Your kids’ wellbeing, education and even happiness is vitally important to you as a parent. Therefore, the choice of school system is a huge factor in any move. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtor’s “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers”, the quality of the local school district influenced more than half of all home buyers with children under the age of 18 when it came to their choice of neighborhood. Read below to learn how to evaluate schools as part of your moving decision:
Learn if The School Scores Well
We all want our kids to go to successful schools. A successful school is often considered such when their students test well. This shows the information students are supposed to be learning is in fact getting through and the school is either keeping up or surging past other school districts in the area. There are many sites you can use to find out information on how a district is doing in this category a few of the best are listed below:
- Greatschools.org: Type in the name of a school and see parent/student reviews, course offerings, and test scores.
- Education.com: Plug in a school name and see their test scores as well as how they compare to other schools within their district and state. Also, on this site, you will learn what each test score means.
- Schooldigger.com: This site will tell you the ratings for each school within a specific area.
- U.S. Department of Education: If websites aren’t for you, you can download a 52-page booklet, entitled “Choosing a School for Your Child.” This will give you some additional insights into scores, what they mean and why they are important, among other information.
Determine if It’s Safe
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, parents have to worry about their children’s safety, everywhere, even at school. Therefore, when considering a specific school or district, parents want to learn the safety protocols in place at that location. You will likely have to call and ask the administrators to determine their current safety standards.
Are They Welcoming?
Sometimes, the only way to determine if a particular school is ideal for your child, is to visit the school, meet the administrators, walk the halls, and meet the teachers. You obviously want to feel welcome as a part of the school family. You want a place where you can go volunteer and be in close communication with your children’s teachers and the staff.
Is There an After-School Program?
If your children are too young to stay home alone and you work a full day, you will want to know if a particular school has an after school program. Most elementary or primary schools have some sort of after-school program at the school, but not all. If the school you are considering doesn’t, you can check local libraries, community centers and the like to see if they offer after school programs.
The above are some aspects to consider when evaluating a school or school district as part of your moving decision. Choosing the right school for your child will go a long way towards determining their happiness, wellbeing and overall educational success. Therefore, it isn’t a decision to be taken lightly.
Sources:
Greatschools.org: https://www.greatschools.org/
Education.com: https://www.education.com/
Schooldigger.com: https://www.schooldigger.com/
US Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/
https://www.updater.com/moving-tips/top-7-tips-for-evaluating-a-school-district-before-you-move
https://www.newhomesource.com/guide/articles/how-to-evaluate-schools-when-buying-a-new-home