When purchasing a home, if you have children, a good school district is a must. When selling your home a good school district can be a positive selling point. Therefore, school district issues must be considered whether you’re a seller or buyer.
School Districts
Bear in mind that everyone is looking for “good” school districts. Since “good” school districts mean different things to different people, you need to know what to look for in the school district you’re considering. A truly good school district, to a buyer, means the best education around. To a real estate agent, it may mean something entirely different.
When evaluating potential school districts, you’ll want to consider the facts and not opinions. Opinions are just that, and sometimes, depending on whom you ask, you may not get the whole picture.
The Facts
You can get to the bottom of the quality of a school district by taking a look at the cold hard facts. Issues you should be concerned with include the following topics:
1. Ask about the student to teacher ratio.
2. Does the district lean towards a particular teaching style?
3. Ask about the teacher’s experience?
4. Is there a large turnover rate for teacher?
5. What about the dropout rate?
6. Do a large percentage of graduates go to college?
7. Does the school have a history of violence?
8. Are there any gangs at the school?
9. Are extra-curricular activities offered such as sports, music, etc.?
10. Ask about the average SAT scores for students.
Of course, this list of questions isn’t the litmus test of whether a school district is good or bad. You’ll want to think about your own personal views on education. Customize these questions based on what you want in an education for your children. Stick with it until all of your questions are answered.
If you have children, evaluating potential school districts is a key factor in purchasing a home. Make sure you get the facts – not just opinions of interested people like the seller or a real estate agent.
I’d be happy to let you know who our local school districts are. You can contact them yourself to see if this area has a school district that you’d like to see your children