peachboot828 OP t1_j814qor wrote on February 10, 2023 at 9:19 PM

Reply to comment by Full_Whereas_2694 in Tell me about Newbury, Eden, Isle la Motte, and Grand Isle, plz. (Considering a move from Randolph.) by peachboot828

Super helpful perspective, thank you! Re: schools, we were so jazzed before we moved here to hear about Vermont’s amazing public schools…but now we find ourselves paying 2x more property taxes than ever before and suffering schools that are dramatically more dismal than anything we encountered in the South…which is REALLY surprising. It seems like the applause about great public schools comes from a handful of exceptional places in the greater Stowe, Burlington, and Woodstock areas, and most everything else is average at best and failing at worst. So…we don’t have high hopes for good schools in any area we can reasonably afford. :/

Full_Whereas_2694 t1_j817f64 wrote on February 10, 2023 at 9:37 PM

Oh just saw you're interested in Local food. If you're in Newbury probably Hunger Mountain in Montpelier is your best bet. There are some good farm stands around but they are pretty seasonal. There's been an on again off again coop in St Johnsbury which right now seems off again. If you're in Eden, Morrisville Coop is your best bet, which is only a few years old but looks really nice (I stop there on my way up to my folks place in the NEK). The school situation is tough, in theory we have equalized funding from the state, but you still have to attract good teachers and the physical infrastructure is still dependent on local bonds a lot of the time. We have an amazing local school in Lincoln where I live but we've had to fight tooth and nail to keep it open.

peachboot828 OP t1_j854ktr wrote on February 11, 2023 at 6:23 PM

Ahhh, that makes a lot of sense re: the schools. Equalized funding doesn’t necessarily attract and retain equalized talent if a school is in a place that’s seen as “less desirable” to live in for whatever reason. Such a shame. :/

Thanks so much for all of the info!