Secrets of British and American School District House

Strictly speaking, the dilemma of high school district house prices and fierce competition for educational resources are not Chinese characteristics. In many developed countries in Europe and America, especially in English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the concept of school district housing and similar social phenomena also exist. Due to different national conditions and policies, there are some differences in actual conditions.

In a narrow sense, the school district system is the education system prevailing in the United Kingdom and the United States. The full name of the local educational administrative area, that is, the local school district. Broadly speaking, it refers to the residential area where school-age children are enrolled in national education or compulsory education, which is the so-called school district. The real estate industry in Mainland China therefore gave rise to the concept of school district housing.

United States: significant “Matthew effect” in school district house

Similar to China, the US public elementary and secondary schools also adopt the principle of “enrolling nearby”. According to US law, any child who lives in the school district has the right to free education; while attending private schools is not restricted by the school district and usually only depends on the school district. Whether the student can afford expensive tuition and pass the entrance exam.

If you want to go to a public elementary and middle school in the United States, you do not need to provide a real estate certificate located in the corresponding school district. Because of the policy of sharing the right to rent and sell, you only need to provide a real proof of residence, such as a rental contract, utility bills or bank statements Wait. Therefore, even families that are not well-off can solve their children’s schooling problems by renting a house.

Different states in the United States have their own standards for measuring the teaching level of schools in their respective regions. For example, in California, it can be determined by querying the school’s academic performance index (API), usually 800 points or more can be considered as a better school (out of 1000 points); while in New York State, the school’s ranking is Determined by indicators such as the environment, student performance, and progress level. In addition, there are independent non-official organizations, such as Niche, Great Schools and other platforms, which will also score and rank schools in the United States according to their own standards.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the education funding of public schools in the United States mainly comes from the real estate tax income of the school districts under their jurisdiction. Therefore, in general, the “Matthew effect” will also be very significant: the education funding of schools in areas with expensive housing prices and rich people. Sufficient, so the infrastructure, the level of teachers, etc. will be easier to improve, and this will attract more people to move to the surrounding area, which will bring a premium to rent and house prices, and also make the property tax rise further; on the contrary, the house price will be higher. In areas with low property tax revenues, low education funding, and school finances, it is difficult to improve the overall education level, which will further restrain the rise in housing prices.

In addition, unlike China, there is no direct relationship between school districts and local administrative regions in the United States. The two are under the jurisdiction of different institutions, so “cross-regional” situations often occur. The division of the school district itself is very detailed, specific to the street and house number. Each home address will be divided into a clear school district, there will be a designated public school, it is difficult to go to school across school districts. As for which address belongs to which school district, you can directly check the relevant website of the U.S. Department of Education for free.

There are also a few elite (public) schools or genius classes in the United States that can be enrolled across school districts. Take Pine View School, which ranks first among public schools in Florida as an example. Any family living in the state, as long as their children can pass the intelligence test and the admissions committee interview, can be eligible for admission.

United Kingdom: The average house price of the most expensive school district is 3.815 million pounds

The concept of school district housing and admission policies in the United Kingdom are similar to those in the United States, but the competition for educational resources is more intense. Therefore, the premium of school district housing is more obvious than in the United States.

The Bureau of Education Standards (Ofsted) is the official regulatory agency responsible for rating all public schools. It is not affiliated with any school or educational institution, but is directly responsible to Parliament. The bureau divides all schools into “outstanding”, “good”, “require improvement” and “inadequate”. For schools that can be rated as “outstanding”, nearby housing prices will also appear to be “rising.”

According to statistics from different institutions and platforms, the average premium for school districts in the UK is about 15–20%, and in individual areas it will exceed 30%.

A survey conducted by the British online mortgage company Trussle in September last year showed that the average price of a house in a postcode area with an “outstanding school” is approximately £447,000, which is higher than the average price in the UK (approximately £251,000). ) Is much higher. And 18 of the 20 most expensive areas are located in the London area. Among them, the most expensive is St Marylebone School (St Marylebone School), with an average price of 3.815 million pounds in the surrounding area; followed by Holland Park School (Holland Park School) , The nearby house price is 3.285 million pounds.

Of course, the reason why the price of housing in the London school district is so high is more due to the special status of London than just the excellent educational resources. If it is purely for admission to an “outstanding school”, you can also choose to move to Bradford in the north of England. According to Trussle’s data, a school district house can be bought near the city’s “outstanding school” for a mere tens of thousands of pounds.

Originally published at https://www.tlw.com.