Updated: Mar 24
A frequently asked question we as real estate agents are asked by buyers is, “is this a good school?” While it seems simple on the surface, believe it or not, it’s a loaded question, and one that agents must tread carefully while answering. The Omaha metro has at least a dozen different districts so it gets confusing fast!
The reason it’s a complicated subject, is because Real Estate Agents must adhere to fair housing standards. These standards are put in place to protect both the buyer and the seller from discrimination. Agents must not steer buyers to or away from a particular area because in doing so, home options would be limited. Giving our opinion on schools and school districts can easily cross into this territory.
There are, however, some great resources that we can encourage our buyers to look at and review. Different sites collect data and rank schools. These sites: https://nep.education.ne.gov/, greatschools.org, niche.com, usnewsandworldreports.com, all look at various criteria and rank schools. However, academics and testing is only one way to measure schools.
I think the most important thing for new buyers to decide is what they value in a school district. Some schools offer more advanced classes, some art and music programs flourish, and others science and technology. Some have smaller class sizes while some feature large student bodies. Some are powerhouse sports schools, while other offer more chances for student participation. Some people want to live within walking distance of their local school. Perhaps starting at the district website, school’s facebook page, and local school’s webpage would give you and your students a fuller picture of the type of school it is. I, for one, believe that all schools should be great safe places for kids to learn and thrive.
So it's best to start with: What matters the most to you? No matter what your preference, we will work to help you find the right home that meets ALL your needs. We wish everyone a great school year!
School Districts In the Greater Omaha Metro (In no particular order! :))
· Omaha Public Schools https://district.ops.org/Default.aspx
· Millard Public Schools https://www.mpsomaha.org/
· Papillion/La Vista https://www.plcschools.org/
· Bellevue https://www.bellevuepublicschools.org/
· DC West https://www.dcwest.org/
· Fort Calhoun https://www.fortcalhounschools.org/
· Elkhorn https://www.elkhornweb.org/
· Ashland Greenwood https://news.agps.org/
· Ralston Public Schools https://www.ralstonschools.org/
· Westside https://www.westside66.org/
· Gretna https://www.gpsne.org/