Nashville School Comparison (Cleveland, Forest Hills: real estate market, houses, neighborhoods)

[fiskkm]

My wife and I are really interested in moving to the Nashville area. We like the size of the city, the location in relation to our family, the weather, scenery, and overall affordability. But, one thing we are a little concerned about is education. I just don't know how the school systems match up to some of the other areas we are considering. Assuming we can afford any neighborhood in the Nashville area, what are the best school systems? If there are top notch private schools, can someone identify them and their relative cost?

Also, does anyone know a good web site to compare schools nationally? For instance, I would like to be able to compare a Nashville area district with ones from Columbus, Cleveland, Denver, and Phoenix (areas where I have lived and really know the schools). Alternatively, if anyone has lived in those cities and moved to Nashville, I would like to hear your input. Thanks for the help.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by fiskkm

My wife and I are really interested in moving to the Nashville area. We like the size of the city, the location in relation to our family, the weather, scenery, and overall affordability. But, one thing we are a little concerned about is education. I just don't know how the school systems match up to some of the other areas we are considering. Assuming we can afford any neighborhood in the Nashville area, what are the best school systems? If there are top notch private schools, can someone identify them and their relative cost?

Also, does anyone know a good web site to compare schools nationally? For instance, I would like to be able to compare a Nashville area district with ones from Columbus, Cleveland, Denver, and Phoenix (areas where I have lived and really know the schools). Alternatively, if anyone has lived in those cities and moved to Nashville, I would like to hear your input. Thanks for the help.

Metro schools get a bad rap. There are some good elementary schools (Julia Green, Percy Priest, Glendale, Eakin) but you have to be zoned for those schools and they are in the priciest parts of town. The middle and high schools have a lot of issues but the magnet schools are very good that are nationally ranked (Hume-Fogg and MLK).

Williamson has the best suburban reputation. I'm not sure it is because of the actual schools though. The kids in Williamson do well on the state tests because they come from affluent educated parents and probably would test well anywhere.

For private schools the top ones are: USN(K-12), Ensworth(k-12)), Harpeth Hall (girls 5-12), MBA boys (7-12) and Harding (k-8). They are also the priciest ranging from about $15k-22k.

[fiskkm]

The Hume-Fogg and MLK High Schools look incredible. Can you give me any more information on the elementary schools mentioned above (Julia Green, Percy Priest, Glendale, & Eakin)? Specifically, what part of the city should I be looking in if I want my kids to go to those schools? My budget is $500K, so I should be able to get into most neighborhoods.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by fiskkm

The Hume-Fogg and MLK High Schools look incredible. Can you give me any more information on the elementary schools mentioned above (Julia Green, Percy Priest, Glendale, & Eakin)? Specifically, what part of the city should I be looking in if I want my kids to go to those schools? My budget is $500K, so I should be able to get into most neighborhoods.

Here is what is available in your price range in the Julia Green zone:

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

Go to RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Property Finder, click on Davidson county on the map, then enter your price range and the school in the appropriate search fields. In other words, type the elementary school names in the elementary field.

In Nashville, middle school begins in 5th grade, and that's where you'll need to make a choice of public or private.

[Kevin south of Nashville]

GreatSchools.net was built by a former teacher and allows you to compare various schools from different cities at the same time (and City-Data uses this web site for their school information too). Fair warning, while $500,000 is well above the Nashville area's median home price, it almost matches the average or median home price around some of the schools mentioned above.

For comparisons sake, do you mind me asking what cities you are considering vs. Nashville?

[Shino306]

Originally Posted by Kevin south of Nashville

GreatSchools.net was built by a former teacher and allows you to compare various schools from different cities at the same time (and City-Data uses this web site for their school information too). Fair warning, while $500,000 is well above the Nashville area's median home price, it almost matches the average or median home price around some of the schools mentioned above.

For comparisons sake, do you mind me asking what cities you are considering vs. Nashville?

For Julia Green and Eakin, if you want a livable house, expect to pay well more than $500k. Sellers in those areas expect top dollar but haven't renovated their kitchens since 1965.

