“Where are the best schools in New Jersey?” 

When our buyer clients are searching for a home in the New Jersey suburbs, this is one of the most common questions we hear.  Many of the people who move to one of the New Jersey towns that we most frequently work in are interested in this area because they are ready to start a family, or their young children have reached school age.  Answering the question about where the best schools are isn’t easy. This is mostly because the answer is truly different for everyone!  

School Ratings Websites Are Flawed & Here’s One Big Reason Why 

If you’re looking for the best New Jersey school districts, then you’ve likely stumbled upon a few different school rating websites. One of the most popular sites is GreatSchools. GreatSchools uses several different metrics to give any given school a rating on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best). When you browse homes on Zillow, they’ve even integrated GreatSchools ratings into any home’s listing page so you can get a quick glance at the local schools. Niche is another popular website that shares school ratings, and New Jersey School Performance Reports is another way to look up schools (the latter of which is rather dry and quite analytical!). 

The thing is, despite all of the facts and figures that these websites incorporate into their ratings, there are a few different, essential things about any given school that you’ll have to do some additional digging on. These rating websites can offer insight and a piece of the puzzle, but there are a few other important things you can do to find the best school in New Jersey for your family and your unique needs. 

>> But before we go any further, a quick story! 

Founder & Broker Judith Weiniger was once working with a home buyer in Warren, New Jersey. There was a home they were very keen on buying, and suddenly, they lost interest. It turns out that they had started Googling the schools more, and inevitably they came upon GreatSchools. GreatSchools rated the school in the neighborhood a 6/10, and in fact, they were leaving their current neighborhood because their current school was only a 6/10.However, Judy knew the schools in the Warren neighborhood her buyer clients were looking in were superb because her own kids had attended the schools. She knew from first-hand experience how truly wonderful the schools were.

Judy also knows how challenging it can be to find information about schools online, so she decided to partner up with the school district’s superintendent and all of the school’s principals to film videos about their schools and facilities. 

In each of the videos, people can “meet” each of the principals, learn more about curriculum and education philosophies, take a tour of the school building and location, and see the engaging teachers and students in action. Through each video, Judy worked to really convey the heart and soul of each school to soon-to-be residents. 

You can view all of the videos about schools in Warren, New Jersey here. 

Here is an example of one of the videos; this particular video showcases Mount Horeb Elementary School in Warren, NJ: 

How to Make Sure a School is Right For Your Family 

If school rating websites are flawed, then how are you supposed to find the best New Jersey school or school district? Most schools are not going to have the insightful videos that we have to showcase our Warren schools! 

Here are a few tips for finding the best New Jersey schools:

• Consider what is important to your family. Some people might care a lot about test scores and academic rigor, whereas others may value a school that has certain types of extracurriculars. Maybe your child thrives in the arts, so choosing a school with orchestra, band, choir, or theatre options may be most important. This will be different for everyone! 

• Your real estate agent is an excellent resource. If your agent has children who have attended the schools in the area you’re interested in, they will be able to give you firsthand knowledge about their experience. If they don’t, an agent who is a local expert will be able to connect you with locals who can share their experiences with the schools. For example, our agent Michelle Giordano is a Bridgewater, NJ expert, and she sent her kids through the Bridgewater schools and can speak to her experience here. 

• You can call the school and talk to the principal. Unfortunately, schools will not give tours for safety reasons, but you can learn a lot about a school by having a chat with the principal. They may be able to connect you with teachers or other community members to talk with, too. 

• Join local Facebook groups and ask about the schools. Most towns these days have several different Facebook groups you can join, and some schools even have their own Facebook groups for parents. Join a few groups, use the “search” function to see what people are saying about a particular school, and feel free to jump in and ask your own questions! 

We’re also happy to connect with you and chat through your questions about local schools—get in touch here!