too. Out west - some towns that come to mind - Steamboat, Hailey ID, Bend, OR, Incline Village, NV. Interested to hear about Park City above.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
    Posts
    12,966
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    where the rough and fluff live
    Posts
    4,147
    abdication of the parent's role in teaching a child is great

    only realtors think that "great K-12" is the same thing as "great place to live"

    if you think your child's school is what makes your child a smart, well-rounded, open-to-many-possibilities child, I'm assuming you're a realtor preparing his/her Statement of Noble Lies to share with a house-viewing "client"

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Couloirfornia
    Posts
    8,871
    ^^^ Still making assumptions and reading things into people's posts that aren't there, eh?

    T -1.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    where the rough and fluff live
    Posts
    4,147
    Quote Originally Posted by LightRanger View Post
    ^^^ Still making assumptions and reading things into people's posts that aren't there, eh?

    T -1.
    still obsessively following me around, MISreading my comments, and then gloating on the misread? good job.

    why did OP ask about places with good K-12? you tell me, Expert Mind-Reader. you tell me. obviously you've read my mind inaccurately, thus earning you the TGR Expert In The Category distinction, and it should translate well here. mis-read for us, please. and then gloat. it's a fine course to take.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Couloirfornia
    Posts
    8,871
    Actually no, I was curious what people were saying in the thread and saw you being a douche again.

    I have no idea why he was asking. I wasn't the one making the comment that tilts at windmills, while arguably denigrating a legitimate question. Dude cares about good schools, probably. That doesn't mean he automatically thinks that you cannot raise a successful/smart/academically-achieving/whatever kid in schools that aren't the best in whatever arbitrary measurement we're using. But any reasonable reading of your comment leads one to believe that is what you are saying. Seems to make sense that if you're looking to make a move but don't know where, the quality of the schools might be one factor among many... but your comment, again, under any reasonable interpretation of it, implied that OP is thinking that's the only thing.

    But please troll on. Make assumptions, and then when somebody calls you out for making those assumptions, take obtuse umbrage and claim they're misreading you. The shtick is pretty tiring though.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    where the rough and fluff live
    Posts
    4,147
    Stern lecturing serious guy, taking the "shit, we're just wasting time here man" forum too seriously.

    Good job. The Serious Scholar of TGR approach is more tired than a dying 100 yr old human, but hey -- if you can persuade yourself that Acting Serious bails you out here, Smug Pedantic Professor, go right ahead.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Eagle River Alaska
    Posts
    10,964
    Girdwood Alaska

    I was super impressed by their K-8 school, and south has some of the best teachers teachers I know (the student body however, is sadly white as driven snow)
    Its not that I suck at spelling, its that I just don't care

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    co
    Posts
    2,297
    Oh my, there is an opinion.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    cb, co
    Posts
    5,035
    The highest ranked public mountain school in CO according to US News and World report is Crested Butte, 6th overall in CO. The better half had been working there, there are some seriously talented, but overworked, teachers there.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Silverton, CO
    Posts
    82
    Quote Originally Posted by telebobski View Post
    Define "ski town".
    I define ski town loosely. I would love to live in a town where I am minutes rather than hours from world class skiing. As an example to draw the line, Denver, although a great city with great schools, would not be included.

    There are many other important factors to consider, but it is interesting to know about the SLC schools, or that CB has the highest rated public school system in a ski town. I am also curious if there are particularly good charter schools elsewhere, like Aspen, Bozeman, Nelson, etc.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Silverton, CO
    Posts
    82
    Quote Originally Posted by creaky fossil View Post
    Stern lecturing serious guy, taking the "shit, we're just wasting time here man" forum too seriously.

    Good job. The Serious Scholar of TGR approach is more tired than a dying 100 yr old human, but hey -- if you can persuade yourself that Acting Serious bails you out here, Smug Pedantic Professor, go right ahead.
    A number of big assumptions are required to conclude that someone asking about a good school system is a realtor and/or someone seeking to abdicate themselves from the role of teaching their child. Perhaps it would be more productive to assume the best rather than the worst.

    As someone participating in these forums, I imagine you must be supportive of children gaining significant exposure to skiing - as part of a well rounded upbringing. You must have some helpful insight into ski town communities. If the quality of the school is not important to you, can you speak to the quality of the community in any particular ski town?

