Comments on: Do Pasadena Schools Negatively Influence Pasadena Home Prices?

By: Hannah B.

Hannah B. — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:42:19 +0000

The school system might be a problem for some, but I don’t think it’s a good overall explanation for falling prices. What’s more realistic is that we’re in a credit crisis. Let’s be honest, most of 91103 and 91104 is not very nice, especially at the current prices in these zip codes’ low median income. With traditional lending standards, there aren’t many higher income earning people/families willing to drop a lot of cash for a depreciating asset in mediocre neighborhoods. This is especially true if you make two to three times the median income in these areas.

By: john lester

john lester — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:44:53 +0000

PUSD has many problems and deficiencies but in my opinion instruction is not one of them. My daughter is in fourth grade and has attended Norma Coombs Alternative School from kindergarten. Her teachers have all been good and the quality of instruction in my opinion is second to no other school district in the state. The diverse population coupled with white flight accounts for low test scores. If the tests were redesigned to test students improvement from the previous year or the quality of instruction our scores would show the quality of the instruction not the social economic level of the parents.

If you are unsure of the quality of our schools, talk with a PUSD parent.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:51:02 +0000

The La Canada school district is nearly as good as San Marino and much better than South Pasadena yet according to DQ News, La Canada saw a 24.2% drop in median price. So it’s difficult to argue that a good school district keeps home prices stable.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:24:03 +0000

My parents always told my sister and I that it was worthwhile to sacrifice home size to live in a great school district. As a result, we lived on the only unpaved street in one town (Tenafly, NJ) and one of the smallest houses in another town (Rumson, NJ) to make sure we had access to an excellent education. I think that’s why home values hold steadier in towns with great public school systems: people are willing to sacrifice more to live there.

My husband and I did the math when we lived in Pasadena when our kids were preschoolers. We discovered that our mortgage + private school tuition cost less than the mortgage on a bigger (!) house in La Canada, which has excellent public schools. Pasadena was a great city to live in, but we didn’t want to take a chance on our kids’ education. (I know that there are many kids who manage to get an excellent education in the Pasadena public schools, but many don’t.)

You’re absolutely right: everyone would benefit from a better public education system for ALL kids. I’m afraid I just don’t see that happening anytime soon.