Choosing a School, Then a Home

It's both uplifting and surprising to see how much sacrifice parents make to raise their children. One thing I encounter frequently as a real estate agent is the way parents consider the quality and proximity of schools when choosing an area and deciding which home to buy.

My family moved from Toronto for a variety of reasons, but seeking a higher quality of education for our gifted youngsters was a key one. The highly ranked primary school (about which we heard nothing but great things) was 2 minutes walking distance away from the home we chose. However, our eldest was only there for a couple of years before moving on to high school. Our middle child ended up entering the gifted program at a different school and had to be bussed back and forth. Only our youngest received the benefit of our relocation choice -- and there's a chance he will be enrolled in the gifted program soon too. It has been a great school and we don't regret our decision, but our experience proves to me that there are many factors in making a move and "putting all your eggs in one basket" may not work out the way you plan.

If you're still thinking about where to move to give your kids the highest quality of education possible, you can check the Fraser Institute's School Report Cards to see Ontario school rankings. You can also visit the Ontario government's web site to see what the strategic plan is for education across the province.

It's nice to see York Region ranks highly for both elementary and secondary schools. I know from personal experience that this is a great area to live, work, and go to school.