If you want to live in a good school district, that generally means you have to pay a pretty price. We’ve heard educators tell us it’s worth it to rent a tiny apartment in a good school district (even if you own in another!) just to reap the benefits of better teachers, technology, and test scores. But that kind of sacrifice is not an option for everyone, and not everyone has similar priorities.
There are more than 40 school districts in San Diego County. You might be in one for elementary school and another for middle and high school. One of the main school districts is San Diego Unified. If you’re planning to live in this area, find what would be your designated neighborhood school by typing in a house address at the SD Unified School Finder.
When you get the public school name, you can look up the rating of that school on Great Schools. If the rating isn’t great, you could try a charter school, private school, or choice out into another public school. In order to do that, though, you’ll have to act a full year prior to the school year in which you hope to enroll. (For example, school choice applications for the 2018–19 school year are due October 2–November 13, 2017.) The application puts you in a random lottery; you won’t find out until the following February if you were selected.
There’s certainly a lot to consider if you don’t live near a “good” school. Below are some helpful links.