Relocating? What To Do First…
Many of my clients are looking to move to Raleigh but are unsure of where they want to live. Since finding the best school for their children is so important, most want to find the best school and then move into that school zone. While this sounds like a great plan, it’s not one that I recommend, and here is why…
I believe you need to love where you live. Your child’s future school is only a tiny portion of what can make a move to Raleigh successful. Whether you choose to buy a home or rent an apartment, the area you choose is essential to your family’s happiness. Do you want to live near family or friends? Do you want to keep your commute to a minimum? Do you want to have a lot of land or be in a more urban area? Do you want to be a part of a close-knit community? All of these aspects are important factors to consider when moving to a new area. And while finding the best school for your child is important, these other factors are just as critical. I always recommend my clients first start with a real estate agent to help them narrow down the best communities for them and their family.
Schools change. Because of staff turnover, leadership changes, population shifts, etc… schools can change. Maybe not drastically but they can still change. I don’t believe you should ever make a multifaceted decision, like where to live, on one component since that component can change. A school that might have had a report card rating of a D one year, could have a score of an A or B the next year. Or vis-a-versa. What would it mean to you if you moved into an area and a school’s score went from an A to a C? Would you feel like you needed to move again or change schools?
There is no such thing as one “best school”. While some schools have report card ratings or GreatSchools ratings, these can’t be used to determine if a school is “the best”. There are a lot of factors that are not communicated in a typical school rating given by GreatSchools, Niche, or even State Report Cards such as safety, diversity, character education, academic programs, teacher retention, etc. Therefore, it is possible that a school with a C rating might be a better fit for your children than a school with a B rating. I also whole-heartedly believe schools should not be labeled as good or bad. All schools have areas to improve and areas in which they excel. If a family values project-based learning or diversity then the “best” school for them is one that offers these things that they value. Students are different. Families are different. I believe there is a school out there for every child based on their needs and values. We need to stop looking for what everyone else deems as “the best” and find the school that is the best fit for us.
If you are thinking about moving to Raleigh, find the area you would like to live first; the one that checks all of your family’s boxes. Then, take a look at all the potential schools to see which one best meets the needs of your family. From private to charter, public to magnet, there is definitely a school out there for you. And of course, I am always here to help!