good afternoon Indibuyer

Schools in Ellicott City do appear to have higher test scores. I would suggest you visiting the howard county website, http://public.hcpss.org for more statistical information. When majority of buyers are searching for a home, they look at price range and location. Buyers with children in most cases look for school location and then price. If you have any additional concerns, please contact me . I look forward to being of service in your real estate decision making plans.

Hello Indibuyer! I live not too far from Ellicott Square. They are very nice houses and the area is super great! That is one of the many reasons my husband I chose to move here. Schools were the number 1 reason. No matter which school your child ends up going to, all of the ones in the Ellicott City area are high achievers and among THE highes achievers in the county! Of course most any school in Howard out performs those in other counties. The Gateway Overlook community is great too. I visited there last week and was very impressed! I've attached the county school url's so you can see which address goes to which schools and how those schools compare. Also compare them to other counties. It is eye opening! Best of luck, Cher
school served by street: http://public.hcpss.org/sl/
test scores: http://www.hcpss.org/academics/testscores.shtml
state school report card: http://www.mdreportcard.org/

Hi Indibuyer,

With the amount of information available online now, you can educate yourself a great deal about schools. Schools are what drive prices in Howard County- it is part of why the County is more expensive, and a big part of the difference in price among districts.

You should explore all the development plans on the West side of Turf Valley before you make your decision. There are new homes and shopping going in in that area, which will have a positive impact on the Ellicott Square neighborhood. You should look at the other nearby schools in addition to the current one. All that development may change the boundaries, but most people would tell you that there are no bad options in that vicinity.

If you look at what that $50k buys you (many would argue that NV is a little more upscale than Ryland) and cost it out on your mortgage, you will be paying a few more dollars per month to attend some of the best schools available. Good luck.

Yes, homes in better school districts sell for more money . So, if this is important to you spend the extra money since the home will most likely always sell for more money if, and this is the big if, the schools remain the same. Keep in mind school zoning changes year to year in Howard County,

Make sure you compare other factors as well such as size, layout and lot. Let me know if I can help further.

Good Morning!

As a parent/consumer myself, I totally understand your concern. To help you make your decision, I suggest talking with some of the neighbors in both areas to hear their thoughts on the school district. I would also recommend checking out the achievement levels for both districts at http://www.hcpss.org/academics/ .

I hope this information is helpful. If I can be of further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be more than happy to assist!

Rochelle Johnson, "The Consumer Realtor"
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
410-224-2200 (office)
301-646-9888 (cell)