90% of children in the United States attend public schools. 10% attend private or non-government controlled charter schools. Generally, areas with the best public schools and or neighborhood schools tend to have the highest home values. So, when searching for a home even if you don't have children, it is a good idea to buy in an area with a great school district, or at least great neighborhood schools that would service the area where the home is located even you don't have children. One day you may choose to sell that home and so though you will pay more to be in a good school district, resale value will also be higher because many people shop school districts.
The good news is that there is lots of information on the Internet related to public schools. You can check out the Great Schools Rating for the school district, or even individual schools. If the rating is below 8 out of 10, it means that the particular school may have some issues that cause a lower score. It may be a good reason to buy in another area.
We could see public schools become even more important in the future because there is talk in Congress of funding pre-school for children as young as 3 years old. If that happens, local public schools could end up with more children attending them.
Public Schools have become controversial as of late. Some school districts are making curriculum decisions that are opposed by parents. We are seeing parents show up at school board meetings in some cases for the first time to voice their opinions. That is a good thing. However, you should be aware of what is happening in your local school district before you make a buy decision to be sure you agree with whatever curriculum design is being proposed. Because of all of this, there is a movement to allow for School Choice so that parents have more say as to the schools their children attend. That is a good thing. Parent should have options. In any case, real estate values are directly tied to public schools in the area. Before buying a home, do your homework.
