Special offer

Phoenix Real Estate Blog: Finding the Right School for Your Kids

By
Real Estate Agent with Sterling Fine Properties AZDRE# BR553129000

 

I recently sold a home in McDowell Mountain Ranch to a family with two school-aged kids -- one going into first grade and the other in fourth grade.  Understandably, one of the parents’ primary criteria for their new home was the availability of good schools in the area.  In fact, when we first started working together, they wanted to see homes for sale in the Valley’s best school districts first -- and then would look for homes with the other characteristics they wanted.

If you’re looking to move and want information about the area’s school districts, there are a number of great online resources to help.  My favorite is Great Schools, at www.greatschools.net.  Plug in the zip code where you’re looking and the site will list all of the schools (elementary, middle, or high school) within a certain radius. 

For each school, the site lists the type of school (public, private or charter), gives their own Great Schools rating (out of 10), posts parent reviews, lists the school’s AZ Learns score, and the number of students per certified teacher.  You can also access more detailed information including AIMS and TerraNova test scores, as well as some socioeconomic characteristics of the school’s students.

Of course, Great Schools is just an informational resource for parents.  Once you have the information, how do you decide which school is right for your kids?  Some questions to consider:

Which types of schools are you interested in? (Public, private, charter, magnet, religious)

How far from home are you willing to travel?

Does your child have any needs that require special attention?

Do you need child care before or after school?

Which school facilities are important to you? (Modern building, safe/large playground, wireless and laptops, Would your child perform better in a small or a large school?

Would your child perform better in a traditional back-to-basics program or one with an alternative/creative approach to learning? (Traditional curriculum, project-based learning, thematic learning, cooperative/collaborative approach to learning, hands-on approach to learning)

Is the level of overall academic performance important to you?

Is a rigorous curriculum important to you?

How much homework is required?

How is technology used in the classroom?

Which extracurricular activities are important to you?

What are the expectations for parent involvement?

What is the school’s attitude toward competition? (Students aggressively compete for the highest grades and honors; all students are rewarded for their unique gifts; student work and achievements are visible; students work in a collaborative manner; competition is de-emphasized)

Is student diversity an important factor?

 

What is the school's discipline policy?

How does the school communicate with parents?

What are the qualifications of the teaching staff?

Do you want your child in a year-round school or do you prefer a more traditional school calendar?

 

A few other pointers:

Check out the school district's annual report to compare the expenditure per pupil in each district you are considering. In many communities, this dollar amount will be closely linked to school quality.

Check to see what services are available at the school. Look for guidance counselors, an on-site nurse, a librarian, and a secretary, and check to see if they work at more than one school. If any of these key personnel do work at more than one school, be cautious!

If you are looking at a high school, check to see what percentage of the students go on to college.

Try hard to tour prospective schools. Here's what to look for:

A warm welcome by the principal and staff members.

A clean, well-maintained campus.

Children who are actively involved in learning. Instead of sitting silently, they should be responding to teachers, discussing class work, and using such technology as calculators, computers, and audiovisual equipment.

Teachers who maintain good classroom discipline.

Classrooms and hallways filled with students' work.

 

What do you think?   Are there other factors to consider when choosing a school?  What’s your experience with schools in the Phoenix area?  Click on the “Comments” link to join the discussion!

 

Posted by

I specialize in selling Phoenix real estate -- Scottsdale homes and Phoenix homes, including Phoenix short sales and bank owned homes. To see my listings and learn more, visit www.MyPhoenixMLS.com.

MyPhoenixMLS Real Estate

 

Comments (0)