Moving to Windsor CO, need advice please! (Denver, Colorado Springs: crime, house) - Fort Collins area - City-Data Forum

cyn2222 · 10-14-2006, 11:36 AM

Hi. We were just out in the Ft. Collins/Windsor area earlier this week and we are about to put a deposit on a lot in a new development. The problem is the elemenatry school that the neighborhood feeds into is in Loveland, and is not a very good school. In fact, it is over 13 miles away from the neighborhood. The Windsor schools are 6 miles closer, but in a different district. They are better schools as well.

I spoke to the principal of one of the Windsor schools and he said I could apply through open-enrollment, but there is no guarantee that my children will get in. We love the area and feel that it would be a much better place to raise our girls (7 & 4) than here in Phoenix, AZ.

We are hesistant to place the deposit because of the school situation. Has anyone been through this experience before? I would welcome any comments as well. Thank you for reading my post.

ncrea · 10-14-2006, 03:27 PM

Hi cyn2222,

I would disagree with your statement concerning Loveland schools. Both Loveland and Fort Collins are near the top in the state regarding state scores, ahead of Windsor.

I know that schools in Loveland and Fort Collins are school of choice as well. My wife teaches in Loveland and has for 20+ years. She teaches kindergarten and hasn't turned away a student yet from outside the schools boundary lines. I'm curious to find out which neighborhood you're thinking about and what school in Loveland is not up to standard.

I have lived in the Loveland/Ft. Collins area for 40+ years, with one child having gone through the Loveland school system with excellent results, and graduated from CCU in 3.5 years, and two more in high school who have done very well.

The neighborhood you are looking at must be in Larimer County, which means Loveland or Fort Collins schools. I have a friend who lives in Greeley very near the Northridge High school, but whose daughter goes to Windsor High School. It's just the way the boundaries are.

tasha2389 · 01-07-2007, 10:54 PM

Hello. I just read your plea for advice on moving to Windsor back in October. I am curious to know what you ended up doing. I live in Gilbert, AZ and I am researching Loveland, Greeley, and Fort Collins because I would like to relocate my family to Larimer County. My Husband is from the Denver area so we have visited his family several times. In our last trip we went to Estes Park and I loved our drive and fell in love with the country. I have a lot of the same questions that you had when you were about to make the big move. I need to know if the schools are good, what towns are clean, and which one has the most to offer a family with very young children. Right now the only Information Technology jobs are in Greeley, but I would rather live in Loveland. I wonder what a commute like this would be like especially this time of year.

ncrea · 01-15-2007, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasha2389

Right now the only Information Technology jobs are in Greeley, but I would rather live in Loveland. I wonder what a commute like this would be like especially this time of year.

Tasha,

The commute to Greeley from Loveland is anywhere from 30-40 minutes, depending on start/end locations. You would be much better off living in Larimer County and commuting to Greeley, based on other's comments on this forum pertaining to Greeley.

cyn2222 · 01-28-2007, 11:31 PM

Tasha,

We have decided to move to Windsor and we have put a deposit on a lot in a new subdivision. We are planning to put our home in Phoenix on the market by mid February. If all goes well, we would like to move by late May.

We use to live about 30 miles west of Colorado Springs. We need to be closer to a major airport, so that is why we have chosen the Windsor/Ft. Collins area. It is far enough from Denver that it has that rural feeling, but you can see that it is going to grow and we hope it will be a good investment. We plan on being there for quite some time. Windsor appears to be a relatively safe area and the Windsor schools range from excellent to average.

I did a lot of searching on the internet and a lot of soul searching, as well. I just plain miss living in Colorado, regardless of the bad winters. The summers are what I miss the most.

