The fact that you want to know about the caliber of schools in Houston, in order to determine where you want to live, is a significant indicator of your commitment to your child and to her education. Research has shown than families who care about the choice of schools are also the same families who will get involved in their child's education thus promoting a better outcome for their child and the community at large.

Houston is a huge school district. There are 739 Elementary Schools, 319 Middle Schools, and 211 High Schools. There are 332 Private Schools. So, the question is - how do you start the process of discovering what schools in Houston are the best for you and your child(ren)?

The first place to start is to identify what you want your child's education to be like. It is important to take your child's own personal likes and dislikes, talents, abilities and disabilities (if appropriate) into consideration when defining what you want. Consider the answer to these questions as you determine the size of school you want your child to attend, the size of class, the focus of the school etc.

When you have a sense of what is important to you, check out the neighborhood school to see if it fits the description of what you want. If you are not sure what school is in the neighborhood you are considering moving into, contact the administration office of the school district covering the neighborhood. When you call the administration office, you might also ask them about their policies for students attending magnet, charter and other schools both inside and outside of the district.

Two options that are often confusing to families are the charter and magnet schools. A charter school, just for your information, is a public school that has been exempted from the typical public school regulations. They have a charter agreement with the school board and enrollment is voluntary meaning - it is not bound by school district neighborhood school lines. A magnet school is also another option that a public school district can offer to residents of the school district. Most often magnet schools focus on a specific area of learning such as math, science, art, music. They often have different structures such as mixed age groupings and run on a 12 month cycle. Just as the charter school, magnet schools must accept students regardless of their district affiliation.

Many times the openings for both of these types of schools are limited and families may be placed on a waiting list. Families may want to investigate private education opportunities in the area they are considering living as well as perhaps home schooling networks.

You will be able to compare schools with one another and this should help you narrow down your choices. When you have selected a few schools to investigate a bit further, look on their website to see if there is a section for parent reviews. This is a good way to get a feel for what the parents feel about the school and their sense of trust.

The last step of this process is to visit the schools you have decided meet your criteria. If it meets the criteria you have been looking for, then you know that you can look for housing in the community. If you can not find a good match in one community, go through the same process until you find a community and school district that fit.