Relocating - slightly overwhelmed. (Memphis, Franklin: real estate, 2014, how much)

[ChaoticFrog]

Our home just went under contract and we are looking to relocate to the Nashville area. We have been looking at Davidson and Williamson County areas. We're favouring Brentwood/Spring Hill/ Franklin right now. We will be coming to stay in a week or so to look around and see houses and such.

The part that is overwhelming me is choosing an area that has good schools also. I didn't grow up in the US, I've only been here 7 years so really do not know how the school system works. I see posts about magnet schools and such and I just do not know what this means. We have 2 small children (1 & 3) and my oldest turns 5 next year, so will be entering the school system.

When we look at houses and neighbourhoods and see schools listed on the listings with scores next to them, 1 thru 10, how reliable are they? How do I know if it is truly a good school? How do they zone schools here, do you have to live in a certain zip code to go to a certain school? I feel a little over my head with this part of the move. Is there a good informative website that would help me with this? Is there anyone here that is knowledgeable on the subject?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[BirdieBelle]

If you're seeing sites with scores next to schools, you're probably looking at GreatSchools, which bases its scores mostly on subjective reviews by, well, anyone who wants to log on and leave a review. Some objective scores are included, but the reviews are all anonymous. I honestly don't put much stock in those sites.

You only need to know about magnet schools if you move into Davidson County. Those are schools that offer a certain type of subject-area focus, curriculum or teaching style designed to ATTRACT, hence the term "magnet school," a diverse student population.

This is done in Nashville because their school system really is not good overall. We had them in Memphis when I was growing up, but they were called "optional schools." In Nashville they are chosen almost by a lottery. There are more ways to choose your school in Nashville, but it is kind of confusing. http://www.mnps.org/Page98179.aspx I would contact someone at the central office there for the most accurate info.

The bottom line in Nashville is that the excellent schools are rare enough that the properties in those school zones are much more expensive than other properties just based on supply and demand.

One major difference in the communities you mentioned is that in Nashville, the transition to middle school takes place in 5th grade, while in Williamson County, where the other cities are, it takes place in 6th grade. The number of good middle schools in Nashville is even smaller.

School zoning info is found on each school system's website. It is not just limited to zip codes but is mostly based on feeder patterns and population around the school. Your best bet is to go to the system websites and check the zoning maps, or use the feature that allows you to enter an address and see which schools a particular property is zoned for.

Everyone's definition of a truly "good school" will differ. You can use completely objective websites like this Tennessee Department of Education - Report Card - Profile to view helpful info such as suspension rates, graduation rates, and performance on standardized tests. You also can tell how much of the student body is on the free and reduced lunch program. You can see how much of the student body is performing at an above-average level academically. Just enter the different counties in the field near the top and then you can even search by individual school.

On this site, RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Property Finder, you can search for homes in the relevant counties by school. There are fields in which you can search by a particular elementary school, if you want.

Let us know what other questions you may have.

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by ChaoticFrog

Our home just went under contract and we are looking to relocate to the Nashville area. We have been looking at Davidson and Williamson County areas. We're favouring Brentwood/Spring Hill/ Franklin right now. We will be coming to stay in a week or so to look around and see houses and such.

The part that is overwhelming me is choosing an area that has good schools also. I didn't grow up in the US, I've only been here 7 years so really do not know how the school system works. I see posts about magnet schools and such and I just do not know what this means. We have 2 small children (1 & 3) and my oldest turns 5 next year, so will be entering the school system.

When we look at houses and neighbourhoods and see schools listed on the listings with scores next to them, 1 thru 10, how reliable are they? How do I know if it is truly a good school? How do they zone schools here, do you have to live in a certain zip code to go to a certain school? I feel a little over my head with this part of the move. Is there a good informative website that would help me with this? Is there anyone here that is knowledgeable on the subject?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

this has been discussed ad nauseum..check the previous threads...cheers

[ChaoticFrog]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

If you're seeing sites with scores next to schools, you're probably looking at GreatSchools, which bases its scores mostly on subjective reviews by, well, anyone who wants to log on and leave a review. Some objective scores are included, but the reviews are all anonymous. I honestly don't put much stock in those sites.

