Finding the right school for your children is such an important part of choosing the perfect home for you and your family. Whether it is location, class size or extra programs offered, finding the best fit for you and your kids takes research. The best way to find out if a school is right for you is to visit. Go there, talk to the community, look at the space, let yourself get that ‘gut feeling’. But before the visit, we recommend honing your list with online information, phone calls and recommendations from friends and family. We compiled a list of some of the online resources to get started. 

• National Center for Education Statistics– gives national data on every school district
• Minnesota Report Card– has tons data, can do side by side comparisons of schools throughout the state
• GreatSchools– a national non profit that give each school a rating and a community rating from students and parents
• School Digger– ranks schools by city and district, also has a side by side comparison

Don’t forget to call the school district and confirm the boundary maps are accurate and they aren’t planning to change any time soon, especially if this is deal breaker for you. Also, remember that district maps are usually only up to date with existing homes, if you are considering new construction, make sure to confirm the schools your lot will feed into.