NWMR - would you move if you didn't like your school district?

MickeyM04 · August 2014

We bought our home when I was pregnant with DS, so school districts were not high on my list of things to care about. I did know that our elementary and middle school district were rated 5/10 on Greatschools, and the high school 9/10 (obviously that I am OK with)...however now that DS is nearly 2.5 I'm starting to think "Eesh" about the schools...Their testing scores are way below the state average, like not even close. There is a Catholic private school close by which we could afford (probably), but we are Jewish so I would kind of feel weird about that.

I hate moving. Like I cannot even tell you how much I hate it. I am wondering if it's ridiculous to move out of a house that we love to get out of our school district, or if we should just consider private school, or wait until maybe DS is not only in school but at testing age (3rd grade) as opposed to moving to get him into a Kindergarten in a better district. What do you ladies think? I know this is way down the road but obviously we wouldn't decide to move like 4 months before he started Kindergarten, you know?

shakinros · August 2014

Exactly what @cjcouple‌ said. I would move but not because of what greatschools said. Visit for yourself. Talk to other parents. It might be a good fit for your kid or not, but at least you'd know firsthand.

jlaOK · August 2014

We are moving to be in a school district that we like. I do have to say that we didn't love our house or the location so schools wasn't the only deciding factor.

I think it's definitely worth researching better school districts in your area to see if you like the location, house prices, house selection, etc.

MickeyM04 · August 2014

The district as a whole isn't bad. There are other schools in the district that are rated much higher than ours. I think part of the issue is honestly, a lot of the kids that go to our school are from an area of town where English is not the first language. So I think that could impact the test scores and whatnot as well, where there might be a language barrier there. It's weird...if you look at greatschools, which of course isn't the be all end all, but still a guide, the test scores are listed as below average, the rating is 5/10, and yet it's 5/5 stars based on parent reviews. So it probably would be worth going and taking a look around. Perhaps greatschools may be rating it solely based on test scores, or with test scores as the predominant factor going into that rating, when in reality it's a modern facility with bright, young teachers, etc. I honestly don't know, so I suppose it's not fair to judge just based on greatschools.

The elementary school is about a block and a half away from our house, so the area is definitely safe, and I always drive by and see lots of happy looking kids at recess.

Samiantha101 · August 2014

Like a previous poster said, I would move if the schools were unsafe. Otherwise, the school distroct would have to be below average for me to consider a move. I hope to be a huge influence, as well as my husband, on my children's education. I would like to think I could pick up some of the "slack".

ss+el · August 2014

We had plenty of non-Catholics when I went to Catholic school, and I'm pretty sure a handful of Jewish kids, though none in my grade and it was no big deal. They were exempt from First Communion prep, etc, though I'm not sure how the rest of religion was handled.

As far as the cost, would it cost more in the long run to move or pay private tuition, especially since they will eventually end up in a good public high school.

sweetsunnyc · August 2014

Have you looked in to other schools that are outside of your district, but still reasonably close enough to get your son there? The schools that are in our district are pretty bad so we have my 6 year old D in a charter school and my 15 year old step daughter in a higher ranking HS outside of our district. Downside is that there is not bus service because we are not in the district, so we drive them the 15 minutes each morning- no biggie. We do like our house and neighborhood and I feel like the little drive in the morning is not worth moving for. Plus, we are so happy with their schools so it's worth it. Have you thought about charter as an option to private? Usually the tuition is more affordable. We paid for pre k and K, but now 1st is free- yeah! good luck!

jtmomma13 · August 2014

We are looking to buy a home now and the school district is a huge influence on where we want to live...that and the cost of home.

With that said, I would also take the time to visit the school and talk to a few teachers. And also talk to some other parents in your community. Teachers and parents can make a difference.

We are looking at a town that has an amazing school system- test scores are above average and it's a community where parents are actively involved. But to counter that, I know a few families that have children on the spectrum and they are having a really hard time with the high school. So I think even schools that score great on tests can have their own issues.

