How Do You Research a School Before You Move to Andover MA, Salem NH or Nearby?
The quick answer: Use three layers. Read the free state school profiles for Andover MA, Haverhill MA, Salem NH or any town on your list, and look at trends, not one year. Ask the district which school serves the exact address. Then visit on a normal school day and read the school committee budget.
The prettiest street isn't always the best fit. Here's what I check first.
You found the house. The street looks perfect. Now you're wondering about the school, and that worry can keep you up at night.
If you feel unsure, you aren't alone. Most of the parents I work with feel the same way. A ranking site gave them a number, and a number can't tell you if a school fits your child.
This is part 3 of our four-part schools series. Part 1 framed the choice. Part 2 put a price on it. Here's how to check the school itself, so you decide on facts and not on talk at an open house.
A ranking can start your list. It can't tell you if the school fits your child.
In this guide
Why isn't a school ranking enough?
A ranking squeezes a whole school into one number. It's a fine way to start a short list, and a poor way to finish one.
Each ranking site uses its own math. It may weigh things you don't care about. It can't show you class sizes, the culture, or the help your child might need.
Families who stop at the ranking often learn the big stuff after the move. So check the school in three layers: the state data, the district, and a visit.
What state school data should you read first?
Start with the free state profiles. They use the same format for every town, so you can line towns up side by side.
In Massachusetts, use the DESE school and district profiles. DESE is the state education department. In New Hampshire, use iPlatform, the state's school data site. It shows test results, student and teacher counts, and district budgets.
Look at more than test scores:
- How many students the school has, over several years
- Class sizes and how many students there are for each teacher
- How long teachers tend to stay
- How often kids miss school
- Results for kids like yours, including students who get extra help
- Graduation rates and what graduates do next
Read the trend over a few years. One odd year can make a school look better or worse than it is.
What should you ask the school district before you make an offer?
Call or email the district office before you write an offer. Most of these answers aren't online.
- Which school serves this exact address? Is that guaranteed?
- Is any school full, and could that change where my child goes?
- Is there a bus from this address? Is there a fee?
- Is there care before and after school? Is there a waitlist?
- How does enrollment work if we move in the middle of the year?
- What programs does each school offer, like languages, art, advanced classes and sports?
- If my child has an IEP or a 504 plan, how does the move work?
An IEP is a written plan for a student who gets special education. A 504 plan sets up help for a student with a disability. Ask for answers in writing when you can, most of all on which school your child will attend.
What should you look for on a school visit?
Many schools let new families visit. Call the principal's office and ask.
On the visit, notice:
- How staff talk to kids in the halls
- Whether the student work on the walls looks fresh
- How drop off and pick up really run, car line and all
- The shape of the building, the playground and the library
- Whether the principal can tell you, in plain words, what the school cares about most
Good questions for the principal: What are you proud of right now? What are you working to fix? How do you talk with families? What's changing next year?
How can you tell where a school district is headed?
The state profile shows where a district has been. The school committee shows where it's going.
Read the last few meeting minutes and the proposed budget. Look for staff changes, cut programs, new buildings and money worries. A district in a tight budget year can look very different three years from now.
Building plans matter to your tax bill too. In Haverhill MA, a new middle school is going up and the plan for Whittier Tech, the regional trade high school, is still open. Our Haverhill MA schools and taxes guide walks through both.
Local parent groups help as well. Treat each opinion as one voice, and look for patterns.
Why should you check middle and high school too?
Because your child won't stay in grade 2 forever. Many families study the elementary school and skip the rest.
The jump to middle school and then high school is where many families feel the biggest change. Ask parents of older kids how those moves went: the schedule, friends, extra help and activities.
Some towns share schools. Salisbury MA is part of the Triton Regional schools with Newbury MA and Rowley MA. Derry NH high schoolers go to Pinkerton Academy, and the town pays their tuition. That can mean a bigger school or a longer bus ride than the one down the street. See our Salisbury MA and Derry NH guides for how those work.
How does the Lisa Sevajian Group help with the school piece?
We don't rate or recommend schools. That choice is yours. Our job is to make sure you have the right questions, the right sources and enough time to get answers before you make an offer.
I've made the schools or the house choice twice for my own family. Once I picked the school district. Once I picked the house. Both times, I wish I'd slowed down and weighed it more. That's why I walk families through it step by step now.
Next in the series: Part 4, what to do if the school isn't a fit, from school choice and charter schools to private school and a real Plan B.
