As Kary notes, "good schools" is open to many interpretations. In addition to sites such as greatschools and schooldigger, you might want to check out the Seattle Time's School Guide at
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/schoolguide/ This site is based heavily on the Washington State Report Card, which has all the nitty gritty details here >
http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/summary.aspx?year=2008-09.
Mary's comments on family activities is good too--afterschool activities and sports facilities might factor into some of your "commute" needs too (they do fo us!) Since you're coming from a small town, "reasonable commute" might have a different meaning to you and your husband, especially if he works classic 8-5 hours. Certain commute patterns work much better than others. Ask people you know here, or perhaps people at your husband's company. Or let us know more of these and we can offer more suggestions.
- Mon Oct 12 2009, 08:13