Congrats to DH on getting a job offer in Salem. You are certainly moving here from a beautiful city... I've seen pictures of the Pearl Street (?) Mall, and it's a city I'd love to visit someday.
I live in Londonderry, and while I don't believe they have a pullout program in the schools at this time, I can tell you that they are one of the highest rated schools in the state. Here is a list of their elementary programs:
Londonderry School District | Assistant Superintendent's Office | Special Curriculum | Elementary Programs (http://www.londonderry.org/specCurr/elementary.cfm - broken link)
This
(
http://www.londonderry.org/assets/do...hs_profile.pdf) may also help with some of your questions.
Not sure if it's important to you, but Londonderry also has an excellent music program (
Home - Londonderry NH Friends of Music - FOM - Home of the Londonderry High School Marching Lancers), and instruction in the strings program (viola, etc) begins in elementary school. Also, there is a public kindergarten (
Moose Hill School | General Information (http://www.londonderry.org/moose/general.cfm - broken link)), garden (
Moose Hill School | General Information (http://www.londonderry.org/moose/general.cfm - broken link))
I'll get and post some more info on schools, and get back to you, certainly before your trip. My daughter participated in the JET (Journeys in Expanded Thinking) program when we lived in the St. Louis, MO area from 2nd through 4th grade, then was selected for the Academic Bowl when we came back to New England. However, she was "over it" by middle school. My youngest is a different story, and is one who struggles to make passing grades. And the nice thing about Londonderry is that they are balanced in their educational programs--AP classes at one end of the spectrum, and various services for the other end.
It's a good idea to rent awhile, to get the general feeling of the area. Each town has its own "vibe" that is well-known to area residents, and it will be interesting to see what you think of Southern NH, especially coming from a place like Boulder with that great downtown... However 4-bedroom rentals are not easily available, and that search should begin quickly.
While not "urban" by any stretch of the imagination, Salem is much more congested with condominiums that resemble big boxes, lots (LOTS) of big-box stores along the main shopping strip, and a more diverse population in general. A high population means there are several elementary schools in town, some are more highly regarded than others. A roadmap of Salem's educational programs can be found here:
2006 Salem School District Curriculum Maps -Math (http://www.salemschooldistrictnh.com/curriculum/ - broken link) I personally know at least 1 Londonderry resident who has chosen to send their children to Salem High School because of the "block-style classes" (4 class periods per day vs 8 <including lunch> at Londonderry). This worked best for their children's particular learning style.
Windham is considered to be a somewhat more "exclusive" town. Of the three towns, Windham probably has the most number of million-dollar properties and very high-end neighborhoods. Windham high school students were bussed to Salem High School until this past year. Being a brand new school, I've heard that they're not quite up to snuff, but I'm sure as the years go by, more and better programs will be added, as the residents will accept nothing less...
Hope this is helpful
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