What are the PROS and CONS of living in Florida? Would you live there or move out..

[susy]

I am very surprised that everyone thinks the schools are that bad. Is it the school you child attends or is it just your general impression (or is it the media hype)? Please be specific. I am a preservice teacher in the masters program at Florida Atlantic University and am very happy with the school I am currently at for my inservice hours. I am a straight A student and I put 110% effort into everything I do. Yes, there are ineffective teachers. There are also ineffective parents. There are children who don't work up to their potential (my niece being one) and those who have learning disabilities. One of my preofessors (who is PHENOMENAL, by the way) is the reading specialist at an "F" school. I wonder if the parents know HOW LUCKY they are to have her. When you go looking for a school, go with your gut. They are reducing class sizes (limit of 24 students), but they desperately need teachers!!!!! I've also heard through the grapevine that teachers may NEED to have their masters degree soon. Every school needs volunteers. Get out there and be part of the solution!!!! Remember who will be in charge when we are all OLD!!

 

[legs22]

I just look at my niece who graduated with honors from high school and is now attending college with the goal of becoming a lawyer. She was in the public school system in south FL and she did great. My dd6 is in the public school system in a work place charter school and she is doing great. The one thing that concerned me with dd just starting school was the number of kids in some of the elementary schools. Some have over 1000 kids! Her charter has about 400.
A couple I know have kids in a private school. They are always stressed about money and struggle to pay the tuition. I think part of it is that having their kids in a private school is a status symbol. As a single parent without alimony and low amt. of child support, I don't have the money to put dd in a private school. I think it's more important to put the money towards my retirement. Some single parent friends of mine have their kids in private school but only because they are also getting paid a large amt. of alimony and a large amt of child support.
I think your kids would do fine in FL public schools.

 

[legs22]

CON- The weather in FL is very hot and humid in the summer
PRO- The weather in FL is absolutely gorgeous the rest of the year and it makes up for the hot summers. I was in NYC in early Feb. and I was so glad to get home to FL weather.

I think the land in FL is very flat, unattractive, and boring except in the Ocala and Talllahasse areas.

There's a lot of old people.

Very transient population. People come and go a lot.

From what I've heard Floridians are not as friendly as people in other parts of the country.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thanks legs! I was starting to get nervous. I really want my kids to attend public. They are VERY music and art focused and most private schools do not focus on that. (at least around here in Missouri)

Our elementary school here has close to 1000. It is more like 800 I think.

Still waiting for dh to talk with the boss...ugh.

 

[Feralpeg]

Susy, my opinion of the Florida school system does have a lot to do with what I've heard in the media. It is probably not fair to judge it that way. I am concerned because my DD is going from a school of 3500 students to one of 6000. I know that they are trying to build additional high schools, but they will not be done until after DD graduates. The area has just grown to fast for the school system to keep up.

I intend to get involved in DD's school. Up to this point, I've been a single working parent who had to put in a lot of overtime. I didn't have much time to volunteer. Since I've retired, that will change. I have a teaching degree. Although I don't want to teach fulltime, I would love to be involved on a partime basis.

Legs22, I also know people who struggle to put their kids in private school. The school their children attend is no better (actually, it is probably worse) than the public school my DD attended. There is nothing wrong with attending public schools. The parents must stay involved and know what their children are learning.

 

[arminnie]

Even if the schools in Florida are "not good" there are always exceptions.

I graduated from high school in Arkansas - decades ago. At the time the schools in Arkansas were pitiful. They ranked right at the bottom.

But guess what - my public high school was top notch. I went on to Tulane and Stanford and went to school with kids who had gone to some of the top private and public schools in the nation. Not a one of them had a better foundation than I did.

I was able to graduate in three years because of extra credits. My freshman calculus and physics were nothing compared to what I'd had in high school - it made my first year a breeze. A lot of my high school friends also graduated in three years.

So look hard and find the good schools. I'm sure there are plenty of them.

I retired and moved to back Arkansas from California two years ago. It's been great. A lot of people retire here from the mid-west. It's very reasonable to live here and I have tons of family. I'm a lot closer to WDW than I was in CA. I've even driven a couple of times but mostly I fly.

 

[susy]

Feralpeg,

I truly believe that a child's education is the PARENT'S responsibility, NOT the state's. My son is in a good "A" school , BUT whether or not he succeeds has more to do with me than with anything else. Parental involvement is paramount!Even if you never set foot on school property, you can still call the teacher once in a while (I do that and we have a great relationship). Help your child to develop good study habits and talk very posititvely about learning,education and school as often as possible. My son is six and already talks about what colleges he wants to go to. It's so cute. He loves and values education , because we do.

By the way, FL is awesome. I will never move. Have been here 27 years and still happy!