Take care,

Cynthia

damusic · 03-02-2007, 09:17 AM

can you tell me more about the elementary, junior high schools in Windsor and your feeling about them? If you know...thanks, Denise

mrfoxy58 · 03-04-2007, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasha2389

Hello. I just read your plea for advice on moving to Windsor back in October. I am curious to know what you ended up doing. I live in Gilbert, AZ and I am researching Loveland, Greeley, and Fort Collins because I would like to relocate my family to Larimer County. My Husband is from the Denver area so we have visited his family several times. In our last trip we went to Estes Park and I loved our drive and fell in love with the country. I have a lot of the same questions that you had when you were about to make the big move. I need to know if the schools are good, what towns are clean, and which one has the most to offer a family with very young children. Right now the only Information Technology jobs are in Greeley, but I would rather live in Loveland. I wonder what a commute like this would be like especially this time of year.

West Greeley has new sub-divisions cropping up along US 34. Windsor is a nice town, but water is very expensive. Cannot go wrong with Windsor. Other small towns east of I-25 such as Eaton, Severance and Tinmath are all worth looking into. Personally i dont care for Loveland that much...the name and the fact you are closer to the mountains is what draws folks there. Ft Collins is nice, but traffic can be tough on the weekends and evening hours.

I would say raising a family east of I-25 (or Wellington) is the best place to do it..especially considering the home prices are somewhat lower too.

Commute time on US 34 would be a probelm i think on the west side of I-25. Greeley side its okay.

Good luck. I moved from Windsor to Tucson then Ahwatukee. I dont like Arizona (the big cities at least). Plus the summers are long and brutal, too many young people in the Valley for me, traffic very dangerous, no weather which i think is boring.

cyn2222 · 03-05-2007, 09:41 PM

Mr. Foxy and Denise,

Mr. Foxy: I couldn't believe it when I read that you live in Ahwatukee. That is where we currently live! We just put our house on the market and hope to move by end of May. I agree with you, the summers are suffocating and I can't wait to live in CO again where I can open my windows during the summer. How long did you live in Windsor? What did you like/dislike about living there? We use to live west of Colo. Sprgs in the mountains at about 9500ft, so Windsor should be a piece of cake (as far as the winters go).

Denise: Colorado has a school report web site called, "School Accountability". Try the link: www.reportcard.cde.state.co.us (broken link) and see if that gets you there. Most of the Windsor schools rated very well and I like the idea of my kids going to small town schools. They have a charter school as well, but it is very hard to get into. If you have any other questions, let me know.

Cynthia

mrfoxy58 · 03-19-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyn2222

Mr. Foxy and Denise,

Mr. Foxy: I couldn't believe it when I read that you live in Ahwatukee. That is where we currently live! We just put our house on the market and hope to move by end of May. I agree with you, the summers are suffocating and I can't wait to live in CO again where I can open my windows during the summer. How long did you live in Windsor? What did you like/dislike about living there? We use to live west of Colo. Sprgs in the mountains at about 9500ft, so Windsor should be a piece of cake (as far as the winters go).

Denise: Colorado has a school report web site called, "School Accountability". Try the link: www.reportcard.cde.state.co.us (broken link) and see if that gets you there. Most of the Windsor schools rated very well and I like the idea of my kids going to small town schools. They have a charter school as well, but it is very hard to get into. If you have any other questions, let me know.

Cynthia

I liked Windsor a lot. Small rural town, has a big lake in center of town. Very quiet and crime free. no traffic. only bad things might be that you have to go to Loveland/Ft Collins/Greeley for better selection of restaurants, shopping, etc. But its only about 6 - 8 miles in either direction.

water is VERY expensive in the growing months.

I lived in Colo Spgs for 9 years as well. Northern Colorado is the best in my opinion (on the front range anyway).

good luck in Windsor !! i may end up back there eventually.

veekasaurus · 03-19-2007, 08:54 PM

School of choice question - how exactly does that work? I'm trying to find it on google, but no luck yet. I'm in Seattle & in the city limits, we are guaranteed to get my son into the school that is closest to us. If we want another school, we have to apply and if there is room, he may get in. Just wondering how it works in Fort Collins & the surrounding areas. Thanks much