Hi,
I'd put your kids first if you have a choice and visit
www.greatschools.net and make a decision from there. Seeing that they'll be in school everyday it's a big deal. You can put in the town you are thinking of and then compare it to another. There are a lot of reviews on the site.
For $250, you should be able to have a decent and safe school and a nice piece of property. Perhaps research the forum here a bit more. Also,
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed is also a GREAT site to visit with a wealth of information on towns etc. Good luck!