If you are looking for a new home in Shelby County, Tennessee, then chances are that knowing which school zone the home is located in is something that may hold importance to you. There are so many great schools in our County and finding the right one for your family is something that will impact your home search. Hopefully this resource can help make that search and decision easier.
Above is a map of all of the school zones in Shelby County. If you click on it then the full map will download to your computer and you can zoom in and see all of the specifics. In the alternative, if you want to go to the Shelby County School website, then click here to be taken to an interactive map that is hosted on their site.
As a word of advice, when you contact a Realtor and ask them to show you homes, you cannot ask them if the home is in a “good” or “bad” school zone, or any other question that would have them give advice that would “steer” you toward or away from a specific area. This is a rule of the National Association of Realtors and the Fair Housing Act. Realtors take this rule very seriously and believe very much in fair and equal housing for all.
If you are looking to move based on wanting to be in a specific school zone, you should do your own research and then you can tell your Realtor that you want to focus your search on specific areas. Now if you were to say that you wanted to find a home where your children would be zoned for “ABC” High School, then your Realtor can focus the search on neighborhoods zoned for that school because that search comes at your request.
There are many websites dedicated to providing rankings and advice on the quality of schools. You should look at as many different resources as you can so that you can make the most informed decisions. I have done some research on my kids former elementary school just for reference. The sites grade some schools on things that matter and also some that do not.
Some sites that are a good place to start your research:
(disclaimer - I do not have any benefit from posting links to these sites and I am not stating that they should be your exclusive form of research, but they are a good place to start researching and to learn about the schools in the area.)
One of the “metrics” I came across multiple times is the percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch. That is not a metric that matters in Shelby County because the County decided years ago that the lunch voucher program was negatively impacting the children it was designed to help. How did our County fix that issue? They did away with the program and provide free lunch to each and every student in the County. No vouchers, no questions. You walk through the line and get food if you want it. It has not impacted our personal taxes and it has helped change things for kids who were already struggling with issues at a young age.
As I stated before. Do your research. Call the schools and ask to take a tour, ask around and see if you know anyone who has kids at the school and just do what you can to learn as much as you can before making a final decision.
If you feel that this information may help you or a client, please reach out. It is my mission to help others.
Jeremiah L. McGuire
Attorney
Memphis, TN
901-494-1622
jeremiah@harkavyshainberg.com
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