How important is it to live in a great school district?

Parent Cafe
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<p>You definitely have to know the school and as many of you point out, the child, too. It goes without saying that there are many schools that do lousy by the numbers but still have top notch magnet, honors or IB programs, or just a critical mass of education minded students and good teachers. I went to a school like that and our program had as many successful graduates as any top public or prep school. </p>

<p>Some kids DO get frustrated in a very competitive environment and might do better elsewhere. Our district is considered one of the top publics in the state, but for whatever reason ( I think it’s because there is also the option of selective privates around here) there has not been the kind of overt pressure and competition that you see in other top school districts. I do know some people who put their kids in the smaller, more nurturing privates for various reasons (learning differences, personality fit) or who supplemented with tutoring in lieu of private school, but of course not everyone can do that. The public schools around here really do try to support students of all ability levels. Our extensive resources in the arts, music and other programs are a plus for many of these kids as well.</p>

<p>The bottom line is it’s more than a numbers game.</p>

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<p>MomLive, like posts #53 and #60.</p>

<p>botw, the side roads have much to offer. Life is made up of the journey, not just an end point.</p>

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<p>IMO, that is very much the point. You have to understand the needs of your particular child (and family) in order to have a good experience. My son did very well at his prep school and it was a good fit for him because he likes academic rigor but there were kids there that really struggled to get Bs and often times their parents were very frustrated with those kids because they didn’t feel the kids were putting in the appropriate level of effort. Rather than evaluating whether the school was a good fit for their child, they blamed the child, the school and everyone else. One of my closest friends did this with two of her children and all it really did was put a lot of stress on the kids and pretty much ruined the parent-child relationship. The most important thing in my book is fit - if your child is thriving, happy and is putting forth a decent effort - then he/she is in a good place. If they are unhappy or it’s a constant battle, then it’s probably not the right place for that particular child.</p>

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<p>I would also take a look at how fiscally sound the district is and has been in the past. I live in a very good to excellent high school district but there are others surrounding it which would be considered ‘tops’. However, our district relies upon the state for a much lower percentage of their budget so when the state had finacial problems our district was not affected. Others around us had to halt construction projects, lay off teachers, increase class sizes and cut programs - ours did not. Our school is large - close to 4000 students.<br>
Talk to parents, if you can, who have high stat students as well as those who need special services - you never know what your children’s needs will be.</p>

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<p>I’m amazed with some preschools and the things they teach. I never went to preschool so I am not too familiar with it but I know my cousins son is 4. He’s been in preschool for two years and can read. I don’t think he could read big long words like relationship but anything shorter then like five or six letters he can sound out. At Christmas (which was when he was about 4 years and 4 months) he read everything off his gift boxes to us “train set” “four piece cars” etc. “hat and tie” I was amazed! you could hear him sounding everything out if he didn’t recognize the word.</p>

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<p>In my opinion…one of the key things parents should do in their schools is become INVOLVED in the school in some way. I’m not a PTO type…not my style…but I was the chair for the Music Parents for seven years. I also attended school board meetings regularly and have sat on several committees as a parent representative. It’s good to KNOW what is going on in your school system. Even the best school systems make decisions to add and delete courses of study. We found that our school welcomed parents as volunteers and that there really was something for everyone.</p>

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<p>I apologize if this has been covered as I haven’t read the whole thread but one of the hallmarks of a great school system, in my opinion, is it’s ability to differentiate the instruction for each child in a way that meets that child’s needs. It shouldn’t, ideally, be a matter of whether the school is academically challenging or not, but rather a matter of how the material is delivered. It’s the job of the school to meet each child where they are and raise them up. That would, of course, be about public schools, more so than private.</p>

<p>I agree with those that suggest that a quality school system should be one of your top priorities when deciding where to live. Especially if you plan to buy a home as the resale value will be impacted greatly by the reputation of the schools.</p>

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<p>Most families buy into the best school district they can afford when it comes to housing and kids. This way, there are no additional costs for tuition during k-12 years if the public school district is utilized. If the family is buying a house, there is definite added value to being in a school district with a good reputation. In our area, there are many homes, side by side but in two different school districts, and the value of the one in the better district is always much more valuable, all attributes equal and will tend to sell much more quickly. Also if a good education is part of your family values, you will be with other with the same philosophy. These areas tend to be the “good” parts of town every and anywhere. </p>