I am also a firm believer that you can make the best out of your school system if moving isn't in the cards for you. I went to a high school that ranked low- almost lost accreditation and rules were not followed- I could literally walk in and out of the school whenever I wanted (I graduated in 2002- so while it was 10 years ago, it wasn't that long ago) but I graduated with students that went on to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. I think teaching really starts at home and needs to continue in the home as well.

ccam · August 2014

We did! We built our first house before kids were even on our agenda. We put our house on the market and sold it when I was 6 months pregnant. We built our new house and moved in when DS was 2 months old.

Not only was our original school district rated poorly, but everyone we heard from agreed. We had the option to send future children to private school but once it came to high school, the private schools were like a college tuition. So when we had an opportunity come up to buy some land, we went for it. Our taxes are ridiculous now but so worth it!

We had other reasons to move, too - safety, area, privacy, etc., so it would have eventually happened anyway. We are now in our forever home.

MickeyM04 · August 2014

Thanks for all the great input. I don't know much about charter schools so that is definitely something to look at. Since we moved to the area a couple of years ago and DS isn't in school yet, we don't really know any families with kids who are in school. Our pediatrician lives in our neighborhood and sent his kids to the school we would be going to for elementary school and he LOVES it and speaks very highly of it. Of course his youngest kid is in his early 20s so I take that with a grain of salt. Our next door neighbors sent their kids to our elementary school and speak very negatively of it, and that was also about 20 years ago. I'm hoping to get more feedback in the next couple of years for sure, and of course do my own research.

I appreciate hearing everyone's comments about parents making a big difference as well. The school is rated average (not below average) and is in a very safe area so it may be worth it to stay for a few years and see how it goes, especially since with two attorney parents I don't think DS is going to be allowed to slack off at home. Not that having two attorney parents means you're going to kick ass in school or anything, but just to say that obviously education and hard work is important to us and obviously we would put an emphasis on education regardless of whether they went to an amazing school or a craptastic school.

I would personally hate to move to a great district but only be able to afford a crappy house or have to bankrupt ourselves to live somewhere decent in that district. Unfortunately in the area we are in, the "nicer" areas with the "better" school districts would mean we would have to live in either a house that I know we would not be happy in, or to live in the type of house we would like, we would have to make a lot of cuts or get new jobs or something. So we definitely would have to weigh things like that out for sure.

Mustardseed2007 · August 2014

Yes I would.

We purchased our home in the neighborhood we are in SPECIFICALLY for the schools. If anything ever happened - like if the schools were rezoned, which hasn't happened since 1980 in our area - then it's very likely that I would move.

We paid a premium for the school district and so got less house for the money than we could have in a different area. So I'd either move some place else where the public schools were better or I'd chunk it all (I'd be very upset and exasperated) and buy some place where I can get more house for the money but is still a nice neighborhood and send my kids to private school.

ETA: We don't live in an awesome house, but we live in a very nice house. Where DH and I lived before we had kids, the area was super cool and the houses were also very expensive, but it was b/c of the coolness of the neighborhoods not b/c of the schools. The schools in that area sucked.

itsmevkb · August 2014

We send our children to a private, Catholic school in part because I am Catholic and in part because the public schools here aren't all that great. I've looked into open enrollment in the neighboring school district but even if one child gets in, there is no guarantee that the other three would, or that they would be in the same school so I'm not even sure I want to try. For us, moving isn't really an option. I can't, just can't do suburban living what with all the strip malls and beige, so much beige. So, even if we did choose to move, it would be to another house in the city.

The vast majority of kids who go to the Catholic school my kids attend are not Catholic. However, they are required to attend weekly mass and religion classes so I could see how that might be awkward if you are Jewish.

Are you opposed to sending your child to another school in your district that is just further away but perhaps rated higher? Or, is that not an option? Here, you can enroll at any school in the district. But, we also have school choice which I know isn't everywhere.

shannm · August 2014

Just a note about charters...if any strike your fancy, just be sure you look into the actual specifics of getting a slot when the time comes.
We bought near a great young charter when DS was a baby. Four years later, he was one of 1000 in a lottery for thirty open slots (the other 40 were taken up by siblings). It was so frustrating because we live almost steps from them yet the lottery is open to anyone in city limits (as it should be).

MickeyM04 · August 2014

We don't have the choice to send our kids to any school in the district. I wish we did because there are other really good schools in our district. I think I will just have to research how good or bad our schools really are and look into charters if that is even an option for us. The good news is time is on our side!

ajaan113 · August 2014

High schools are more important than elementary schools. A good middle school is important because this is where kids make friends that will carry over into high school.

