As of August, 1999, I became a resident of Westhope, North Dakota. I am not here through the Witness Protection Program, and I am not trying to escape the police. I really did want to move here. Hopefully I can give some of the reasons why.
I see many people who never try anything new. They get stuck in their ways and it becomes hard for them to understand anything new or different. I knew I should move somewhere other than home. I did not want to stagnate in Coudersport.
As I grew up in Coudersport, I saw it changing in ways I didn't like. I've described these changes in my section on Coudersport. I knew I had to get away. I picked North Dakota because of a dream I'd had since elementary school. I've talked, as far back as I remember, of living somewhere far away. The state changed often -- from Maine, to Alaska, to even Nevada. However, in the back of my mind, there was always this fascination with the Great Plains, particularly North Dakota. I finally realized what I really wanted in College.
North Dakota is about as close to perfect as I can find. We rank well in terms of schools, numbers of intact families, crime rate, and so on. This state is wonderful. In fact, a recent survey ranked it as the 14th most liveable state.
About Westhope
Westhope lies in North-central North Dakota, about six miles south of Canada. It has a population of about five-hundred, but this is shrinking all the time. Shrinking population is a problem for the whole state. At one time we had 11 school districts in the county. Now we're down to 4, with more closings coming in the near future. It is widely believed that Westhope will be one of the last to close. Our kids would have a horribly long bus ride if we closed, and many already have a long ride.
The town itself contains a grocery store, a bar, two restaurants, bank, motel, flower shop, and the town paper. We also have two gas stations, one with a small hardware store in it. Main Street has many empty buildings.
Part of the problem is isolation. The nearest city is Minot, about 60 miles away, and it really isn't too big. The next nearest big city is Bismarck which is a terribly long drive. North Dakota is also suffering from some economic problems. We have not shared in the prosperity that the rest of the country is enjoying. This really hurts the small towns.
However, if you don't mind the isolation and can find (or bring) a job, I want to invite you to move here. Rural North Dakota NEEDS people.
Teaching in North Dakota
If you are a teacher, North Dakota is one of the best places to be. The kids are some of the best in the country. They consistently score at the top on standardized tests, particularly in math and science. Behavior isn't really a problem either. Teachers here rank very high on job satisfaction, and they stay in their jobs for a long time.
There are a few drawbacks. Teacher salaries in this state are among the lowest in the nation -- 49th out of 50 states. Teachers will also be working in old buildings with inadequate facilities. My science room is very well supplied, but everything is quite old and worn out. I also have some very old, very worn text books. There is also the danger that the school will shut down in the future.
Nevertheless, if I get depressed about this, I need only think about where I came from. Pennsylvania has one of the highest starting teacher salaries in the nation, but my experience teaching there was horrible. I student taught in an excellent school, but then, in the spring, I taught in a school with a lot of serious discipline problems. Had I taken a full time job there, the pay would have been quite good, but I would also have been in a bad mood all the time. Here I can go home cheerful almost every day. (It's not heaven, even here I have bad days).
Final Remarks
North Dakota is a wonderful place. There is a lot here that people don't even know exists. I'm happy to do without the tourism, but we do need people to move out here.
The weather is beautiful. Days are sunny and nice. I have yet to experience a real winter, but this is what I've been told:
After I've been through a winter, then I may have a different impression of the state, but I doubt it. The people here are wonderful, and that's the main reason I wanted to come here.
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