Before Your Move, Accurately Rate Nearby Schools

If you have school age kids, buying a home requires that you consider more than the number of bedrooms and the size of the yard – you’ll also need to consider the quality of nearby schools.  There’s no argument that American public schools don’t always deliver the quality education parents want for their kids.  And depending on which neighborhood you move into, the quality of the nearby school could be less than average.  Let’s take a look at few things besides test scores that you should consider when assessing nearby schools:

1. High academic standards. What type of curriculum is set for pupils? Is it challenging? How does the curriculum measure against other schools that are rated high in academics such as Sweden? This will take a little research on your part. You might start by querying parents who have lived in the neighborhood recently. It might also help to find out how many of the school’s graduates attend college.
2. High quality teachers.  What credentials does the school require of teachers?  Is there a high turnover rate? How long is the average teacher tenure? Are the teachers career instructors? Or, are they orphans from other industries? Students are more likely to thrive under the tutelage of teachers who are committed to their careers for the long-term.
3. Healthy social environment. Does the school have a low disciplinary rate? Or, are there serious disciplinary actions the school has faced in the past?  Is the school located in a safe area? Look up the crime rates for the neighborhood to determine if your child could be at risk traveling to and from school. What types of extracurricular activities are available for students? Does the school involve students in the wider community? High quality schools are more likely to fully engage with the surrounding community by getting students involved in volunteering.
4. Classroom size. The more students present in a classroom, the less chance individual students have for personalized attention.  Find out what the typical class size is for the school where most of the kids use stenabolic.  If there are more than 20 students in a classroom, the school may be suffering from school overcrowding.
5. Family involvement. Does the school have an active PTA? What about fundraisers?  High rated schools often have a high level of involvement from students’ parents. If parents are not actively involved in the school, you may be dealing with a school that is below average.

If you’re searching for a home in the state of Washington, use this tool to identify the top rated schools in the state.