At the elementary level I personally wouldn't move. If your neighborhood school is a Title 1 school (there is a high percentage rate of FARMS students) you will have to make that choice since people have different ideas about Title 1 schools. We live near a Title 1 school. The benefits of a Title 1 school is: K-2 student ratio is lower. No more than 18 students. There is often money for additional teachers for support: ESOL, reading, math, STEM, and academic intervention teachers. There are more paraprofessionals to support the classroom teachers.

Ask around the neighborhood to get some other opinions. Look at the school's website as well. See if there is trend of a high teacher turnover rate. Schools with a high turnover rate is something to think about. That means that the teachers and other support staff are unhappy there, so they leave and transfer to another school after two years or so. It is probably link to the administration.

Is there COSA (change of school assignment). Our school district allows parents to send their kid to a different school within the county. However it must be approved and reasons for why you want to send your child to this school (example: "this school will be closer to where I work).

If your child has an IEP and the local school doesn't meet the needs of your child, so she/he needs to go to a different school where there is program for your child.

If anything, stay at your local school until your LO goes into 3rd grade. Then you can think about moving if you feel the need to.

lcr23 · August 2014

We have a 4 month old and are already moving because of the school district we're in. We have plenty of time before she's in school obviously but considering the market right now we felt that it was the right time for us.

VOR · August 2014

Not only would I but I did. There were other factors at play too, but schools were a big part of it. We lived in the city and while we could have done elem school, anything past that would mean private. We wanted to get into a nice neighborhood and meeting other kids and what not before middle school, though. So we moved when DS was 2. VERY glad we did.

kikimeemee · August 2014

Great schooling is more important than a home. I went to a grade school that was notorious for families that were, um...white trashy..., and had parents who were both college educated and working professionals, so we stuck out like a sore thumb, and it boggles my mind why my parents never moved into a better area. If you had any interest in school all the other kids ripped on you so I would purposely get only "good" grades but never my best to avoid highest honor roll. How sad!!! (Especially bc I liked learning and being a good student but I went to a school where no one seemed to care)

My parents paid for our private high school which had incomparably better families! I'm not talking people who made more money but people who valued their child's education and would sacrifice things so they could afford a better school. I'm not saying private school is better than public but that the quality of parents/families makes a difference.

dashofreality · August 2014

I would look at the area as a whole. For example, Fairfax County has some of the best schools in the nation, but there are some schools that have lower rankings in the district. I would be comfortable sending my kids to any of those schools anyways. Principals and teachers can make a big difference and there is no guarantee that things won't change. As long as the overall area was good, and the district was generally well ranked, I would not right off a lower-ranking school without more research.

I'm also just as wary of the extremely high-ranking schools as I am the low ranking. There are some schools that do really well but have a ton of rich kids. I would ideally like to avoid a bunch of trust fund babies with BMWs as well.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

dashofreality said:

I would look at the area as a whole. For example, Fairfax County has some of the best schools in the nation, but there are some schools that have lower rankings in the district. I would be comfortable sending my kids to any of those schools anyways. Principals and teachers can make a big difference and there is no guarantee that things won't change. As long as the overall area was good, and the district was generally well ranked, I would not right off a lower-ranking school without more research.

This is very true. Though we are in an excellent school district for FFX, I try to remind DH that even the worst school in FFX is way better than a lot of districts' top schools. It's perspective.

I wouldn't move because of a school's test scores or internet ranking. There is so much more that goes into a good school and a desirable neighborhood.

Often socioeconomic factors can influence test scores and various other ranking indicators. It's way more complex than what happens in the classroom. Studies have shown that parents who are more involved in their child's education/homework/etc do better in school and that socioeconomic factors play a pivotal role in parental involvement.

Some suburban schools are top notch; some aren't. Some private schools are top notch; some aren't. There is no cookie cutter answer of "well, in my area/my experience...so this is what it is like everywhere".

If I loved my neighborhood and house, no I probably wouldn't move for schools. The exception would be safety or a complete clusterfuck of a school. I realize I am in the minority.

