Bigger house vs. better school district

[Boston Tea Party]

Would you choose a bigger house over a better school district?

 

[bananiem]

I would choose to give my kids the best education I could before living in a large home. Also, I think better schools seem to be in "better" neighborhoods, with a lower crime rate.

 

[Bob Slydell]

The way I see it, there's always private school.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I'd probabl;y go with the better school district. Even if you don't send your kids to the school it will effect your resale value.

You can always add on to the house

 

[chris1gill]

We are close to Boston, we have the bigger house with the lousy school system... I would trade in a second... If I had to live in a Barn in the better school district, that is exactly what I would do... My DH will have none of it, so we are paying the equivalent of a college education to school our two primary school students It just about kills me, but on the other hand this is the best, most important thing we could give our children... I keep telling myself that every time I write that check BLECH...

 

[golfgal]

Living in a bigger house does not prepare children for anything in life. Living in a good school district will effect their entire life. The choice is pretty clear to me, better schools.

 

[HaleyB]

The way I see it, there's always private school.

But if you can afford private school, couldn't you just buy a big house in the good school area? I assume this question has an underlying limit as to family ability to pay.

 

[azgal81]

I don't have kids so bigger house!

Although if I did have kids I would lean toward school district but it really matters how much better the district is. And how less big the house is. I wouldn't live in a shack so my kids can go to a better school district.

 

[Bob Slydell]

But if you can afford private school, couldn't you just buy a big house in the good school area? I assume this question has an underlying limit as to family ability to pay.

Good point

 

[jennyl772003]

It has to be the school district. My son is visually impaired and the school he is in now is just TERRIFIC! They are so pro active on getting him technology and services. I just couldn't risk sending him to a different school district.

We actually still live in an apartment because houses in this area are more expensive then comparable houses in neighboring towns. Hopefully this fall we will be buying a house in this town.

 

[Melrosgirl]

If I chose to live in a neighborhood within the "not so good" school district, I could get about 1000 sq. feet more than what I have now for about $100,000 LESS than in the good school district. I would rather be in the good school district though (higher taxes though).

 

[golfgal]

I don't have kids so bigger house!

Although if I did have kids I would lean toward school district but it really matters how much better the district is. And how less big the house is. I wouldn't live in a shack so my kids can go to a better school district.

One thing to consider though is that resale on houses in areas with bad schools isn't very good.

 

[Crankyshank]

I guess it depends on what the school district in the bigger house area is like. If it's seriously subpar then I would go with better schools/smaller house. If it's fine but not outstanding, I would go with the bigger house.

 

[kelleigh1]

Definitely a better school system. We don't have kids yet, but I think it's important should we have kids. And as someone else mentioned, a better resale value.

Of course, depending on how long you own your home, the school system could decline so the resale value wouldn't be as good. But that doesn't happen quite that often. The town I grew up in had a great school system, but they dragged their feet for so long in building a new school that now the school system has suffered because of overcrowding and lack of technology and now, the state has cut back on the amount of funding they provide, so now the town can't afford to build a new school.

 

[cats7494]

A better school district is much more important to me.
Although - I am not too excited about big houses anyway...more of a "social status" thing in my opinion. I would rather spend my hard earned money on important things.

 

[Raysplus1]

I would hope that I would choose the better school district if I had to make the choice.


bananiem you have a very nice avatar. Go Hawks!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I voted better school district, however we do have a good school district, but some people think our high school isn't so great. It's... what's a nice way of saying it? Diverse? I don't think that's a bad thing and I've had one DD graduate from there and she's in college, a son is in 10th grade, another son will go there in a little more than a year (he's in 7th grade now) and I have a little guy who is in K.

When my DD started looking at colleges she was shocked at how WASPy some of the colleges were since she's so used to being in a diverse school and I was happy that she noticed.

However, many people move out of our area (stay within the county, but move to a different HS) when they get to MS or HS or put their kids into private schools because they don't want their kids going to that high school.

So it depends on what you mean by a not so good district or school. Many people judge a school or district on very silly things. IE, my neighbor's DD got pregnant when she went to that school so I don't want my DD going there (yes, I know someone who didn't let their DD go to that school for that reason ).

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Better schools. Houses in better public school district appreciate more than houses in districts that stink.

And, unless the kids are going to private school, they'll probably come out smarter than they would have in the not-as-good schools.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

...my neighbor's DD got pregnant when she went to that school so I don't want my DD going there (yes, I know someone who didn't let their DD go to that school for that reason

).

So THAT's how it happens! I never had sex-ed in school - we moved. I always wondered about how people got pregnant!

Thanks, T&B, for clearing that up!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

So THAT's how it happens! I never had sex-ed in school - we moved. I always wondered about how people got pregnant!

Thanks, T&B, for clearing that up!

LOL And you know the funny thing is that this family stayed living in our area, but sent their DD to a privite expensive school. When it came time for their son to go there, also, (I guess they didn't want him getting pregnant, either ) they moved to a McMansion in an area so their kids could go to a "better" public school. They found that the kids at the private school had too much disposable income and there was too much drug use! I know, not really funny, but you trade off some problems for others.