Which homes are for sale in Andover MA, Haverhill MA and Salem NH right now?
Here's every home for sale in Andover MA, Haverhill MA and Salem NH right now, live from the MLS. Found one you like? Ask the district which school serves that exact address before you book a showing.
Part 3 of 4: Schools or the house
Checking schools in two towns?
Send me the towns on your list. I'll help you line up the questions and compare the answers before you make an offer.
About Lisa Sevajian
Buying, Lisa Sevajian makes sure you don't overpay. Selling, she makes sure you don't say yes to too little. Lisa Sevajian is a Realtor with the Lisa Sevajian Group at eXp Realty, licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has guided almost 2,000 families through buying and selling and has ranked in the top 1.5% of over 1.4 million Realtors nationwide verified by RealTrends. She serves Andover MA, North Andover MA, Amesbury MA, Newburyport MA, Haverhill MA, Methuen MA, Salisbury MA, Boxford MA, Topsfield MA, Georgetown MA, Groveland MA, Tewksbury MA, Wilmington MA, Reading MA, North Reading MA, Middleton MA, Danvers MA, Salem MA, Peabody MA, Windham NH, Salem NH, Londonderry NH, Derry NH, Pelham NH, Plaistow NH, Nashua NH, Manchester NH, Atkinson NH, Hampton NH and Portsmouth NH. Call Lisa Sevajian at 978-457-3406.
Home, for me, is here
This is home for me. I grew up north of Boston. I raised my two daughters here as a single mom while I built my business. When they were little, they hosted open houses with me.
Home was North Andover MA. I grew up in the library neighborhood on Mifflin Drive, later moved out to the country side of town, and loved every moment of my 40 or so years there. I hiked Weir Hill with my dogs, and a lot of my mornings started at Good Day Cafe.
So when you ask me about a town, you get more than numbers. Ask me about a school, a street or your commute, and you get someone who has lived it. If you're making a move here, you won't make it alone.
Lisa is an expert negotiator and we were able to get everything that we wanted for our offer.
Kevin Liu, bought a home in Georgetown MA, verified Zillow review
She listened to me and understood what I needed in this home sale.
Elizabeth Reifsnyder, sold a home in Andover MA, verified Zillow review
Read real client storiesSee all reviewsMore about Lisa Sevajian
Featured by HGTV, Forbes, HousingWire, Boston magazine, RealTrends Verified and Boston Agent Magazine, syndicated by The Globe and Mail and Yahoo Finance, among many others.
Questions people ask
How do I research a school before buying a house in Massachusetts?
Start with the free DESE school and district profiles and read several years of data. Then ask the district which school serves the exact address, and visit on a normal school day.
Where can I find school test scores for Andover MA?
Use the DESE school and district profiles site. Search for Andover MA and open the results for the exact schools your house would use.
How do I find out which school a house is assigned to in Haverhill MA?
Call or email the Haverhill MA school district office and give them the exact address. Ask if that assignment is guaranteed, and get the answer in writing.
Can I tour a school before buying a home in North Andover MA?
Many schools let new families visit. Call the principal's office at the school that serves the address and ask when you can come in.
Where do I find school data for Salem NH or Windham NH?
Use iPlatform, the New Hampshire education department's school data site. It shows test results, student and teacher counts, and district budgets for Salem NH, Windham NH and every other district.
What high school do Derry NH students go to?
Derry NH high schoolers attend Pinkerton Academy, a private nonprofit school, and the town pays their tuition. Ask Pinkerton about programs and the bus from your address.
What school district is Salisbury MA in?
Salisbury MA is part of the Triton Regional School District with Newbury MA and Rowley MA. Check the Triton profile on the DESE site.
Is school assignment guaranteed when I buy a house in Massachusetts?
Not always. If a school is full, a district may place a child somewhere else. Ask the district before you make an offer and get the answer in writing.
What matters more than test scores when choosing a school?
Fit. Look at class sizes, programs, extra help, the bus, before and after care, and how the school handles moves to middle and high school.
How do I know if a school district is stable?
Read several years of enrollment and staffing data, the last few school committee minutes, and the proposed budget. Ask the district what's changing next year.
Should I check middle and high schools before buying in Amesbury MA or Newburyport MA?
Yes. Many families only check the elementary school. Ask parents of older kids in Amesbury MA or Newburyport MA how the moves to middle and high school went.
This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your attorney, lender and CPA before you decide.
I'll guide you home.
Lisa Sevajian