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Relocating to Murrysville. We're considering three school districts: Franklin regional, Fox Chapel and Hampton township (These two are a little bit far away from work, but the neighborhoods there look nicer than Murrysville?). How to compare these three SD? How about the diversity, and housing? Or any other better option?
BTW, Is there any map for the boundary of school districts?
Boundaries are the towns that are part of the school district. They aren't always connected to one big spot. Harmarville is next to Fox Chapel but is part of Springdale school system. Next town up the river is Cheswick and it's part of Fox Chapel schools. Probably not much if any diversity where you've mentioned.
I may have misunderstood...are you moving to Murrysville or just working there? If you're getting a home in Murrysville you will be sending your kids to Franklin Regional. In PA, if you want to send your kids to another district that you don't live in, I believe you have to pay yearly tuition, which is pretty much just as costly as sending the child to private school. You're better off LIVING in the district you want the kids to go to.
All 3 school districts you listed are pretty strong schools. Hampton, I believe, is in the top 5 in the state of PA. I don't really know about the diversity in these communities. Fox Chapel and Hampton have some pretty wealthy residents. For example, the Heinz family estate is in Fox Chapel and Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has a home in Hampton Township. Murrysville is going to be middle-upper class suburbanites, pretty good school district, cheaper property taxes due to location in Westmoreland County.
I guess it's also relevant to mention that Fox Chapel covers other areas that aren't as wealthy as Fox Chapel. It also serves Aspinwall, Blawnox, O'Hara Twp, Indiana Twp, and Sharpsburg.
Thanks a lot for all info. We want to choose a school district first, then buy a house within SD boundary. So if we choose Fox Chapel or Hampton, we'll buy a house within the district. My husband has to commute 30-40min. and pay for turnpike everyday to work at Murrysville. But I think education and environment are important too. I heard Indiana Twp also goes to Fox Chapel, but with less expensive housing and cheaper property taxes. Is that right? Do you think living in Indiana Twp is a good choise?
I have one more question: after choosing a school district, how to choose one proper school in the SD? For example, there are three elementary schools in Franklin regional. How to compare them to each other? Once again, we''ll buy a house after the school is set.
We're still digging out which district and school is right for us. All good advice is appreciated.
As for the Turnpike, your husband could always buy EZ-Pass (Welcome to E-ZPass on the Pennsylvania Turnpike) or come down Rt 28 into the city, take 279 South to 376 East out to 22 in Murrysville. After Rt 28, he'd be leaving the city and not have morning traffic problems and no tolls on any of those routes.
For choosing schools once you choose the district...to be honest I'm not sure how PA does it. Some states go by neighborhood so if you live on these streets, you go to this school. I hope someone else can grab that question for you. If you just want to compare them...check out the Greatschools links that I gave you a couple posts earlier...they have each individual school for the districts.
Indiana Twp. is nice. Part of it is suburbia and part seems like country. There is no downtown or shopping area. Shopping is handy though no matter where you live there. Your taxes would be lower because you'll be buying a cheaper house. 4% is 4%., that's what I figure the taxes are in Allegheny county in a better school district. School taxes are the highest, then county and local municipality. They could be cheaper in Indiana Twp. because of it's location, I'm not sure and if they are I'll bet not by very much.
As lifepgh2op mentioned, Howard Hanna site is a way to get a good idea of housing prices and taxes although I've looked at two similar $500,000 listings in Fox Chapel and on one the taxes were $10,000 and $20,000 on the other. Allegheny County is using assessments from 2002. If you know an address you can go to the county site and see the actual taxes as well as comparable homes in that area. Because the tax base is 2002 the selling price you pay will not affect your real estate taxes.
Indiana Twp. is big, 18 square miles. It's farther out, kind of behind Fox Chapel in part, it extends a long way. You could be nearer the turnpike or a lot farther away from it adding more drive time to work, or less. The turnpike fee is currently 75 cents each way. There's another way to get to Murrysville which may be more direct and faster than the turnpike. Take Rt. 28 North and cross the Tarentum Bridge. You'd be driving away from rush hour traffic in morning and evening. Murrysville is big, 37 square miles, so after the bridge it depends where the job is located the next road you'd take.
Your kids would likely attend the elementary school you live nearest to.
I went to FR (Murrysville). Very good school system, ranks very highly in PSSA scores and has a great gifted program. It has also ranked as the best in PA. I suppose I'm biased, but I would live there. This is not to say that Fox Chapel and Hampton twp don't have great schools as well.
All 3 areas are your typical suburbia IMO. Murrysville's residents range from middle class to very rich. Hampton twp and Fox Chapel tend to be a step more wealthy (especially Fox Chapel). There are million dollar homes in Murrysville as well however.
The environment (in schools as well) will be essentially the same in any of those places - middle-upper class. Crime is very low in all areas. One thing about Murrysville is that while you will have to probably drive everywhere (as opposed to walking) in all 3 places, Murrysville is especially spread out.
Sports are big in all 3 schools, though sports tend to be big everywhere outside of the City of Pittsburgh in western PA (not to say no one participates in sports in Pittsburgh - it is just more of a factor the further you travel from Pittsburgh proper).
The diversity in all 3 is about the same: vast majority are white, with a sizeable asian (Indian and Chinese mostly) minority, but few from other races. If you aren't white, I can at least say that in Franklin Regional, people are pretty tolerant and your kids will be fine. I would assume the same is true in Fox Chapel and Hampton.
As for FR elementary schools, no one is better than the other IMO. I attended Sloan (the school about 2-3 miles away in the woods from all the other by the police station and library). I have great memories of that place. They have a creek in front of the school which is stocked with trout for fishing. It was not uncommon to go outside for science. Your kids will get a good education at all 3 though.
As for taxes, Hampton and Fox Chapel are both in Allegheny county, so are taxed higher. Murrysville is on the edge of Westmoreland county. The only tax I could tell ya about is sales tax, which is 7% in Allegheny and 6% in Westmoreland.
Where are you coming from? I could possibly give you more information if I know the area you're coming from.
I looked up a few listings in the three areas we're discussing and was surprised to see that Murrysville taxes are the same as Fox Chapel based on listed prices of $500,000 and $300,000. Hampton is 15%+ higher. Thirty years ago Murrysville taxes were 1/3 to 2/3 less than comparables in Allegheny County. Indiana Twp. are slightly lower.
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