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Relocating
nanaletti March 23, 2011
There are several school districts in King County, where Seattle is located. Like most areas of the country, the first decision about schools has to be based on how much you can afford for housing and where you plan to work. (Traffic is terrible in Seattle.)
The Bellevue school District, east of Seattle, is said to be one of the best school districts in the country. Over all, however, it is more expensive to live in Bellevue than Seattle or some other areas of King County.
It also depends on what kind of neighborhood you want. Neigorhood location defines school assignmentin seattle and most districts; though there are exceptions, What do you want? Diverse and multi-cultural? Middle class? Vibrant urban? Family neighborhood? Seattle has them all. In general, north end schools, north of the ship canal, are "better" than south end schools in terms of test scores. They are also higher income and less diverse, and some southend schools can be very good.
It also depends on how your child learns. For instance, there are Montessori public schools in Seattle, in both the north and sound ends. There are "alternative" K-8 schools throughout the city, as well.
At this point, in Seattle specifically, you might want to look at the high schools, then look at the middle school feeder schools, then choose a neighborhood and school based on your long term plan. The 3-4 "best" high schools in Seattle, based on drop out rates, graduation rates and test scores, are Ballard, Roosevelt, Nathan Hale and Garfield (where there are currently 2 tracks - 1 for "high achievers" and 1 for everyone else.)
Go to www.seattleschools.org to compare school in Seattle, or to www.reportcard.ospi.wa.us to care districts or schools in the state.
It should be simple: all schools delivering equitable and excellent educatio for all children. Sadly, it's more complex than that, but plenty of informed parents find excellent educational choices for their children in Seattle and King County.68114
SeattleRealtor October 1, 2011
There are also some well ranked suburban school districts to consider that are close in to Seattle, and in affordable areas: Issaquah (Issaquah, some areas of Renton) , Lake Washington Schools (Redmond, Kirkland), Bellevue is quite affordable in our current real estate climate (4% interest rates etc). 73810
