Vermont schools have achieved national recognition for the quality education that they provide to students in the state.
In thinking about Vermont real estate, and particularly Burlington Vermont and the surrounding towns, I realized that I really wanted to share some information about Vermont schools and what they offer to our communities. As a small state, we’re pretty proud of our education system and the creativity that the educators in our state bring to the school system.
There are a number of web site’s out there that provide test results and anecdotal information about different schools. Here are a few sites that provide information about Vermont schools:
1) www.schooldigger.com – provides state wide test results, rankings, number of students, and teacher to student ratios
2) www.bestschools.com – provides quotes and rankings from parents and students of each school. Highly subjective information but can give insight into community engagement with each school.
3) www.education.vermont.gov – provides reports and data on the individual schools, town financial information and schools performance in comparison with state averages.
Here’s an overview of four high schools within the Burlington, Vermont region that are listed on the US News and World Reports Best Schools report (http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/vermont.) The report evaluated 21,776 high schools in the United States and rated the schools on three criteria 1) Math and reading test results as compared to the state’s average 2) How the least advantaged students at the school performed on the math and reading tests 3) College readiness as measured by number of students taking Advanced Placement classes. Ten schools in Vermont made the top schools list and four out of the top five are located around Burlington, Vermont.
Essex Junction, Vermont serves the towns of Essex Town and Essex Junction and includes a technical school within its facility. Essex is about ten minutes from Burlington, Vermont and is the home of a large IBM facility. Essex High School received a Silver ranking with US News and is listed as the second highest rated high school for Vermont. The school has approximately 1372 students.
Here’s an example of the kind of real estate for sale in Essex Junction, Vermont. This five bedroom home is on the market for just under 400,000.
South Burlington, Vermont is a satellite community to the city of Burlington, Vermont. South Burlington boasts easy access to Burlington, Vermont’s primary airport (BTV) and is minutes from all of the businesses within downtown Burlington, VT. South Burlington High School received the third placement within the top ten schools in Vermont. Cool fact: South Burlington achieved great test scores across the board, and they recently added a new program called The Big Picture: “Big Picture South Burlington is an innovative school-within-a-school, currently serving 24 students who have chosen BPSB because they were looking for more meaning in their high school education. Students work with faculty to design their own individualized curriculum based on their passions, skills, and goals. Students learn through internships, independent projects, workshops, travel, and group experiences such as our yearly camping and service learning trips.” (http://bigpicturesb.net/about)
Here’s an example of a house for sale in South Burlington, Vermont. This four bedroom boasts large rooms is available for 629,000.00.
Mt. Mansfield Union High School
Mt. Mansfield Union High School (MMU) is located in Jericho, VT and serves as five small villages along the Western Slopes of the Green Mountains including Jericho, Underhill, Underhill Center, Bolton, and Richmond, Vermont. Mt. Mansfield Union High School is ranked 4th within Vermont. These small towns are considered sleeper communities for both Burlington and Montpelier as they sit roughly between the largest city in the state and the state capital. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Mt. Mansfield Union High School is 39 percent. MMU provides students with a rural experience while benefitting from a high caliber education
MMU serves several small towns so there is a an opportunity to live in many areas and still attend MMU. Here’s an example of a beautiful house for sale in Richmond, Vermont.
Colchester High School
Colchester, Vermont is just north of Burlington, Vermont on Interstate 89 and is a large town with over 17,000 residents and several large businesses. Colchester High School is the only public high school in Colchester and has approximately 777 students enrolled at the time of the US News Report. Colchester offers a village setting with the benefits of commerce and community size. Colchester also has a stretch of land along Lake Champlain providing many residents with fantastic Lake Views and lake front access. Colchester High School is ranked 5th within Vermont. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Colchester High School is 51 percent.
Since Colchester offers lake front real estate, I am sharing a great house with lake views for sale in Colchester, Vermont. This four bedroom home is for sale for $614,900.
Thanks to the school systems within these communities for focusing on our kids’ education. Thanks to the members of these towns who consistently support our school systems through their school budgets and taxes.
If you are thinking of a move to the green mountain state, you can search for real estate in each of these towns here: http://www.homes-in-vermont.com/real-estate/search/
If you are interested in more information about each of these towns, take a look at these links which provide more data about the towns and the associated listings: http://www.homes-in-vermont.com/article/view/67806/1/11956/
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the real estate for sale in the Burlington, Vermont area or the towns listed in this post.
What is important to you when choosing a school for your children?
Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah