assignment of charter schools (Phoenix, Scottsdale: real estate, homes, school districts)

[spiderweb2016]

When I look at real estate listings, I don't see Basis schools ever listed as assigned to those zipcodes. Can anyone from Scottsdale or chandler or oro valley tell me how to enroll your kids to the Basis schools of their city? Only public schools are assigned to each zipcode and not charter schools --- is that normal? Also is any good pre-k available for free or they all cost money?

I was looking for listing for homes assigned for Great Hearts Academies - Chandler Prep but couldn't find any either?

Can someone with real estate knowledge enlighten me how you enroll your kids to the charter schools?

[exit2lef]

Charter schools are not zoned geographically. As long as parents are willing to drive their children long distances or find some other means of transport, kids can attend any charter regardless of where they live.

[grmi66]

My kids have gone to charter schools in Phoenix. We simply drove them to the schools we picked. The one left at Basis Phoenix tells me that his classmates drive in from all over town.

The other option that we chose for our kids for K-8 was to enroll them in a "traditional" school run by our local school district. Some of the school districts did not like seeing their best and brightest students leaving the district to go to charter schools, so they created a school within the district to attract them. We liked this option because they got a Basis or Great Hearts education, but lived within walking distance of our district's traditional school. Freed up 60 minutes a day that we didn't need to drive to their old charter school.

[spiderweb2016]

Oh that's very encouraging. Are their traditional schools comparable to Basis or Great hearts in AZ. We are planning to move from NJ which has a lot of good schools but property cost, taxes are driving us to look into states like Arizona where I think i can give my kids the best education without going broke.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by spiderweb2016

Oh that's very encouraging. Are their traditional schools comparable to Basis or Great hearts in AZ. We are planning to move from NJ which has a lot of good schools but property cost, taxes are driving us to look into states like Arizona where I think i can give my kids the best education without going broke.

In our case, the local traditional school run by our district was comparable to the education they were getting at a charter school very similar to Basis. Though this was almost 15 years ago and the number of charter schools were not what they are now. In order to get our kids at a disciplined, academically challenging charter school required a 30 minute drive. That drive got old after a year and switched to the traditional school in district. We were lucky that the school was almost right across the street from our house. Once they left 8th grade and started at a Basis school for high school they had no issues. But each district is different, so do your homework.

[ringler24]

You can attend a charter if there is space. If space is a premium (Like Great Hearts and Basis) then you have to enter a lottery and if not given a spot, be put on a wait list.