 

[*Fantasia*]

Wow lots of infos! This is great! Thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts. Wow...I didn't logged on just for one day and this thread was already burried in page 5!

::SIGH:: I wanna move, yet...I feel like I am messing up what I have now. My schedule at work is great. Taking off from work to take a vacation is not a big problem. My kids are in one of the great schools here. My parents are here, my in-laws are here. BUT...I AM JUST SICK AND TIRED OF WINTER!! I HAD ENOUGH!

I know my family is going to miss the kids and vice-versa. My kids are doing great in Catholic school. But I figure that if I can't find a good school in Orlando area, then I can always put them back in Catholic school. And we can visit the family maybe 2X a year and maybe I can fly my parents once a year to Florida.

I just hope that I am heading the right way...doing the right thing. But somehow...I feel like I'm being unfair to my children. They won't see their cousins and grandma/pa and aunts/uncle and their classmates. I feel like I am taking them away from the rest of the family.

The bad part is that my in-laws don't know yet that I am planning to move to Florida. This will just hurt them. But I don't wanna tell them yet cause it may not even come through. My parents know about it and I know they are sad and my dad things I am crazy.

ANY COMMENTS TO WHAT I POSTED HERE? AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING? I could almost hear you guys say "Only you know what is best for you and your family." I just want your opinion or your thoughts on this one. Thank you guys.

Telly

 

[snoopy]

Hmmmm, well, this is a tough one, Fantasia. I know you just lost your husband, how long ago was that? Are you moving to Florida to get away from the happy memories that you two shared together where you live now? Or do you feel you need to start a new life without him somewhere else in order to move on with your life? Or is this just as simple as wanting to enjoy warm weather all year long? I think you need to look deep down inside yourself and decide what is best for you first, because your children are young and they need you to guide them.

The only thing I would caution you about is leaving your support system. If your family and ILs are where you are now, then you are smart to consider what impact that will have on your children. Whether that impact is less than the rewards they might reap from moving away, I can't answer that question.

I can offer you huge {{{hugs}}} and tell you how brave I think you are. I am going to pray that you make the right decision for your family.

 

[jkovick]

I live in MI too, so I can totally understand you being SICK of winter. DH & I talk about moving to FL every winter. On the other hand MI in summer is gorgeous! I think the hardest thing for me would be to move away from my family because we are extremely close. ( I have really enjoyed this thread and it has given me a lot to think about. ) Good Luck to you!

 

[*Fantasia*]

Thank you Jen and thank you Snoopy.

Snoopy, it has been 2 years since he passed away. I don't think I am trying to forget the memories cause it will always be there no matter where I am at. I think maybe I just want to start fresh. I am trying to figure out myself what is good for me and the kids. Everything you said made a lot of sense. To start with, I never liked living here in Michigan. I am here cause we came here when I was little so I grew up here.

To me, Michigan is boring. There is nothing to do here and it is always overcast during winter and even fall. It is so gloomy here during winter and sometimes it is bringing me down. And this cold weather is not helping, though I know spring is around the corner, but winter wil always come back, year after year after year. And I am just tired of winter.

Yep, my concerns are my children, I don't know how well they are going to be when they are far from the family. My life is definitely not stable yet, I mean as far as what I really want to do with my life, with my family. As far as how well I am coping with our lost, I am doing much better. I have started to move on. I am better now. I know my family will always be there to support me if needed. And I am very greatful for them for being there for me. And now that I am thinking of moving, I feel like I am turning my back on them, even though that is not my intention.

Snoopy...THANK YOU!! {{{{HUGZ}}}} back at ya!

BRB...I gotta pick up the kids from school.

 

[snoopy]

Fantasia, from what you just said, I think you are in a good place. Moving to Florida may be just the ticket you need in order to start fresh. I can understand your feeling guilt over leaving your family, but its your life, not their lives that you have to lead. You'll regret it if you make a decision based on what they want, rather than what you want.

It sounds as though you have been offered some good advice from those in the know. There are quite a few people that I know from here that have moved from their hometowns to start a new life in Florida, so I am going to help keep this bumped so you can get as much input as possible.

I know nothing about Florida other than I like WDW , but I think it can only be a GOOD thing to have sunshine 12 months of the year. I wish you much luck with your decision. Please keep us posted.

 

[legs22]

I am a single parent and my mom and sister live 2 hrs away from me. It is very hard to be a single parent without any family living near you in the same town/area. They are fairly close, within driving distance, and at least not out of state but it is not the same as living near them. I am thinking about moving there. DD6 misses playing with her cousins. I miss the support.
You are moving a long ways away from your support system. I would think twice about that. It would be too far for me.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Fantasia,
My mom and I moved to Florida after my 9th grade year in high school, so I was much older than your kiddos. However, I really missed my family. My dad had passed away a couple years earlier and then my mom plucked me away from most of the people I loved. I was mad, and I continue to have a problem with it (many, many years later). I do not have a real close relationship with any of my family now. We were once an inseparable big family (both sides would often get together for one big family affair), now we basically only exchange Christmas cards. I feel cheated. And while I know I can help improve my relationship with my family, I feel like we are so grown apart now. Please, please think about the effect it will have on your kids. Visiting twice a year in not the same.

