After completing the home buying simulation, I have come to realize that buying or renting a home is a difficult and frustrating process. In the Greater Hartford area, towns such as East Hartford, Manchester, and Glastonbury all are surrounded by magnet and charter schools that benefits children’s educations, yet with lack of public transportation routes throughout the suburbs it can be sometimes challenging to commute to either work or school.
The financial situation that I was placed with was earning an annual amount of $42,000 and debt free. In order to find an affordable house with my monthly maximum being $1,150 I had to shop around the internet to see what the best option was for me and my kids. It was pretty tough finding a home within my price range that had multiple bedrooms and had more than one floor (single floor houses are too small due to my height)! I was able to stumble upon a home in East Hartford, 39 Willys St, which was right in my price range. Highly affordable at $554 /mo, I would have some extra to pay other expenses and possibly a down payment for a used car. Located in a quite, friendly neighborhood would be perfect for my two 3rd and 6th grade children.
Now that a house has been found, I needed to find the best schools around for my children that would provide them with a bus to and from school each day. Personally I’d like my children to attend the best academic school as well as diverse that is around. The Glastonbury-East Hartford Elementary Magnet has the best ratio of Black:White:Hispanic:Other students. Although it is located 4.4 miles from the home residence there the CT Transit bus has a route that takes approximately 29 from home to school. For the 6th grade child, although not as diverse with students other than black, white, and Hispanic the Montessori Magnet School at the Learning Corridor is as well a great school and is in good walking distance at only 2.2 miles from home.
Respectively each school is +5 in test score gains so I am sure that the children will receive some of the top education in the area closest.
To manage a stable living condition in a well being neighborhood and sending your children to a good school can be difficult for a person who doesn’t have the highest income. In order to improve yours and the other lives around you, sacrifices have to be made.
Good exploration, but think carefully about: 1) will you automatically be granted admission to a magnet school because you live nearby? 2) is there a safe walking route for your 3rd grade child to go two miles? (Interdistrict magnet schools provide transportation, so that would not be an issue for this type of school, but it would for non-magnet schools).