[Kevin south of Nashville]

So unfair... some are 1985

It’s moved more and more towards a matter of floor plan preference in the last two years at least (new vs. old). Quite a few are either reasonably priced - comparatively - or starting to renovate.

There is a fantastic fixer-upper at 1813 Kingsbury Drive [not my listing, not self promoting] in the heart of Forest Hills that is asking under $300,000 with almost 3,000 ready to be finished out. It’s possible to see this appraise for $250,000 more than that amount if finished correctly; Percy Priest Elementary.

Originally Posted by Shino306

For Julia Green and Eakin, if you want a livable house, expect to pay well more than $500k. Sellers in those areas expect top dollar but haven't renovated their kitchens since 1965.

[Ldoubled]

I don't know how to compare schools from different states but typically Tennessee has been a bit of a bottom feeder. They revised the standards recently to try to get up to snuff and received a good chunk of the Race to the Top (or whatever it's called) money so it's moving in the right direction at least. Williamson County is supposed to have the best school system in the state but some of those schools still only make the state median test scores. It's my understanding that the magnet schools in Nashville operate on a lottery system so you can't count on getting into one of those schools. I could be wrong on that.

[Shino306]

Originally Posted by Kevin south of Nashville

So unfair... some are 1985

It’s moved more and more towards a matter of floor plan preference in the last two years at least (new vs. old). Quite a few are either reasonably priced - comparatively - or starting to renovate.

There is a fantastic fixer-upper at 1813 Kingsbury Drive [not my listing, not self promoting] in the heart of Forest Hills that is asking under $300,000 with almost 3,000 ready to be finished out. It’s possible to see this appraise for $250,000 more than that amount if finished correctly; Percy Priest Elementary.

I think there are more deals and "better" houses, i.e. they've been fixed up, renovated, etc at a lower price point to be found in the homes zoned for Percy Priest vs. Julia Green and Eakin.

It's very frustrating as a potential buyer with a budget ABOVE $500k to go look at houses in the areas zoned for JG and Eakin and constantly be confronted with something: either the kitchen isn't updated, they have that nasty black and white tile on the floor, wood paneling every where, bathrooms circa 1965 OR 1985...just something. Personally, I don't feel, especially in this real estate market, I should have to remodel a house with the budget we have. Ok, that's my vent for today

The above poster is correct about MLK and Hume-Fogg, they're magnet schools, you need to live in Davidson County to be eligible, you have to have certain test scores to even be eligible, which if your children have, they are then entered into the lottery.
MLK is more science/math based and HF is more liberal arts focused. Per one of my really good friends that went to MLK, they also strive to promote diversity (which I'm all about, we live in a diverse world, children need to learn that), which also means kids are admitted to fill racial quotas. However, MLK and HF are TOP schools, like always in the top of national rankings of high schools. So, you can't go wrong if your kid is admitted, just don't think that by living in Davidson County, it'll be a shoo-in.

As someone from Denver personally, the schools districts in the Metro Nashville area (including Williamson county) DO NOT compare to Cherry Creek Schools, Douglas County Schools, or Littleton Schools. So, if you're looking for that, I'd suggest moving to a different state, accepting that you'll need to put your kids in private schools, or hoping they get into MLK or Hume Fogg.

Good Luck!

[ben52284]

Like I mentioned in a previous post, Meigs middle school is the feeder school for Hume Fogg, and Head middle is the feeder for MLK. Students who attend those middle schools, maintain As and Bs, and score advanced or proficient on the TCAP, are automatically placed in the respective high school without entering the lottery. This is important because 30% of the seats at each middle school are reserved for the locally zoned students on a first come first served basis. I don't know how old your kids are, but this is an good way of getting into great schools--so long as you are prepared to go the private route if your kids don't meet the grade and test cutoffs... I suspect given your budget that these neighborhoods might not be exactly what you are looking for, but it's worth a thought if you were willing to spend somewhat less.