 

[Galahad]

Have lived in Florida.

Pros:

Weather
Proximity to Disney and other Leisure Spots
Good Airports
Generally low cost of housing
No state income tax, but that is offset by other expenses so it's a wash

Cons:

Schools
Economy not too diverse (call centers, tourism, low level service work mostly).
Congestion
Crime
Generally lower wage base

 

[Feralpeg]

Fantasia, I totally understand your desire to move to Florida. I am moving there myself. My situation, however, is very different from yours. I am retired. My DD is almost 16. My sister is moving as well. She will only be one block away. Moving away from all your family may prove a real hardship. Sometimes, the winter gloom just gets to us. If you're unsure, maybe you should wait until spring and see if you feel the same way once the winter gloom departs. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

 

[Galahad]

maybe you should wait until spring

Yes. Definitely go house hunting in July, not November.

 

[DMickey28]

I just moved from MA to IN and we are already discussing the next move, should it work that way.

Indiana is a long way from Massachusetts. The cost of living is so low compared to outside of Boston and the Cape. We like the developments and the housing structure. From what I remember Florida is similar.... we like having new shopping malls and plaza's with evertyhign we need just a stone's throw away... we are surrounded by farms but the Best Buy and Kroger are minutes away.

We would like to move to Florida someday. Will research the schools, but I also believe that a child's success in school is more reflective on the parent than the school system. Our family is neither in IN or FL so that isnt' an issue. It's amazing how different the weather is here from MA though. It seriously is cloudy all the time.... depressing. I am interested in seeing what the summer is like!

 

[Wendy_Darling_2001]

Hi Telly!

I am a rare native Floridian - I live in Northeast Florida.

For the most part I love it. I love the weather (haven't had a hurricane here in about 40 years knock on wood). Yes it is true that we do not have fall colors. But I am sitting here right now on my balcony in shorts! And I am 5 minutes to the beach and 2 hours to WDW. Just as someone would vacation here for the warm weather and beach and WDW, I vacation in the mountains for the nature and weather and seasons. But I prefer living here.

As for the schools, I do not have children yet but I went through both Catholic schools and public schools and a state university and I think I got a great education.

Yes, it is congested. The neighborhoods in my city are pretty different from ones I have visited in northern states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania - many lack character. Lots of subdivisions.

My fiance grew in in the suburbs on Ohio but has been here for 15 years now. He enjoys everything he can do here year round - the fishing, golfing, boating, etc. but still thinks he liked "living" there better. I know that sounds confusing - I can't think of better words. Just wanted to give you his opinion as well.

Employment opportunities are pretty good in my area, in my opinion.

If you have any questions at all, I would be gald to answer them. Feel free to email me or PM.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[taylor1293]

Having just been here almost 4 short weeks, I'd like to give my input!

Weather

Pro - The weather is fantastic. I'm in shorts all of the time, and I love the fact that I haven't seen my coat since we've moved here.

Con - I've been here in the summer, so I do know what to expect for the weather and I'm dreading it. But after being here this past month, it's worth suffering those few months to get these beautiful months!


Schools

Pro - I'll have to get back to you on this one.

Con - Overcrowded. we are in an "A" school, one of the best in the area (blah blah blah). Her school holds 800, they have 1000. There isn't even enough text books for everyone.

we were in private school in Illinois, but the cost there was 1500 (chuch supported school). I just received the info from her potential future school today. They want 3,800 plus 400 registration fee! And that is if we join the church!



The cost of living is not lower down here than where I was from in Illinois. Yet, the pay is definitely lower.

On the bright side, there is no state income tax. But the insurance premiums made up for that. Our renters insurance doubled and our auto insurance went up by 40%! Insane!

Housing is reasonable down here and apartments/homes are plentiful.

Bugs. I have to admit, this was a HUGE issue for me. I had images of giant roaches crawling on my wall, lol. I know it isn't the "hot" weather yet, but I have yet to see one big bug. I do see lots of lizards though, and they are so cute!

Will you have any family here? I don't know if I could have done it alone. My parents are planning to join us here this summer.

Another plus are the passes! We just bought Fl resident seasonal annual passes for Disney and annual passes to Universal. We haven't used them yet, but plan to often .

Overall, I am happy we made the move. And I don't ever see us moving back up North!

If you have any questions feel free to PM me .

Teresa