Looking for a waldorf school

[juliemia]

I am a single mom trying to start over.  My youngest will be in Kindergarten next year.  I would love to find a school with a great community.  i have a few things on my wishlist;

Liberal community

farmers markets

reasonable cost of living

sun more than not

I would love to find a small house on a piece of land.

Any ideas on where i could move?  I am currently in Ohio and not really enjoying the weather.

Thanks

julie

[appalachiamama]

Charlottesville, VA has a Waldorf school and a nice, liberal community.  We live in the SW part of VA and joke about moving there.    Otherwise, just check the AWSNA site and see where the schools are.
 

[WednesdayO]

Hi there. Emerson Waldorf School is in Chapel Hill, NC. People have moved from other states and territories to attend!

There's definitely a liberal community in this area. There are LOTS of farmers markets and CSAs etc. NC experiences all seasons, but overall we tend to have plenty of sun.

As far as reasonable cost of living goes, I think it's okay. You would probably need to live in a more rural area if you want to be close to the school, because Chapel Hill as a town has a high tax rate. It includes free bus lines and all that, and people swear by the public schools... BUT Considering you're interested in a Waldorf school, that wouldn't come into play. There are, however, areas nearby that are within a decent driving distance from the school that have a more reasonable cost of living. There's Hillsborough, Mebane, Efland, Durham... all near highways that make it a hop, skip, and jump. 

I'm partial to NC, because I was born and raised an hour or so east of here. I have to say though, that after living just outside northern VA, VA Beach, and at the GA/FL border this has been the best fit for us. I returned to college and went back to work full-time in order for our daughter to attend EWS. I can't imagine her anywhere else!

Feel free to ask more questions! Good luck!

[willfulmama]

I agree with WednesdayO 100%! My oldest son just got accepted to Emerson for the nursery program next fall and we couldn't be more excited. The school is wonderful and there's a great sense of community there.

There are also plenty of Waldorf-inspired home-based nursery programs as well and a strong homeschooling community, if you go that route. 

As WednesdayO pointed out, the cost of living in Chapel Hill is fairly high, there are surrounding areas that are more affordable and would offer more space--Hillsborough, Pittsboro and even parts of  Durham. 

Let us know where you decide!

[knittygritty]

Just throwing it out there as you already live in Ohio--have you looked at Cincinnati? They have an exceptional Waldorf school with a brand new campus. It's one of my dream schools! You wouldn't escape the weather, though! Other "dream schools" for me include Kimberton in PA, Green Meadow in NY, and Great Barrington in MA (not a great choice for low cost of living...).

I'll second the suggestion to look at the list of schools on AWSNA's website: http://www.whywaldorfworks.org

[copperfox]

And if you want more mountains than are in Chapel Hill, Asheville has Azalea Mountain School. Very liberal & many farmers markets. And unmatched beauty. 

[appalachiamama]

Originally Posted by copperfox 

And if you want more mountains than are in Chapel Hill, Asheville has Azalea Mountain School. Very liberal & many farmers markets. And unmatched beauty. 

Asheville surely is beautiful, about 2.5 hours from me.