Choosing the right school for
your children goes hand in hand with buying a home in Las Vegas for your family; Both of
which are very important decisions.
You’ve found the perfect real
estate agent who found you the perfect house, but what is the neighborhood
school? Will my child be able to take the school bus? How many students are
there per class? Add these things to the long, yet wonderful, list of "Things
Parents Need To Know!" I’ll share some of my short cuts with you hoping this
information will make your home buying and school search easier.
There are specific zones
within the school district that designate which schools service specific
neighborhoods. This information is found on the MLS Listings (Elementary,
Middle, Junior HS, and High School), but that information is not guaranteed to
be accurate. When a school district changes its ‘zoning’ it does not
automatically update the school information on a property that is listed for
sale or rent.
For example, when I was looking to purchase a home in Las Vegas, I found the perfect house…. but it wasn’t in the same zone so my children would have to change schools. Not good, so I kept looking. From that point on I personally double-checked every address I was interested in so I knew exactly which schools my children would attend if we purchased that particular house.
For example, when I was looking to purchase a home in Las Vegas, I found the perfect house…. but it wasn’t in the same zone so my children would have to change schools. Not good, so I kept looking. From that point on I personally double-checked every address I was interested in so I knew exactly which schools my children would attend if we purchased that particular house.
A little background
information: The Clark County School District, as of 2012, is
the fifth largest school
district in the United States. It serves all of Clark County, Nevada, including the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Boulder City.
I wanted to learn more about the schools in Clark County, so
I did some research. I found these types of reports to be very helpful in the
school choice for my children: Annual Reports of Accountability, State of Nevada and
Specific Schools – Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Test Scores on Assessments,
and many levels of Demographics. I found all this information at this website: http://www.nevadareportcard.com/
This specific link will bring you to the School Zoning Search by Property Address. When you get to this page, simply type in the Street Number and Street Name. The school results will show you exactly which schools that particular address is zoned for and the Transportation Department’s contact information is found on that page. (Keep in mind, almost ALL school personnel are on vacation during the summer and you probably won't be able to contact them.)
What happens if you find "The Perfect House" but it’s not
zoned for the school you want your child to attend? There is a process called
"Open Enrollment" you can go through with the school district requesting special
permission. There is no guarantee your request to change your neighborhood
school will be honored and you cannot even make the request until you can show
proof of residence (copy of utility bill in your name at that address, for
example).
If you don't have already have an address, but you have selected a school, you can search homes for sale located in specific school zones by going to: Vegas Homes for Sale by High School or Vegas Homes for Sale by Middle School
If you don't have already have an address, but you have selected a school, you can search homes for sale located in specific school zones by going to: Vegas Homes for Sale by High School or Vegas Homes for Sale by Middle School
Do the research in advance and make an educated decision to avoid
headaches and/or heartbreaks down the road.
by Lisa Albarian - guest blogger and mother
