Also Relocating to OKC - family

We are also looking at relocating to OKC. We are coming for visit soon. I would be working in the Northern part of the city. We have 3 kids - 9,6, and 4. So, the schools are an important issue. I have been told to look at Edmond, Deer Creek, Mustang, and Piedmont. Am I missing any? We currently live in a town of 1,000!!! So, we are looking for the small town feel. Also, are there any small lakes located in those areas? Where we live now we have a small cabin on a small lake that our kids couldn%26#39;t live without! Thanks!!

Also Relocating to OKC - family

Welcome to OK! You will probably love Deer Creek schools/area since you want to maintain a small town feel. Deer Creek has a wonderful school system with all of the conveniences located within a short distance.

If you would like to live on a lake, there are a few choices.. there are some nice homes available on Ski Island and a few others .. if you would like to see them email me I%26#39;ll send them right over -no pressure .. since I have relocated from out of state, I know the stress of it all! karrie@churchillbrown.com I researched schools for months! I have some wonderful websites that let you compare test scores and every other statistic you might want to know.

At any rate, enjoy your visit and if your family enjoys the NBA you might be able to fit in a Hornet%26#39;s game at the Ford Center - that has been a really exciting thing to happen to OKC recently - hosting the Hornets ...

Also Relocating to OKC - family

Edmond is great and has a lake. We%26#39;ve been in the school system for several years now. The elementary schools have less classes per grade. I know some of the Deer Creek schools have 8 classes for just one grade and some friends of mine took their kids out because the school was just too big (Deer Creek).

I beg to differ with the last post about Deer Creek schools. If you will look at the test scores they rank in the top in the state. Perfect API at both grade schools this year. MS, just shy of perfect. Every school in the district is a No Child Left Behind School. The only reason there are some large classes is because the growth here is tremendous right now. What the district is experiencing is far more severe than what even Edmond schools went through years ago. With that said.....The classroom SIZE is still under 20 children per room. Something very important to the administration in DC. I personally know people with children in Edmond schools who have close to 30 in a room. We are a rapidly growing district and there is a reason for it. There is no perfect school experience, but there are a lot of happy people here and a lot have come from Edmond. HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with Edmond schools either. The district is MUCH larger. While DC still graduates classes around 200, Edmond is many times that size. If you are looking for ';small town feel';, I%26#39;d go with Piedmont, Mustang or DC. A little larger Edmond. Even larger, Putnam City. Oklahoma is full of good school districts. You just have to find the right fit for your family. Good luck and Welcome!

You don%26#39;t say what kind of commute you%26#39;re wanting. But if I was wanting a small-town feel and working in north OKC, I would think about living in Guthrie. Genuine small town with personality and charm. Only 20 miles up the interestate from Edmond, 35 from downtown OKC. Housing is sure to be a real bargain compared to anything in the Edmond area. Depends on exactly where you%26#39;ll be working, what kind of a drive you want, whether you want a real small town or the feel of a small town, whether you want your night life to consist of restuarants/concerts or children/DVDs, etc., etc.

My husband is a lineman so he will try to get a job with OGE who has requirements for living close to the city. We did come and visit and I did like Deer Creek and Piedmont areas. They seemed to have the small town feel we are used to. I was also very impressed with their school statistics and the smaller size. Edmond had some rural areas but we were a little scared of the HS graduating class sizes. Now if my husband can decide that Oklahoma can be as good as Nebraska we are here!!! I am sold!

You would probably like Deer Creek if you are in North OKC however, like Edmond, the demographics seems to lean toward the higher end of the economic pay scale. I have a friend that teaches in the school system and the kids are pretty priviledged. The kids seem to curve to the bright side of the academic scale. It is an excellent school system but if you like a more middle class type of environment you might want to keep the option of Piedmont open. If any of your children have learning disabilities I would choose a larger school system because they accomodate theses students better. My son has dyslexia (he is 15,9th grade) and we were in a smaller school system like Deer Creek, and they just could not meet his needs.He was the only student in his grade that went to learning lab thus he was excluded socially by the other kids. Like Deer Creek, this school system had a significantly higher number of the social upper class (you know the hootie-tootie types) We are in the Edmond schools and all 3 of my kids thrive there. It is large but this has not been a negative for us. (I grew up in a small town with a graduating class of 260.) I wish you many blessings with your move. (p.s. Mustang is a pretty large school system now.)

I think there are Hooty-tooty types anywhere you go and I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s fair to stereotype the whole DC area as such. Wasn%26#39;t that long ago I was defending Edmond because someone said the same thing about the community. I also think you would be surprised at the number of free lunches in the Deer Creek school system. Percentage wise, it%26#39;s probably about the same as Edmond. People forget how much farm land is out here and although neighborhoods are going in every day, there are still a lot of very rural homes here. DC is a total district of just over 2000 students in 5 schools. Complete opposite end of the spectrum from Edmond. Like I said before, nothing wrong with either place. Just depends on what you%26#39;re looking for.

I guess that settles it. Since we are debating Deer Creek and Edmond, then these are the two front runners for great schools. Piedmont is smaller. The education, I don%26#39;t know much about, but you can check it our on the report card section of the OK State Board of Edu. Piedmont will definitely give you the small town feel in the northern part of the city. It is nice and land is cheaper there if you want an acreage. Best wishes.

Thanks for all your replies. I am sure I will have more questions.

Ok, it is a done deal. We are moving to OKC. Thanks for all the posts. We have an offer in on a house in the Prairie Vale School in Deer Creek. Now I need to find day care, preschool, etc...Yikes!