School and District Themes for Homebuyers With Children

If you’ve entered the mortgage world and are browsing for new homes, you’ll be considering a number of different factors, from location and property basics to home size, amenities and many others. And for those who have children or are planning to in the near future, another factor should be on your list: Schooling.

At Altius Mortgage and our partners at Mortgage Ogden, we’re proud to offer a variety of mortgage loans to a wide range of clients, including those with new or burgeoning families. What are some of the factors you should be considering when it comes to nearby schools and school districts as you search for homes?

District and Teacher Ratings

For starters, do your research and locate legitimate ratings for nearby schools, districts and even individual teachers. For schools and districts, tools like Niche.com’s K-12 school and district rankings are valuable for assessing things in a broad sense.

When it comes to teachers, understanding as much as you can about reputations and specialties is important. These are the people who will spend the most time with your children, after all. The first thing to check on for any school is that all teachers are properly certified and given background checks before being hired. From here, you may be able to find online resources that rate teachers based on previous experiences – this varies depending on exactly which area you’re looking in.

Safety and Security

Unfortunately, given the recent rise in school tragedies, it’s important to consider security and safety for your child. Make sure any school you choose has proper evaluation processes for who is allowed on the premises, plus strong security at entryways and other crux points. If there have been any recent safety issues at that school, even minor ones, ask about what’s being done to prevent these in the future.

Special Offerings

When we talk about special programs, we’re referring to two separate areas:

• Enrichment programs: These are any and all programs that exceed standard math and language classes all children will take during school. They may include computer classes, PE, art, music, or several other potential areas. Not only should regular classes in these areas be offered, so should regular specials and after-school programs.
• Special education: If your child has any special learning needs, something that’s the case for about one in every three children, you should inquire specifically about the programs offered here.

Extracurriculars

Finally, consider the extracurricular activities offered by the nearby schools in your area. Maybe your child wishes to play on a sports team, or perhaps they want to join the robotics club or learn a new language. Understand that your child’s interests will evolve over the years, so choosing a school or district with a variety of programs is generally the way to go here.

For more on choosing the right school or district for your child, or to learn about any of our homebuying or mortgage services, speak to the staff at Altius Mortgage today.