SellAustinTexas

On the same day as “10 Ways to Pick the Right District,” the Washington Post also ran a feature on “The Power of Good Schools.”

To parents hunting for homes, schools and school districts can be a priority that comes even above size of home and price. One mother that was interviewed, who has a physically challenged son, said “school fit is number one, house location a far second.”

Both parents and agents in the Washington area reported to the Post that they’d come in and request to look in homes only in the district they selected from their research. Some will say, “this is my budget, and here is the school.”

But it’s not always just test scores and graduation rates that interest parents. While those are easy to find on school and public websites, there are many variables to consider when picking a school (as we mentioned with the first article). “Our choice was not primarily based on academics, but more on safety, social conditions and the types of peer influence that our [three] boys would have.”

School districts that perform well will often increase the perceived value of a home, and number of offers a house for sale may receive. Often, even if a buyer doesn’t have children, they may inquire about the schools, since they know it will affect the resale.  Some buyers will go to great lengths to put their children in what they believe are the top tier schools, at times taking on quite a financial burden.

Photos: D Sharon Pruitt

But is the intense focus on school districts always worth what people think it is? Says one buyer who spoke to the Post: “I have seen a pronounced school-boundary mentality among some parents. But I think the boundary obsession is blown out of proportion to its educational significance, at least in Northern Virginia, where all the schools are good,” he said. “It’s more of a status or prestige thing, like ‘Lake Wobegon, where everyone is above average.’ ”

Even though a school and school district might have high marks, it comes down to the individual teacher, especially in the younger ages. Performance may vary compared to other schools, but quality leadership in the school may be running good programs with high parental and community involvement.

Particularly with younger children, looking at the performance of the high school may be a mistake: “I’ve worked with clients who as soon as they’re pregnant they want to move. That’s so out of line,” says one agent interviewed. “What’s silly is that parents often choose their homes based on high school district while the kid is still crawling. Chances of living in the same area 14 years later are so remote that they should save their money and give Junior’s college fund a head start rather than flee to a great school district too soon.” Schools can change, boundary lines can be re-drawn, and particularly if you’re factoring in two incomes before children come along, your financial situation can change.

If you’re willing to step back on being in the most prestigious school district, you may be able to find a nicer home, or even your dream home. Also, you may be cutting back on your commute time, and less time in the car is more time to spend with your children at home.