    If not, troll away.

    Disclosure: I am not involved in the real estate business in any form.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Quote Originally Posted by Flaukamite View Post
    I define ski town loosely. I would love to live in a town where I am minutes rather than hours from world class skiing.
    On that note, let me sing the praises of School District 54 here in Smithers B.C.
    Largely on the strength of excellent teaching, the schools in our fair mountain town offer a high quality education and lots of extra curricular as well. French Immersion, hockey academy and a soon to be outdoor program etc., all within the public system. Charter options are limited to religious schools.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    1,421

    Ski towns with best K-12 schools

    Quote Originally Posted by goldenboy View Post
    The highest ranked public mountain school in CO according to US News and World report is Crested Butte, 6th overall in CO.
    Kind of curious how those rankings are done.
    The stats for Aspen Public HS equal or exceed schools high on the list and yet it's unranked.
    Why do I care? Self validation bias of course.
    I think it's fair to say amongst the community that aspen elementary is generally considered very good, middle school so-so and high school more than decent.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
    Posts
    12,966
    Aspen has a good school system. It's just everything else about the town that difficult. No stores, or gas stations, or local community.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    1,332
    Quote Originally Posted by Angle Parking View Post
    On that note, let me sing the praises of School District 54 here in Smithers B.C.
    Largely on the strength of excellent teaching, the schools in our fair mountain town offer a high quality education and lots of extra curricular as well. French Immersion, hockey academy and a soon to be outdoor program etc., all within the public system. Charter options are limited to religious schools.
    Timely since the province wide teachers strike ended approximately a week ago...

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Carbondale
    Posts
    12,479
    Quote Originally Posted by schindlerpiste View Post
    Aspen has a good school system. It's just everything else about the town that difficult. No stores, or gas stations, or local community.
    I'd agree with the good school, and that it can be difficult. There are plenty of gas stations for the # of people, it's just the price that you need to pay for gas.. is ridiculous. And there is plenty of local community.

    Colorado has a few ski towns with great schools:
    CB
    Aspen
    Steamboat
    IF you consider Salida a 'ski' town...
    www.dpsskis.com
    www.point6.com
    formerly an ambassador for a few others, but the ski industry is... interesting.
    Fukt: a very small amount of snow.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    here and there
    Posts
    18,583
    If you have noy gadeated k-12 by now you should just go ski.
    watch out for snakes

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    none
    Posts
    8,335
    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    Kind of curious how those rankings are done.
    The stats for Aspen Public HS equal or exceed schools high on the list and yet it's unranked.
    Why do I care? Self validation bias of course.
    I think it's fair to say amongst the community that aspen elementary is generally considered very good, middle school so-so and high school more than decent.

    They received #1 in CO and 59th in the nation in 2012 and then completely fall out of the rankings?
    http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20...NEWS/120509872


    Quote Originally Posted by schindlerpiste View Post
    Aspen has a good school system. It's just everything else about the town that difficult. No stores, or gas stations, or local community.
    No room for strip malls.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Park City
    Posts
    1,857
    The social demographics in the small expensive ski towns are such that the schools will in general be good. If you have questions about Weilenmann in Park City, PM me. ( have kids there) It and Jeremy Ranch are scoring he highest in the ranking tests in town. If you choose Park City, every kid has an opportunity to get a very good education at any of the schools. I coach a bunch of kids from all of them and there are great kids thoughout this town.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Posts
    2,835
    Be wary of the USNews rankings for high schools. They leave way too many schools out for the rankings to have any meaning whatsoever. The scores which drive the rankings, however, could be useful if used carefully.

    You may want to look at trends, rather than particular districts. For instance, the public schools in and around SLC are pretty good. California public schools have been so underfunded for so long, that you might not need to write off that whole state. Washington does a pretty good job of funding education. Wyoming is just Wyoming and Idaho is Idaho, so unless a local district goes out of its way to break the mold (as they do in Boise, Moscow, Ketchum), the public education is going to be so-so.

    I don't have any actual data, but I've heard good things about the elementary in Big Sky.

    You'll find pretty good schools in lots of mountain towns. The question only you can answer is whether the lifeystyle and the schools make up for all that mountain towns frequently lack, and the problems they frequently have. And that's just a personal judgment call.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •