I spend a lot of time with families as they are contemplating where they want to land.
One of the first things I ask couples who reveal they plan to have kids or families who already have them - what are your school priorities?
Every family has different school goals. Some people feel most comfortable mirroring their own educational experience, many are excited about unique options (immersion, montessori, Waldorf), and most will end up going to their neighborhood public school.
What most people don’t realize is that even if there are 8 public elementary schools in their district, most of them will be very very different. One may be immersion, another traditional, another with mixed age classrooms, and yet another with a more nature focus. Then each district can vary widely in their offerrings.
Each school, even in the same district, will embody a unique vibe - a culture usually set by the principal and long standing teachers and carried out through decades with parents at the helm. Even the buildings can be incredibly unique. Some are turn of the century with no air conditioning and then another, a mere 8 blocks away was built less than 10 years ago.
Your kids will spend the majority of their days in these buildings, with the vibe set forth by the school, being taught by the educators that fit it. As a parent, you will likely be going to that school regularly - pickup, dropoff, volunteering, even making friends and forming a multi-decade social circle.
This is not something to take lightly.
Yet, about 85% of the couples who I speak to who are planning to have children or who already have young children, don’t indicate any thought about schools.
The rationale: oh, we’ve got time before we have to think about that.
As professional here to help people make decisions that will serve them emotionally, practically and financially for many years, I can say that the school decisions come up much more quickly than one ever imagines. If you’re buying a home with an 18 month old, you only have 2.5 more years before you have to register for Kindergarten!
Even in our general home calculus, we like you to make a decision on a property that could serve your needs for 5-7 years, preferably 7. This ensures that you can reap the best benefits of market appreciation and avoid losing money on your investment. If you’re not yet having kids, but plan to, that first kiddo could easily fall in the school calculus of your first home given this ideal range of time. At any rate, if the school falls short, you may be forced to move faster than what’s best for you due to schools.
If you have children already and will be entering school in the next 2 years, I highly recommend touring the schools in the neighborhoods that you are searching in. You may be shocked to find out the school everyone raves about just isn’t a fit for your preferences, family needs, or child’s personality. Of course, the opposite can be true - schools that aren’t “rated” as highly as “the best” may end up being a perfect fit.
Doing this due-diligence will help you narrow down location and solidify your interests. More importantly, it will help you avoid regretting a decision in the future which may leave you susceptible to a lottery, open-enrollment availability, private school, or a forced move that can impact your emotional and financial health.
As always, consider the whole picture & all the pieces of your life. Your future self will thank you.
