Can My Child Stay in a School If I Move Out Of Town?

With so little housing inventory, it's hard enough to find the right home without trying to stay in a certain school district. This often prompts families to wonder if kids can stay in their schools or districts after moving elsewhere. The short answer is, it depends. 

With enrollment changes and space constraints, district boundaries within a town tend to fluctuate. In some towns, many buyers successfully request that their children remain in a certain elementary or middle school after a move within the town. In lots of these cases, buses are not available.

Some towns offer school choice (Framingham, Holliston and Boston for example, all have different structures of school choice available) within the city or town that can make it easier for students to remain at their school after an in-town move.

Moving out of town can make it more difficult to stay in a certain school district but it's not impossible. Massachusetts school districts can participate in a school choice program allowing students from other towns to attend a school in a different town than their own. There are usually a limited number of spots available for this in a given district, and often a certain school within that district is assigned (so may not be an option for someone who is looking to be in a specific elementary school, for example). 

When attending school out of district or out of town or attending a charter school in Massachusetts, parents are usually responsible for transportation. Another consideration is that many town activities like youth sports don't usually offer the same choice, so it's important to consider all of the pros and cons to attending school out of district.

Knowing that these options are available can sometimes open up more possibilities in a home search but it's important to consider what works best for the family and confirm any plans with local school districts before submitting an offer on a home.

For further information on school choice in Massachusetts, visit The Department of Education