A Question About Highschools in the USA

[VetLegion]

In articles I read on the internet it is often mentioned how quality of nearby schools has an effect on housing prices and general desirability of the area. I don't know how the US system works, so I'd like to clear this up.

I have gotten this impression that Americans are in some way "tied to the land" in the sense that their kids can only attend schools in some radius, so if you want your kids to attend a good highschool on the other end of the city, you have to move there. Correct? Or can you freely choose the schools your kids will attend? Both primary and secondary? If yes, why such pressure on moving to a good neighbourhood, when you can easily ship your kids to some distance with bus or by car?

Also, what happens when highschools have more applicants than places?

[ZEE]

Re: A Question About Highschools in the USA

Originally posted by VetLegion
I have gotten this impression that Americans are in some way "tied to the land" in the sense that their kids can only attend schools in some radius, so if you want your kids to attend a good highschool on the other end of the city, you have to move there. Correct?

YES, unfortunately i think this is how it works. but since i graduated in 1996 and i do not have kids i might be wrong...

Also, what happens when highschools have more applicants than places?

trailors and overcrowding

[Jon Miller]

I know a lot of people who pay a lot of attention to the local school system when they move. I wish my parents had, actually.

JM

[PLATO]

Most school districts break up their areas into zones that are serviced by specific schools. If you live in that zone, then your kid goes to that school. Waivers can be obtained and vary in difficulty in getting them by district.

Typically a district will supply busing service to schools in the appropriate zone.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by PLATO
Most school districts break up their areas into zones that are serviced by specific schools. If you live in that zone, then your kid goes to that school. Waivers can be obtained and vary in difficulty in getting them by district.

Internal passports! It's just like Soviet Russia

[Arrian]

Also lots of people live outside of the cities... given that you're talking about good schools driving up real estate prices, you're talking about a mainly suburban/country phenomenon. The urban schools are, by and large, terrible.

If you're out in suburbia or the country, you're probably not going to send your kid to an out-of-town or out-of-district school, because it would be a long way away.

The school district for my town is actually a regional district serving three towns for middle and high school. It's a good district and thus the real estate prices (and property taxes!) are higher than they otherwise would be.

-Arrian

[VetLegion]

Well here where I live (Croatia, Zagreb (pop ~1 million)) you can choose any highschool you want and commute there. If there are more applicants than positions, then there is a scoring system based on grades in primary school.

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Well here where I live (Croatia, Zagreb (pop ~1 million)) you can choose any highschool you want and commute there. If there are more applicants than positions, then there is a scoring system based on grades in primary school.

What if you lack the ability to commute on your own? Are school kids expected to use public transportation?

[rah]

On top of public HS there are quite a few private schools. Most upper class large inner city students go to these over the public schools. Getting in to these require money, pull, and good grades.

[Arrian]

Money, pull and/or good grades. You don't necessarily need all three (1+2 means you may not need 3, and 3 can sometimes overpower the lack of 1 or 2 - there are some scholarships).

-Arrian

[Pekka]

Lori, Duh. If you can't go there, then you aren't going there. If it's a commuting problem, you commute where you can. Unless you suggest that the laws of physics should be altered in the name of equal opportunity, there's just not much you can do about that.


ALSO, are kids expected to use public transportation. WTF?! HS kids aren't small children. What do you mean expected to use.... I just don't get this one at all.

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Pekka
Lori, Duh. If you can't go there, then you aren't going there. If it's a commuting problem, you commute where you can. Unless you suggest that the laws of physics should be altered in the name of equal opportunity, there's just not much you can do about that.


ALSO, are kids expected to use public transportation. WTF?! HS kids aren't small children. What do you mean expected to use.... I just don't get this one at all.

Uh, it was a question asked in ignorance. In the United States, kids from elementary school on up to high school ride school buses supplied by the school district. However, once in high school, you certainly do find a lot of students that get to school on their own, whether by car or bus or what have you.

[Pekka]

Yeah well, Zagreb is a city so I doubt there's school busses. There might be, but it isn't an issue when thinking about which HS can someone go to. In here for example, there are busses that take school kids but they're public just the same. That is, the bus stops in front of the school because the bus stop is right there, so hop in and get off at the right stop.

I don't see why this would be an issue or something weird. Having it public doesn't change anything, except maybe there aren't bully kids who try to bully the small ones because there are adults present.

[Lorizael]

ZOMG PEKKA I CAN'T IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT SCHOOL BUSSES YOU'VE SHATTERED MY PUNY AMERICAN MIND.

[Lorizael]

Seriously, I'm just curious. No big deal.