<p>However, sometimes a good school district may not be a good fit for a given child. That being the case, it’s easier to move out of desirable school district than one without a good rep. The problem is that moving is a big deal thing, not to do at the drop of ones hat. Also since better school districts tend to cost more, if you aim too high in costs in buying a house in one, it’s easier to get into trouble financially. And if you bought a house, it’s not simple to just leave it. You can also have several kids and some doing well in the district and others who are not. If you have leeway in your budget in living in a not so great district, it’s a bit easier to find a private option for those kids who don’t fit well in the public schools. If you are up to the whazoo in terms of budget and you have a kid who isn’t a good fit for the public school, you can’t afford to send him to a private option. </p>

<p>Also, your kids might not be the top kids in a top school district. I know a family who lived in a mediocre district when they could have moved after the first kid. But their kids were officers in Student Council, played varsity sports, got the top roles in the plays, were in the honors courses whereas the “hot” school district had so many kids competing for everything, that getting such plums were not easy pickings. The parents supplemented some of the academic experiences during the summer but let them really enjoy their school years at a school where things were more relaxed and there wasn’t a fight for every position. There is something to be said about that kind of experience. </p>

<p>I put mine in expensive private schools because they would not get to take the AP courses, do music and sports at our very good school district. I picked schools where all kids got those opportunities instead of having to compete for those spots. And you know what? They did just fine in them and learned high level material which was a big boon to them and me. Not in the public schools here would this have happened. Doesn’t do you any good to have all sorts of goodies in your schools when your kid can’t partake. Also do bear in mind that a B in top school does not always an A in a not top school make. There is a lot more to it than that. There are a number of kids in rigorous schools with steep grading curves that would have done better in terms of gpa and therefore, merit scholarship, honors college and some admissions opportunities particularly at formula state schools if they did not go to such top schools.</p>

<p>So until you know what you have in terms of a child and the fit even for k-12 schools, it’s not that easy to pick the perfect place. You do the best you can. Also bear in mind, if you are in flux about where to move, that having a good local college choice, preferably choices, can really make a difference if you are going to be on a tight budget. To live in an area where there is just one community college that isn’t so hot can be an issue. Federal funds for students, themselves to borrow (Staffords) make it possible for most all kids to go to local public options even if family funds can’t pay for college. But just like the k-12 schools, you are stuck with what is within commuting distance of where you live.</p>

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<p>Keep in mind that some of us live in areas/regions either without private school K-12 options, or even if these existed, would not be able to afford them no matter what.</p>

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<p>We all do the best with what we have and must live with the decisions we make as far as where we hang our hat. As I said, we had a good district with a good reputation. There were better districts and we could have moved, but that would have forced the Mrs. to work when we did not want others bringing up our children. We consciously made that decision which is why we stayed where we were and they turned out fine. Although I was working many hours my wife was able to be there for them all the time which definitely paid off in the end. You don’t have children yet, but as many here can tell you it goes very quickly and before you know it they are out of the house so make your decisions wisely as you only get one shot at bringing them up.</p>

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<p>The area that I live in has an amazing school district we have top public schools in the state and highest sat scores in the state. Everyone that lives here or moves here has kids because the school district is a major factor. The property taxes are very high in this district but people are willing to pay that extra money for their children to get a good education where everyone ends up attending a four year university that is at least in the top 100.</p>

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<p>The bottom line is that it may be worth paying more to live in a “better” district. To get a feel for the variables in your area, talk to as many other parents with older kids as you can. Their feedback will help you understand the local variables better. You can only learn so much from stats on paper.</p>

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<p>I work in a school district that has 50% of students on free lunch and under 25% of the kids attend a 4 year college at graduation. We are isolated so there are few alternatives. What I can tell you is that the parents of the top kids demand they their children are appropriately educated. We have plenty of AP classes with lots of kids passing the AP exams. Our graduates get into top universities, although the IVY league is not very common (yet some are accepted).</p>

<p>The advantage I see is that the top kids basically get a private education. Honors and AP classes are scheduled with the students in mind and do not overlap. The top kids only take classes with each other and therefor get the rigor they need. They are very involved in student government, clubs, newspaper, you name it. Most of them are able to hold a leadership role in something and all participate in peer tutoring. Teachers know all of these kids personally and getting letters of recommendation for college is never an issue.
The only problem is if you have a child that is on the fence with academics. If that is the case there are plenty of kids around to take them down. With involved parents, however, I have rarely seen this happen. </p>

<p>The number one thing I would check is the types of universities the graduating seniors are getting into. I would also make sure that the district had a neighborhood elementary school that has a good reputation. That is where you’ll meet the other involved parents and where your child will make the majority of their long term friends.</p>

