What School District Is this House In???
I think that when I am at open houses I hear that question more frequently than any other...
I mean if you are a parent with children and you are considering moving into a new neighborhood what's most important to you?
1. You want to know what condition the house is in.
2. You want to know if its a 'nice', safe neighborhood.
3. You want to know if the schools are good.
I hear people ask this question all the time and I ask it all the time....guess what answer I ALWAYS get back?
'I'm not sure you'll have to check with the school district.'
Seriously WTF?
If you are a Realtor showing a house how in gods name can you not know what grade school district the house is in? It's not a black science is it?
So, for everybody out there here's links to the two main things prospective buyers are going to want to know about the schools in Alameda.
This link is for the recently published API scores.
The scores show that on the main island you want to be in either the Franklin or Edison school district. If we could afford one of those cool houses on Gibbons drive on the East End we'd move there in a second so our child could attend Edison.
Here's how I read the ranking of the alameda grade schools.
1. Amelia Earheart
2. Edison Elementary
3. Bay Farm Elementary
4. Franklin Elementary
5. Frank Otis Elementary
6. Paden Elementary
7. Donald D. Lum Elementary
8. Henry Haight Elementary
9. Ruby Bridges Elementary
10. Washington Elementary
Here's the official map of the grade school districts of the island.
We are in the Franklin School district. We are way out on the gerry-meandered outer edge of it but we are in the district! That is no accident. Before buying the Chez we checked the API scores and the district map and new we were getting a bargain on a 'contractors special', the worst house on the block but in one of the best school districts. Being in the Franklin school district was a huge plus for us. We even turned down a different house that was is the Washington district-the scores where just too disparate.
Being in Franklin now I don't know what kinda deal we'd have to be offered to move to a house in the Washington district.
But the question remains: Why do Realtors play stupid about school districts?
