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Would you move from an above average school district (like Fair Lawn, Rutherford, Nutley, North Arlington) to a great school district (Tenafly, Ridgewood, Millburn, Summit, Chatham) by paying $10k extra annually?
Is there a significant difference in good vs great school districts in terms of opportunities, exposure, student quality etc?
is your kid already in honors or AP in the good school district? if not, then what would be the purpose of going to a great school district?
No...actually doing research for the future in terms of buying etc. As someone who has not been in these systems, I dont know how important it is to go for the absolutely "best" schools considering that you have to pay significantly higher.
Your kid is your kid. In any good district, there should be ample opportunity for challenge. If your kid is a real rockstar, there are magnet schools (e.g., Bergen County Academies) and private schools. But there are a few more considerations, which I think probably include the following:
Potential pros of good -> great:
Higher degree of parental involvement may improve certain aspects of school system
More high performing peers may motivate certain types of kids to perform at their best
In some cases, more resources may translate into more academic/extracurricular activities (but not always the case)
Perhaps more helpful guidance counselors if your kid is pursuing a highly selective college
Potential cons of good -> great:
Homogenously affluent environment may lead some kids to feel entitled, possibly develop a more materialistic perspective
May be harder for high performing kid to distinguish himself/herself from peers, making it harder to get into a super selective college (but even if this is the case, such a kid will probably do great even if Harvard doesn’t happen)
End of the day, it's a bit kid specific, but I'd feel comfortable choosing to stay in a good district, even if budget would allow a good house in a great district.
Your kid is your kid. In any good district, there should be ample opportunity for challenge. If your kid is a real rockstar, there are magnet schools (e.g., Bergen County Academies) and private schools. But there are a few more considerations, which I think probably include the following:
Potential pros of good -> great:
Higher degree of parental involvement may improve certain aspects of school system
More high performing peers may motivate certain types of kids to perform at their best
In some cases, more resources may translate into more academic/extracurricular activities (but not always the case)
Perhaps more helpful guidance counselors if your kid is pursuing a highly selective college
Potential cons of good -> great:
Homogenously affluent environment may lead some kids to feel entitled, possibly develop a more materialistic perspective
May be harder for high performing kid to distinguish himself/herself from peers, making it harder to get into a super selective college (but even if this is the case, such a kid will probably do great even if Harvard doesn’t happen)
End of the day, it's a bit kid specific, but I'd feel comfortable choosing to stay in a good district, even if budget would allow a good house in a great district.
Thank you for a well-thought answer. I was trying to see how to compare school facilities etc (like STEM labs, or a great arts program) but that info doesn't seem to be so easily available.
Agree about the kid specific thing. I just want him to have access to resources. I dont want him to be the President or a Nobel laureate. It is just that when I buy a house, I want to be able to plan a bit into the future and sometimes it seems confusing.
Thank you for a well-thought answer. I was trying to see how to compare school facilities etc (like STEM labs, or a great arts program) but that info doesn't seem to be so easily available.
Agree about the kid specific thing. I just want him to have access to resources. I dont want him to be the President or a Nobel laureate. It is just that when I buy a house, I want to be able to plan a bit into the future and sometimes it seems confusing.
It's not easily available, but if you read through reviews you can get a qualitative sense of things, which can color how you view a "great" district. For example, in reading reviews of Glen Ridge high school, I saw a number of comments about the school lacking a real science lab, which seems like a bit of an issue to me.
You're comparing apples to oranges town wise. Totally different people, totally different vibe. If you're trying to keep up with the Jones' head to Millburn ...but you have to be OK with people who are often extremely snobby and entitled. If you feel the schools are good in the towns you listed, stick with them. The problem with towns like Milburn is that the parents run the schools, not vice versa.
I went to an average NJ public school. I have friends that went to both average and top tier NJ schools. We all ended up with similar lifestyles, I actually make more money than they do, there is no noticeable difference between any of us. That said I did buy in a top 20 school district. That was more driven by proximity to work though. Ultimately I don't think it matters. It's mostly about the individual kid and the parental influence. All the NJ public schools from good to great are effectively great compared to the majority of the country.
You're comparing apples to oranges town wise. Totally different people, totally different vibe. If you're trying to keep up with the Jones' head to Millburn ...but you have to be OK with people who are often extremely snobby and entitled. If you feel the schools are good in the towns you listed, stick with them. The problem with towns like Milburn is that the parents run the schools, not vice versa.
are you one of those snobby and/or entitled people?
is it better if the schools run the parents or if the parents run the schools? which scenario do you feel has better outcomes for the students?
Better schools have kids with parents that have higher income and education. Smart people breed smart kids. It's not because the teachers or administrators are better. If Chatham and Newark traded teachers and administrators, you'd see no difference in either school.
And school rankings are a scam. Higher rankings are achieved by schools that play the ranking game. My school plays it, we do things like allowing just about anyone with a pulse to take AP classes.
But having your kids be friends with smarter kids isn't a bad thing. Certainly better than them hanging out with dumb kids.
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