Evaluating Opportunities in Sunnyvale’s Elementary Schools
by Alex Wang | Contact Alex Wang w/ Questions
For families interested in Sunnyvale schools, the numbers are 900 and 901. Those were the API scores for Sunnyvale’s Cherry Chase Elementary and Cumberland Elementary, the highest-rated schools in the Sunnyvale Elementary School District according to 2007’s API growth report.
Cumberland joined Silicon Valley’s elite schools with 900 or above API scores this year with its 36 point increase.
As you might expect, homes in Sunnyvale that feed into Cumberland and Cherry Chase are more expensive than those that feed into Sunnyvale schools with lower test scores. Here are some benchmark 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes that closed in the last two months, with their schools and API scores:
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$975,000 – 1144 Lynn Way |
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$890,000 – 214 Clarence Ave. |
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$766,000 – 426 S. Mary Ave.
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$715,000 – 750 Carolina Ave.
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$667,000 – 465 Wilson Ave. |
(I was careful to ensure that the benchmark homes were all comparables — recently remodeled with similar upgrades and of about the same size and age — so the premiums can be ballparked using the per square foot price. Mary is a main road which may have detracted from its home’s value somewhat.)
As you can see from the benchmark homes, Cherry Chase Elementary and its reputation have been built into real estate values. Cumberland Elementary doesn’t have that same premium because it has been on the rise, from 845 in 2003.
Another steadily improving school is Ellis Elementary, up from its 773 in 2005 (though slightly below last year’s 822). It could represent a good deal for young families who plan to upgrade after elementary or middle school. And people not wanting to pay a premium for schools might consider the other representative homes.
But Sunnyvale Elementary isn’t the only elementary school district in Sunnyvale. Because of the complexity in the way school district border lines are drawn, students in a large part of Sunnyvale actually attend schools in the Cupertino Union School District. How much opportunity is there in the overlap?
Sunnyvale Addresses with Cupertino Union and Santa Clara Unified Schools
It’s important not to make assumptions about school locations and homes, particularly because school boundaries don’t follow city lines. Sunnyvale has three elementary school districts, and the following are 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes that don’t use the namesake school system. These homes were all closed in the past two months:
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$952,000 – 1053 Gardenia Way |
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$913,000 – 821 Duncardine Way |
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$910,000 – 1679 Nightingale Ave. |
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$902,500 – 532 Fern Ridge Ct. |
These homes are slightly newer than the ones in the first table and are comparables close enough for a rough comparison by square foot price.
Nightingale, with Santa Clara Unified’s Laurelwood Elementary as its representative school, comes in at an 18% lower per square foot price than the home on Fern Ridge, in the elite Cupertino Union School District. Test scores aren’t the full picture of any school, but if the API number is important in your search, this difference is something to consider.
Very near the border of Cupertino and Sunnyvale is Duncardine, which feeds into Stocklmeir Elementary. Stocklmeir’s test scores are the highest of any elementary school Sunnyvale residents can currently attend, and this particular home is less expensive ($62,000 by absolute measurement and 10% per square foot) than Cherry Chase’s Lynn in the first table — even though it also has an arguably better middle school.
While the simple comparisons here based mostly on elementary schools and not other tangible or intangible factors that may give value to a home, being able to break out one axis of measurement is often helpful to my clients, especially given so many factors to consider when buying a home.
Recommended Reading:
- What People Think About Before Looking for a Home
- Silicon Valley School System Bang-for-the-Buck
- Investing in the Right Bay Area School District
- Not Overpaying When Buying a Home
- Download the Silicon Valley Home Buyers Book
(c) Steve Leung, Realtor, for the Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog at 1SiliconValley.com
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October 24, 2007 | Filed under: Sunnyvale 4 Comments »
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Great post – I was unaware of Cumberland and Ellis’ recent rise.
Thanks, always searching for a window.
Steve
Hi Steve
I’ve just discovered your site, full of great information! Thanks!
This particular article caught my eye as I am a parent of teenage children, going through the Sunnyvale School System – Cherry Chase Elementary to Sunnyvale Middle School to Homestead High School.
I thought I might add that, although a lot of focus is put onto elementary schools when prospective buyers move into the area with young children, I have several friends who, from that initial purchase, have then moved again when their children hit the high school years, as their choice is between Fremont High School and Homestead High. Although Fremont High School is a very good school and I personally know some of the excellent teachers there, its number of graduates who go on to further study at college is lower than at Homestead’s. This has actually been a factor in some parents’ choice of high school and has forced them to move to an address within Homestead’s school boundary after 8th grade.
As you say, the school boundaries do not coincide with Sunnyvale’s city boundary so it is well worth while letting parents of young kids know where their children will end up in high school, so they can make an informed decision when they first look at purchasing in Sunnyvale.
It may seem a long way off, but they all eventually do grow up into teenagers!
Good insight, Tricia. Thanks! BTW, one of the most common requests that I get is for homes that have a "trifecta" of good schools (i.e. elementary, middle, and high school). As you can see from the comparison chart above, each of the three types of schools is listed and there’s often a premium to be had in choosing one or two schools vs. the trifecta. Any advice needs to be tailored to an individual family’s finances and time window for how long they anticipate being in the same home.
As I mentioned on your blog, having a long-term view usually yields the best returns in a real estate purchase, but it’s pretty rare nowadays for a family to stay in one home, and for their kids to go to elementary and graduate from high school without moving. It’s a good premium to have the trifecta, and if it’s financially feasible, I’d recommend it, but many parents won’t end up using all three schools.