If you are in the home-buying process, evaluating the schools near your potential new home should be an essential factor in your decision. Good schools can add to the value of your home and create convenience for parents who want their children to attend good quality education.

The Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Dewey-Humboldt areas have numerous award-winning public, private, and charter schools. Each has something unique to offer. The Prescott Unified School District has six primary schools and one high school. Prescott Valley and Dewey-Humboldt have the Humboldt Unified School District with five elementary, two middle schools, and one high school. Chino Valley Unified School District has two primary schools, one middle, and one high school. In addition, the Prescott area is full of charter and private school options: Tri-City, BASIS, AAEC, Trinity Christian, and Franklin Phonetic.

How Do You Evaluate Schools?

When evaluating schools, consider test scores, teacher-to-student ratio, extracurricular activities, and other data points. You should also consider the district boundaries to determine which school your home will be zoned for if you choose to move into that neighborhood. This can help you determine whether or not the home you are looking to purchase is in an area with good schools.

Luckily, there are some excellent online resources out there for evaluating schools. Here are a few that can help you begin your research:

  • Education.com: A primary portal site for education everywhere, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the school’s section. Their website: Education.com
  • Great Schools: A good search engine for researching schools, you can do zip code-based searches that will help you learn a ton about the public and private institutions in the area. Their website: Greatschools.org
  • Project Appleseed: A website dedicated to improving public schools, you can learn a lot here about the crucial elements of what makes a local school an excellent local school. Their website: ProjectAppleseed.org

Evaluate Distance

Can the kids walk to school? If not, where’s the bus stop? If not, what is the average commute time to campus? Are there after-school activities close by that your kids can attend?

Visit the School

The best way to evaluate a school is to go and visit it in person. Visit the classrooms, talk to the teachers, and observe the general atmosphere at the school. This will give you a good indication of how your child would fit into this environment. Also, ask questions about safety procedures and student/teacher relationships.

Ask Questions

As a realtor, I can help you answer any questions or concerns you have about the schools in an area. Don’t be afraid to ask me questions – I am here to provide unbiased advice and help guide you through the home-buying process. Evaluating schools is an integral part of the home-buying process.

With these tips and resources, you can rest assured that your home is located in an area with high-quality educational options for your children.