If the school is highly sought after, the proximity adds a lot of value. I just sold a listing pre-MLS, with multiple offers, 2 blocks from a private school. Both buyers had kids in the school and wanted to live walking distance.

If you look at the neighborhoods in Westlake, such as Woodhaven, which is walking distance to the elementary, middle and high school, those neighborhoods are populated primarily by school families willing to pay a premium for the smaller, older houses close to the schools.

Now, I wouldn’t want to be across the street from a school, or suffer traffic problems, but a house within 2 or 3 blocks of a desired school is always going to attract buyers with kids, and they are often willing to pay a premium.

Steve

I was curious -> from a value point of view, how much of a premium does having a school in your neighborhood within walking distance have on the value of your house (all other things being equal)?

For example, neither Travis Country, Travis Country West or Covered Bridge have elementary schools in their neighborhoods… And Muirfield, although a part of CC, you have to leave the neighborhood before you can get to Clayton and it is likely not “walking friendly”. But all have great value. If they had an ES in their neighborhood, what type of impact do you think that might have on their value? I assume it would be even more attractive even though they already are…

And thus is the great debate of all society, not just kids and classrooms. It’s why some are against school vouchers, fearing it will drain the mediocre schools of the better kids, leaving only those who are “stuck”.

I still have a resentment against my Algebra II teacher in 11th grade, who encouraged me to drop Algebra and just take business math. And that’s what I did. I always wondered what might have happened if he had challenged me to do better instead, maybe offered to have me come in after school and work with me a little. I always felt like I was just one step behind, almost getting it, but still lost. And when offered the chance to give up, I did. It still bothers me today.

I guess he didn’t want me watering down the class. I can’t blame him. And I don’t want my kid’s in watered down classes geared toward the bottom third, or the slow pokes, either. But I think I also don’t want to leave kids behind who just need a small extra effort.

It’s a tough issue.

Steve

A foundation that side-steps school funding regulations and allows a massive amount of money to be spent per student without having it captured by the robin hood system? I’m begin smart. I do think concerned parents matter. I just think that massive amounts of capital help also.

Steve – that would be a great blog post. Somewhat on the same topic, as a NW Austin resident I wonder about those very nice AISD/Anderson attending homes well to the north of 360, west of 183, south of Oak Knoll. Do folks ever buy up there not realizing that the elementary school 4 blocks away is actually in an entirely different district (Davis is a great elementary school, but its across the highway)? How much value does having a “neighborhood” elementary and/or middle school add, versus being in the same vertical team of schools, but not being within walking distance?

But when we decided to go only through 8th grade with private school, and I visited Bowie, Dripping, Austin, and Westlake, I was simply blown way by what I saw at Westlake. Someone different may have come away with a different point of view, but my mind was made up when I walked out of the parent orientation. I called Sylvia and said “these people know what their doing, and they know how to get a kid ready to succeed in college”.

But I also worry that we worry too much. Many of our friends with kids worry too much about schooling also. We’re all neurotic, obsessed and overly concerned, probably.

But the buyers we work with are the same way. And, thus, school boundaries and ratings affect demand and value. I’m not sure it will ever not be that way. I’ll run some stats and post them in an upcoming blog, about the cost of housing in Austin if we only consider exemplary rated elementary schools. It’s not cheap.

Steve

The abandonment of our schools in pursuit of some mythical “excellent education” for our children only, would shock our grandparents and is anti-ethical to the American ideal.

We’re paying for it in any case. Every kid that drops out of school and becomes an unproductive member of society is a hit to our paycheck. Ever think there might be a correlation between Texas’ #49th in Education ranking and #3 in property taxes ranking?

Highly mobile students and low economic status are hell on test scores! Becker should probably be closed and the kids sent to Travis Heights (bigger, better building) and there is room but it will never happen! The new superintendent wants to close schools, I wish her luck!

Linder does have some great teachers, and the community, parents, faculty and staff at THES moved heaven and earth to shed the label of unacceptable. But if you go in and read the TEA data charts, you will find that thanks to the way that they handle dropouts, and other factors, the results from one year to the next do not correlate! (One year’s test measures oranges, the next apples, the next apples and oranges!) It is maddening!