My MIL and hubby went on a five-year campaign to convince me to move to Reno. One of their top ploys was that it "really doesn't ever snow in Reno." Having lived in Utah and dealt with the 4-5' dumps of snow and the 9 month winters, getting away from driving in the snow was definitely top of my list of appeals. MIL actually said, "We don't even have a shovel. If we do have a rare snowstorm, we just get a broom out and brush the snow off our driveway."
Another campaign pitch was that Reno's schools were fantastic. Being a Mommy of (then) one (with ideally more in the future), a good school system was also high on my priority list. "With tourism and casinos and no state tax, our schools are filled with money. Class sizes are small and the kids get the very best," MIL stated. She seemed so knowledgeable and self assured. After all, her own son had gone completely through K-12 right in Reno, and he's practically brilliant. I figured it must be true.
MIL should have been a politician. She's an excellent debater. And I trust hubby, apparently too much. And I feel so stupid now - I really should have done my research and really looked into all this. Because, after 4-1/2 years in Reno, I've since learned - and trust me, continue to remind MIL and hubby *all* the time - that they LIED TO ME. It snows in Reno. And our education system sucks ass. Not just ass, but hairy-haven't-bathed-in-a-week ass. It's really that bad.
Some facts:
In the 2010-2011 school year alone, school has been on a delayed start (read, starting at 11:00 instead of 9:00) four times and closed entirely one time because of SNOW. Yep, this non-existent white stuff that for whatever reason falls down like clockwork here in Reno. Where I've worked has let us out early four times (which really is sort of nice, but not when you've got a room full of teachers and have to kick them out three hours early which means they don't get their education credits they need). We've used the snowblower we brought with us from Utah at least five times. I've shoveled twice that many times. And hubby and MIL's response has been, "Well, it's not as much snow as Utah." True. But saying it "really doesn't snow" and "it's not as much snow" is not synonymous. It snows here. Check out this pic from work on Monday, the day after the first day of spring. That fluffy white stuff is called snow.
And there's only one snowplow for the freaking county. And they don't salt or sand. And the majority of drivers have never driven in snow (being California transplants) and they freak out. They drive too slow. They drive too aggressively. And it's like accident haven.
As far as our educational system? Our high-school dropout rate is 24% higher than the national average, being only a 50% chance of graduation for the entire state. In a state with 440,000 kids, 220,000 aren't expected to graduate. Wall Street ranked Nevada 50th in Educational Quality and Funding. Oh, and 78% of the people in our jails don't have a high school diploma, yet we spend 15% more on incarceration than any other state. So where in the hell did MIL get the whole "we have top schools" thing from? Again, nothing but LIES.
All that said, I have learned some things about Reno on my own:
* It's extremely family friendly with tons for those with kiddos to do.
* Most people are transplants, like me, and are therefore much more friendly than I'd been accustomed to. It's like we're all not in THE club, so we decided to create our own. I've had a much easier time making new friends in Reno than I have anywhere else.
* You like outside stuff? Yeah, we've got it - in plenitudes. From swimming in Tahoe to high desert hikes to kayaking on the Truckee, you'll find something up your alley. We can even walk across our street to the mouth of a canyon and either hike or snowshoe without having to drive.
* Reno was voted one of the top 22 greenest cities by USA Today. As the Green Meanie, this is important to me; eco-consciousness is everywhere here. That, and, as Green Meanie, it means job security 'cause these people take this granola stuff seriously.
* I grew up very close to my grandparents and watching our kids to the same with MIL and FIL is heartwarming indeed. Even if MIL does make me consider taking Zoloft or Xanax or something just to get through a conversation with her.
So what's a girl to do? Well, I avoid driving in the snow and consider it a good excuse to stay home, make a snowman with the kiddos, and drink hot cocoa. No need to drive in that crap. I employ myself in the field of education and take homework time in our house very seriously. I work with over 85 schools throughout the state and I swear they are the biggest group of dedicated and passionate teachers I've ever encountered so I trust my kids will be in good hands several times throughout their school careers. I enjoy doing stuff with my family and love the help my in-laws provide (and we provide to them). After all, "home" truly is where your heart is, which makes Reno the best home I could have.
