How do we evaluate schools when we're relocating from out of state?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Go straight to the public data and weigh it against the rest of your life. The Minnesota Department of Education publishes report cards for every district and school — test results, graduation rates, programs — and that beats any ranking site's single number.
On stage The 60-second answer
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The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
Two Minnesota specifics matter. First, statewide open enrollment: households here can apply to districts other than the one they live in, which loosens the address-equals-school assumption most states train into you. Second, the trade-offs are yours to price, not mine to rank — a shorter commute, a budget with breathing room, and a neighborhood that fits your family's actual life all compound for years too. My job is to show you the data sources and the houses; the weighing belongs to you. When you can, visit the schools themselves — websites and ratings flatten what a hallway tells you in five minutes.
DM me RELOCATE and I'll send the guide, data sources included.
The next department over
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From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.