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<p>mtnmomma, that is what it is like where we live. Also, the elem school was terrific. As my students are high achievers, they had the kind of experience you mention. Our kids also had very enriching extracurricular lives, including their summers. They also had various accommodations in middle and high school to meet their needs. We also were very involved parents.</p>

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<p>I believe that where you live and where you send your kids to be educated depends on your family values. And every family values different things. For me and my H, our values included diversity (economic and racial), bilingual options, supportive and stable community (meaning that people stayed put - not transient), small schools, gifted and talented options, and parent involvement. We ended up in what they call “inner-ring” suburban district. Our schools are good (for Title I) - but not hyper-competitive. I love the support each child receives to succeed. Our “star” football player’s father was sent to prison in the middle of his senior football season and the school rallied around the family and boy. Now he has received a scholarship to play ball for a good state school and we are raising money to furnish his dorm room, etc. My kids are very proud to have graduated from this school (even though kids from other suburban schools taunt them for being in the “ghetto”).</p>

<p>My advice to the OP: determine what you and your spouse value as a family and then choose the school district that best fits those values.</p>

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<p>megpmom–we also brought up our kids in an inner ring suburb, for many of the same reasons–diversity–economic and racial, local family supportiveness, sense of community. In addition to our kids getting a good enough education to continue to good colleges, they had a wonderful, diverse cohort of friends who valued academic education, and they also are comfortable with people who follow different life paths–kids who become pipefitters, or join the armed forces, or police officers, or cooks, or lawn-service owners, etc etc. They dont have a sense of “my people” and “other people” because they grew up in such a diverse group of people. This was, for us, an important part of the kind of life education we value.</p>

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<p>I’ll chime in that I am glad my kids had a similar sort of experience. We unfortunately don’t have racial diversity here though (rural Vermont). Though that was lacking, we have plenty of socio-economic diversity and I’m glad my kids had that atmosphere in their community and school. At college, they met a much more racially diverse group which has been great too. Once in college, they also mixed with far more wealthier kids than they had in their home community, as well as kids who went to prep schools and such. But the sum total of all this has been beneficial. I think their home community background was a good footing for going out into the world. Agree with garland that there was no sense of my people and other people because they mixed with kids at school who were from very varied backgrounds and going onto quite varied lives after high school, often quite different than what my own kids went on to do. It was a good grounding, we think.</p>

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<p>The one downside we experienced with a private prep school is the lack of diversity - economic and racial. We felt we had no choice because the ‘best’ public schools around here are still below the national average and quality of education was the most important thing to us. </p>

<p>Fortunately, son was very much against going to any college that had similar demographics to his prep school (upper middle class to wealthy) and choose to attend the Honors College at our state flagship where he has met a wide variety of students from all sorts of backgrounds. Sometimes you can have it all but not all at once.</p>

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<p>We chose public school for our S precisely because we valued what soozie and garland are talking about. I did not want my S to feel that he was part of “the right people” set apart from and better than “the other people.” </p>

<p>Again like soozie, we are very fortunate to be in small town Northern New England. Our town has very expensive oceanfront estates and it also has modest post-war housing tracts at very starter price levels. There is only one elementary, one middle and one high school. So the children of the wealthy, of attorneys and physicians, of farmers and fishermen, of carpenters and telephone linesmen… all go to the same school. </p>

<p>The commonality (at least one of them) is that everyone in the town values education highly, as it is known for its school system. We are so lucky that people of all means can choose this town, and not be priced out of it. In my experience, this is highly unusual. Most suburbs are much more stratified socio-economically in larger metro areas.</p>

<p>It gives us the luxury of being able to choose public schools and get top quality education plus socio-economic diversity (only a tiny bit of racial diversity as with soozie). But not everyone has that luxury. I’m sure we would have chosen private schools if need be, or a different public school district… which involved more trade-offs if we didn’t have this particular option. I don’t for a minute think that parents who choose prep schools for their kids, or top public schools in homogenous socio-economic areas, are necessarily elitist in any way. Just trying to make the best choice and right trade-offs.</p>

<p>So when I say that living in a great school district is important - it was for us. But there is more than one way to raise and educate a great kid.</p>

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<p>We purchased a house right before we married. And we wanted to live in either of the two best school districts in our county. Our realtor probably thought we were a couple of crazy kids (I was 22). But we still live here. The schools were still great. Daughter is now in college.</p>