If you’ve got young children, probably one of the most important criteria in your home search is “What school would my kids go to if we lived here?” And there are various websites where you can see how a particular school scores, relative to others in Washington state – for example School Digger – but often these websites can frustrate you as much as inform you. For example, of the “top 10 public elementary schools in the state” according to School Digger, only 2 are inSeattle, and those are in neighborhoods that many buyers with young children can’t afford. Only 2 are inBellevue.
I’m a firm believer in getting out there yourself and checking out the school; meeting the principal, finding out what kids go to the school, what special programs there are, what challenges the school has. And one of the most important: understanding your child and knowing where he or she is most likely to thrive.
We have some first-rate private schools in our area, but we also have some wonderful public schools.
If you’ve seen a home online and want to check the public school assignment, click here for Seattle addresses, or here for Bellevue.
Please contact me if you have a school you want to rave about (or rant about): I would love to hear from you.
