Your neighborhood can have a big impact on your lifestyle. Here is a list of several things you may want to consider when choosing the right neighborhood for you and your family.
- Check out the school district.
- Find out if the neighborhood is safe.
- Commuting to and from work.
- Is it close to your favorite spots?
- Determine if the neighborhood is economically stable.
- Home Owner’s Association rules.
- Airport Flight Paths and Related Noise.
- Environmental Concerns.
- Make personal observations.
Over the next few weeks I will follow up with additional posts and go into more detail on each one of these areas but for now let me give you some resources you can use to examine the schools in your new neighborhood.
Although there is no substitute for an on-site visit to the school to talk with principals and teachers, there is a significant amount of information about Arizona’s schools on the Internet. You can obtain information on the public and charter schools, such as; test scores, school ratings, state academic standards and educational resources. For more information visit www.ade.state.az.us click on “Find a School”, select “Public School Search”. From there you will be able to search for schools by name, city, county and zip code.
The Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) advises: “Call the school district serving the subdivision to determine whether nearby schools are accepting new students. Some school districts, especially in the northwest part of the greater Phoenix area, have placed a cap on enrollment. You may find that your children cannot attend the school nearest you and may even be transported to another community.”
Additionally, school attendance boundaries can change from year to year as population shifts in a community. It is recommended to verify with the school that servers a community if there are planned boundary changes that could affect where your children will be attending school as a new student.
Additional websites that might be helpful;
Read more Choosing the Right Neighborhood Tips.
