When parents decide to move to a new community, often as a result of a job change, one of the first questions they often have is about the quality of education in their new city.
Educational opportunities play a major factor in most families’ housing decisions. Many parents desire cultural diversity, including sports, museums, camps, extracurricular activities and other forms of enrichment, as well as educational and worship alternatives. A great school often indicates a community is a great place to live.
Here are the 10 top-rated public school systems in larger, metro areas:
- Raleigh, North Carolina. Families have many educational options, whether it be to send their children to a thriving magnet school or one of the many charter schools, or traditional public schools. The Wake County Public School System has an economically and racially diverse student population and offers rigorous high school courses through the International Baccalaureate program. More than 90 percent of graduating seniors report that they plan to attend a college or university.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado. The city, located about an hour from Denver, has several school districts. Its largest district is District 11, which offers diverse curriculum, including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate, CORE Knowledge, and a concentration in technology. District 11 also has a public Montessori program. Colorado Springs is a great place to live, with many outdoor activities and a new performing arts center.
- Naperville, Illinois. Naperville’s two high schools not only have strong academic offerings, but a wealth of extracurricular activities. Naperville Central High School is the only high school in the country that has its own Egyptian mummy. The school has many award-winning academic teams that place well at regional and state competitions.
- Bellevue, Washington. A suburb of Seattle, Bellevue offers many educational choices for families who call this beautiful community surrounded by mountain ranges home. Three of its four high schools have been highly ranked by national surveys, including Bellevue High School, Newport High School and the International School. Bellevue also boasts seven Montessori schools and a Waldorf school.
- Mesa, Arizona. All six of Mesa’s high schools have been nationally ranked for their academic rigor and student achievement. A short 20-minute drive from Phoenix, Mesa offers outdoor activities for the entire family, as well as access to big city events and attractions.
- Virginia Beach, Virginia. Virginia Beach high school students boast SAT and Advanced Placement scores routinely above the national average. Virginia Beach City Public Schools has 56 elementary schools, 14 middle schools and 11 high schools and has developed other educational alternatives, like the Renaissance Academy. Six of the district’s 11 high schools have been ranked nationally as the best U.S. high schools.
- San Jose, California. San Jose has many outstanding schools, including Leland High School. Leland High has a successful speech and debate team that has often been nationally recognized. San Jose Unified School District is located in the heart of Silicon Valley.
- Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ann Arbor may have a small town feel, but it also is home to the University of Michigan, giving it a small college town feel. The community has three traditional high schools and three alternative high schools, giving students a choice.
- Plano, Texas. Plano is one of the wealthiest communities in the country, and its schools have a strong academic reputation as well. The Plano Independent School District divides its high schools in a non-traditional way, with ninth- and 10th-graders separated from students in 11th- and 12th-grades at the senior high schools.
- Honolulu, Hawaii. Hawaii Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the country, with more than 175,000 students. But many of the schools tend to have smaller class sizes, which allows teachers to give students more individualized attention in the classroom.
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