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Be a Detective.

Finding out about the local schools could take a little detective work.  Start by driving past the school or, if the school is not in session, park and take a walk around.  Are the buildings well-maintained and free of graffiti?  A clean, well-kept campus usually means the school is well-funded. It also indicates that the employees and community care about its appearance and likewise, its academics.

Talk to Neighbors.

Talk to your potential neighbors as well. How do they feel about the schools?  Are they satisfied.  What would they like to see changed?

Look at Enrollment and Test Scores.

Find out about enrollment and recent test scores .  If either test scores or enrollment have declined in the past year or so, call the principal or school district office and find out why. Has enrollment dropped because parents are taking their kids to a different school?  Have test scores dropped because of poor resource materials, teacher apathy or lack of parent involvement?

Research News.

Check and see if the local newspaper has a web site. If so, type in the school's or district's name in an archive search and see what the paper has been saying about the school as well as the issues facing the district.