When starting to look for rentals or purchases in Manhattan, everyone tends to open real estate apps first. Many people check the school scores before looking at the property photos. One family looking at properties on the Upper West Side did just that, as there was a significant difference in scores between two adjacent buildings.

In reality, this difference is not exaggerated. PS 290 Manhattan New School received a GreatSchools score of 10, while the nearby PS 145 Bloomingdale School is rated 7, and PS 11 Sarah J. Hale School also has a score of 7. In the same area, PS 333 Manhattan School for Children has a score of 4. Even in the same neighborhood, the assigned school can lead to such a disparity in scores.

Let's first look at where these scores come from. GreatSchools compares test scores, college readiness, and equity against state averages, rating schools on a scale from 1 to 10. Test scores reflect the performance of students on state exams, college readiness combines SAT/ACT scores and AP completion rates with graduation rates, and equity examines the performance gaps among different student groups. The weight of these three categories varies by grade level. For elementary schools, an additional category called Academic Growth is included, which measures how much students' scores have improved compared to the previous year. Even if a school has low test scores, a high growth rate can result in an overall rating that is higher than expected. This means that even a school like PS 333, which received a score of 4, could present a different picture when this category is considered.

The New York City Department of Education district that PS 290 belongs to is considered a popular district, but within the district, there are schools that have waiting lists every year and those that have open spots. New York City provides information on assigned schools and waitlist status by address through the official MySchools portal, which is more up-to-date than real estate sites. It is advisable to check this portal once more before signing a lease.

The reason assigned schools can differ even within the same neighborhood is due to school boundaries. These boundaries can be divided by just one building and can change over time. To accurately find out which school your current home is assigned to, you need to check directly on the New York City Department of Education website using your address. There have been cases where people signed contracts based solely on the school district name listed on real estate apps, only to find out that the actual assigned school was different.

There are several factors to consider rather than just relying on a single number.

• Trends in ratings over the past few years
• Student-to-teacher ratio and class size
• Actual parent reviews and school atmosphere
• Assigned school based on the address you are considering

Areas near schools with a score of 10, like PS 290, tend to have higher property prices. Conversely, there's no reason to avoid areas near schools with lower scores. Even schools that score low in equity may have specific programs or strong faculty that are advantageous. These aspects are not fully captured in the scorecard.

In popular areas like the Upper West Side, there are fewer properties available, so many people also consider adjacent areas with slightly lower school scores. In such cases, whether the ratings have been trending upward over the past 3-4 years can become a more important criterion. If the ratings have been consistently improving, even if the current score is 7, there's a possibility that it could receive a different evaluation in a few years. Conversely, if a school has maintained a score of 10 but recent equity indicators have started to fluctuate, that trend should also be monitored.

In densely populated areas like Manhattan, confirming the address takes precedence over the score. This article is not investment or legal advice, and since school boundaries and ratings change frequently, it is important to verify the assigned school for the specific address before signing a contract and consult with professionals if necessary.