When buying or building a home, you’re more likely to think about what you want your home to have. Should it have a fireplace? A fenced-in backyard for the dog? An open-concept kitchen?
While these features are important, an often forgotten factor when selecting a home is school zones. Location matters and school zones can directly influence how a particular area is perceived.
So, as you navigate the process of buying or building a home, always research the schools near the home or lot you’re interested in purchasing.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of living near a good school district and what makes a school district “good.”
The Benefits of Living Near a Good School District
Better Education & Opportunities
If you want your child to be academically challenged and encouraged to explore their interests and talents, enrolling them in a good school is the first step.
Living near a well-regarded school district offers both convenience and access to better education and opportunities. They usually provide advanced placement courses, diverse and enriched educational programs, and more extensive college preparatory resources. In addition to better academic programs, these schools frequently offer more sports, arts, and cultural opportunities.
Property Value
Even if you don’t have children, there are still benefits to living near a good school district. Schools can have a significant impact on a home’s property value. Typically, homes near well-regarded schools will see an increase in property value. This increase can be particularly advantageous when it comes to private mortgage insurance (PMI). You are usually required to pay PMI until you have 20% equity on your home—living near a good school can help you reach this milestone sooner and save money on monthly mortgage payments.
A higher property value also means more equity, which you can use to pay off bills or fund home renovation projects.
Safer Neighborhoods
Lastly, quality school districts tend to be situated in communities that experience lower crime rates and prioritize safety and well-being. Neighborhoods with excellent schools also usually see higher community engagement, which can lead to a more vigilant and proactive approach to addressing safety concerns.
How to Assess School Zones
We’ve said “good” school districts a lot…but what qualities make a school “good?”
There are a few factors that influence the quality, including:
- Student Performance
- Student Attendance
- Graduation Rate
- Test Scores
Michigan has its own grading system for schools and releases grade reports yearly for schools throughout the state. Michigan’s grading system primarily focuses on academic factors, including student growth (how students have improved each year), student proficiency (how students performed overall), performance among peers (how students at one school compared to students at another), and more. You can read this brochure to learn more about the factors influencing Michigan’s school rankings.
Beyond academic performance, school safety is another factor to consider—have there been any reported incidents? How does the school approach student welfare?
When assessing schools, we recommend visiting nearby schools personally (if you have children) to gain a better sense of what the curriculum is like, what extracurricular activities are offered, and what types of resources they offer. We also recommend talking to local parents and community members, who will have invaluable and unbiased insights.
The Best Schools in Macomb County
When looking at rankings for schools in Michigan, you’ll notice schools labeled as Reward Schools—these are the top-ranked schools (top 5%) based on achievement and improvement results and are considered the finest schools in the state.
Based on the latest data from the 2022-2023 school year, these schools in Macomb County are considered the best in the state:
- Anchor Bay School District
- Armada Area Schools
- Chippewa Valley Schools
- Fraser Public Schools
- Great Oaks Academy
- L’Anse Creuse Public Schools
- Noor International Academy
- Richmond Community Schools
- Romeo Community Schools
- Utica Community Schools
- Van Dyke Public Schools
- Warren Consolidated Schools
- Warren Woods Public Schools
You can use this online tool to find the official grades of other schools you’re looking at that aren’t on this list.
Find the Best Location With Help From Cherry Creek Building
If you’re in the market for a new home, Cherry Creek Building is ready to help. We’ve been building custom homes for individuals and families in Michigan for over 30 years. We currently have homes available in a few of our Macomb County communities near some of the Rewards Schools listed above, including Mistwood and Pinnacle Farms (near L’anse Creuse) and Twin Rivers (near Chippewa Valley).
During the consultation process, our team will help you find the best location based on your family’s needs.
Please contact us today to learn more about our communities or to schedule a consultation.