Why Schools Matter

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