You only need to know about magnet schools if you move into Davidson County. Those are schools that offer a certain type of subject-area focus, curriculum or teaching style designed to ATTRACT, hence the term "magnet school," a diverse student population.

This is done in Nashville because their school system really is not good overall. We had them in Memphis when I was growing up, but they were called "optional schools." In Nashville they are chosen almost by a lottery. There are more ways to choose your school in Nashville, but it is kind of confusing. School Options I would contact someone at the central office there for the most accurate info.

The bottom line in Nashville is that the excellent schools are rare enough that the properties in those school zones are much more expensive than other properties just based on supply and demand.

One major difference in the communities you mentioned is that in Nashville, the transition to middle school takes place in 5th grade, while in Williamson County, where the other cities are, it takes place in 6th grade. The number of good middle schools in Nashville is even smaller.

School zoning info is found on each school system's website. It is not just limited to zip codes but is mostly based on feeder patterns and population around the school. Your best bet is to go to the system websites and check the zoning maps, or use the feature that allows you to enter an address and see which schools a particular property is zoned for.

Everyone's definition of a truly "good school" will differ. You can use completely objective websites like this Tennessee Department of Education - Report Card - Profile to view helpful info such as suspension rates, graduation rates, and performance on standardized tests. You also can tell how much of the student body is on the free and reduced lunch program. You can see how much of the student body is performing at an above-average level academically. Just enter the different counties in the field near the top and then you can even search by individual school.

On this site, RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Property Finder, you can search for homes in the relevant counties by school. There are fields in which you can search by a particular elementary school, if you want.

Let us know what other questions you may have.

Thanks for your helpful reply.

Yes, that was what I was afraid of (the 1-10 scale on realtor sites) being rated by any Tom, Dick or Harry with a keyboard. I was more hoping for a rating based on an objective view, that took in to account the information as you list later in your post.

This is going to be the last time we move for a long while and I just want to make sure that we choose the right area for the kids and consider everything. A daunting task when there's a time crunch.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by 12buttons

this has been discussed ad nauseum..check the previous threads...cheers

I thought ad nauseum was your forte...

[septimus]

I would decide on a part of town that you like and you can afford. If you are going to Davidson you need to go in with eyes wide open about the magnets etc and how getting into Meigs for middle school is almost as hard as getting into Harvard. If you go with Williamson county, the schools are more consistent in quality, but be forewarned that WCS are growing by about 1,000 students every year and as a result rezoning occurs regularly as new schools are built. The next big rezoning will probably be in 2014-15 when the new Nolensville High School is built, but there will probably be some middle school shuffling too.

[Anony-Momma]

I agree with finding a home you can afford and going from there. Personally, I would avoid Davidson County, but not everyone would do that.

You can do a lot of investigating online.

Pick some elementary schools and sign up for e-newsletters. If you can find contact info for the PTA or PTO, email an officer. I learned a lot about the high schools by subscribing to announcements sent to parents.

Look ahead at the middle and high schools for strengths in areas your family values/enjoys. For example, if your family is musical, look to see who has a lot of kids in mid-state and all-state band. Which groups move on from mid-state concert assessment to the state level? MTSBOA - Home (lots of non-Williamson County schools are represented). If a middle school and high school are well-represented musically, then the elementary schools that feed into them are full of families and teachers who also value music. Peek at other fine arts programs, theater, chorus, look at sports, at the pages that tell how many kids take AP classes and pass them, etc.

'like' any activity or sport or group you can find on facebook. Dance studios. Sports leagues. Summer camps. Churches. Some schools have facebook pages. Scout the pages for information, ask for information - there is usually a private option to do so. A dance studio owner or sports league coach may forward your request for information and connect you with some families with children similar ages to your children where you can get specific questions answered.

If you are interested in figure skating or hockey, you need to know where the ice is and choose to live where you can easily drive for that.

There are lots of factors that are individual to each family. Williamson County's schools are quite good; but that doesn't mean other counties schools are not good. If you've narrowed your choice to a county, find some web sites or facebook pages that are more specific and find some people there to answer questions. I had good information from principals, band directors, teachers as we were trying to get a feel for the area. People here tend to be generous with information when you email a school or business as you are preparing to move - that was my experience.

Good luck! and Welcome!