Pips09 · August 2014

I agree with everyone else about doing more research to determine if it's really a bad school, rather than basing it off of one website's rating. But schools are really important to us. We just bought a new house, and only looked in the one school district that we wanted to be in (and spent more to buy there). We didn't move solely because of the schools, but when we found out we needed to move, schools were the #1 consideration for our new place.

ajaan113 · August 2014

MarlaSinger& said:

dashofreality said:

I would look at the area as a whole. For example, Fairfax County has some of the best schools in the nation, but there are some schools that have lower rankings in the district. I would be comfortable sending my kids to any of those schools anyways. Principals and teachers can make a big difference and there is no guarantee that things won't change. As long as the overall area was good, and the district was generally well ranked, I would not right off a lower-ranking school without more research.

This is very true. Though we are in an excellent school district for FFX, I try to remind DH that even the worst school in FFX is way better than a lot of districts' top schools. It's perspective.

I wouldn't move because of a school's test scores or internet ranking. There is so much more that goes into a good school and a desirable neighborhood.

Often socioeconomic factors can influence test scores and various other ranking indicators. It's way more complex than what happens in the classroom. Studies have shown that parents who are more involved in their child's education/homework/etc do better in school and that socioeconomic factors play a pivotal role in parental involvement.

Some suburban schools are top notch; some aren't. Some private schools are top notch; some aren't. There is no cookie cutter answer of "well, in my area/my experience...so this is what it is like everywhere".

If I loved my neighborhood and house, no I probably wouldn't move for schools. The exception would be safety or a complete clusterfuck of a school. I realize I am in the minority.

Ditto. Not in NOVA but MoCo. There is always COSA or magnet schools.

jenkellen · August 2014

Education wouldn't be the only factor for me.

I'd have to weigh a lot of things to decide on moving, then based on these I'd go public/private. I'm not against going private at all. My husband did public, I went private. We obviously want to send our children to good schools but I can see benefits to public and private.

1) Cost of what I am paying now vs. new mortgage/taxes

2) Closeness to family/friends

3) Commute to work

4) Close to other entertainment elements I would want my family to enjoy.

5) Diversity

6) Maintenance cost of new home/yard.

jess9802 · August 2014

DH and I are still renting and the conversation of what neighborhood to buy in comes up frequently. We live in a smaller school district that generally has a poor reputation. We didn't think much of it when we first moved in because my stepson was living with his mother in CA with no plans to move here, and we were years away from having school-age kids.

Now my SS lives with us and goes to school here, and he's going to be in the 10th grade this fall. We found out about him coming to live with us too late to try and enroll him in another school through the open enrollment process. Despite the school's reputation we've generally been impressed with his experience there. He has a lot more opportunities than I did at my small, rural, high school. And earlier this year a story came out that his high school now has the highest four year graduation rate of all the high schools in our metro area - a pretty remarkable change.

Anyway, physical safety is one thing, and resources another, but I am not sure how easy it is to get a sense of the quality of the school until you're dealing with teachers and administrators and other families. And I do think the high school experience will be a far bigger factor in your child's post-secondary options/success than the elementary/middle schools, so if the high school is highly rated that would weigh heavily in my consideration.

lexusolsen · August 2014

To those who are leaving because of a drug problem at your local high school. Every high school has a drug problem because teenagers like to explore with drugs.

As a high school teacher, I would be fine living in an area where the schools are average. I would be more aware of making sure to meet with my child's teachers, take advantage of extracurricular activities, and seeking additional support when needed (like advanced classes or an IEP). I would be much more concerned about parent involvement at the school, teachers and the school board.

Good students generally have involved parents who are advocates for their students. We hope to be moving to a house by then (we currently live in a townhome) and will stay in the same school district.

Also, private schools don't have to follow state requirements because they aren't state funded. So while I'm sure many teachers are credentialed they don't have to hire credentialed teachers. I would ask about that before I sent my student there.

potbellypig · August 2014

I would, but as a piece of the bigger "life" puzzle. It's also very important to me that DH and I try to minimize commute time where possible, that we stay near a park or green space and my preference has always been toward established areas with big trees and sidewalks. I know that I don't want to send the kids to a private school though, so a decent public school system will definitely play into our decision when we move back to our home city.

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