new to the US, work at Natick, where to stay? (Boston: apartments, renting)

[new-to-the-us]

Hi,
We are an Indian couple moving to the US, never even visited before. my office is in northern part of Natick,, and my wife will not be working due to visa restrictions. We can't afford to spend more than 1500usd on rent, and would need a 2 bedroom house. Our son is 4 years old, and we need a good school district. What areas should we be considering?

I also have a few questions about the education system. If I pick an apartment, does he necessarily have to go to the assigned school, or do we have an option? What happens if we change our apartments later? Do we have to change the school if it happens to be in a different school district?

[Parsec]

Congratulations on the new job. There was another post recently about an Indian couple with a 4 year old son moving to the US for a job in North Natick as well. Must have a lot of people in that country J/k...

Anyways, to answer your question - it depends on the town. Most towns require you to attend the school that your address is zoned to. If you move within the same town, you will most likely have to attend a different school too unless you move within the same school zone. If you move to another town then you will have to attend a different school district altogether.

In terms of renting in a good school district, a $1500 budget will pretty much keep you out of all the top school districts, but you might be able to find a very small 2 bedroom (under 1000 square feet) in Natick for around $1500/mo. Natick schools are generally regarded to be in the top 20% in the Boston area which is good enough for most families. If I were you, that is where I would start my search.

[mmyk72]

I also suggest looking in Natick for the 2 bedroom apt. 1500 is do-able as there are many apts in the W. Natick area.

I also notice this is yet another question on the same topic.... Job in N. Natick, want 2 bedroom, 1500 budget, etc.

[495neighbor]

I live in Acton. You can find a clean, decent 2 BR apartment for around $1,300 in Acton. Acton schools are very reputable, with a choice of five different elementary schools. You can send your son to any of them. Acton is about a 45 min. commute to that area of Natick. Acton has a very vibrant Indian community, with its own Indian foods grocery store.