PUBLIC SCHOOLS
If you’re looking to move to the Philadelphia suburbs with school-aged children, you’re in luck. Seven of the ten best school districts in PA are in the Philadelphia suburbs.* Matching districts to location can get complicated, so we made this interactive map for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery County Public Schools. Click around to see resource links to niche.com and schooldigger.com for each district. Another great resource to compare individual schools is greatschools.com. Your real estate agent can even set up a custom search to only include homes in specific districts, among your other criteria.
Can you enroll in a school that is not in your district? That depends. In Pennsylvania, the state allows each district to set its own open enrollment policies. Check with your desired school district. The same goes for those who want to enroll in a school outside their school district.
PHG agents Kate Kyle and Patrick Hatfield in front of their former elementary school in the Rose Tree Media School District.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN PHILADELPHIA AND SUBURBS
There are over 400 private schools in the Philadelphia suburbs, some non-secular and some parochial. Niche.com gives a great overview of each in the area by grade. They rate schools in four categories: Academics, Diversity, Teachers, and Sports. Search by overall rating or specific categories in public or private schools. You can even search by location when you use their map feature (like below, a snapshot of K-12 private schools.) Zoom in and out to find your area and search with the map.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL
Most private schools use the School & Student Services website to determine financial aid. You can even apply for aid to any number of schools for any number of children using just one statement. Check with each school to know your deadlines for financial assistance submission. For additional grants and scholarships, check with each private school.
HOMESCHOOLING AND UNSCHOOLING IN PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS
Pennsylvania has state mandated subjects, notification requirements, and immunization requirements for students under the PA Home School Law. If you’ve been homeschooling in another state and moving to Philly or the PA suburbs, you’ll want to check out your four options in PA. Contact your designated school district to find out who oversees the homeschooling process and where you’ll need to submit all required documents.
We toured the stars of the Main Line; Ardmore, Bryn Mawr and Wayne PA. Come along and visit some of our favorite places in the quaint downtowns of these charming suburbs.