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Mandeville Louisiana Real Estate Gets Enviable School District
By: Andrew Stratton
St. Tammany Parish is, no doubt, counted amongst the best parishes in the United States, and the reasons are numerous and considerable. It offers great quality of life, booming economy, low living costs, great medical facilities and, to top it all off, an enviable school district. The cities of Covington, Mandeville, and Slidell are the jewels in the Parish crown.
The area boasts beautiful scenic locations, that place it among the top tourist destinations of the country and make Covington real estate, Mandeville Louisiana real estate, and Hammond real estate markets a prime hunting ground for people considering buying a house near New Orleans. The region is experiencing massive growth, both in population as well as businesses.
With diversity in the employment market, it is well worth considering a move to this beautiful area. One of the main features that sets the community apart and makes it even more desirable for families with school age children is the education average of the Parish. With 85% of its residents having graduated from high schools and more than 28% holding a Bachelors or higher degree, the parish surpasses both the state and national average.
The public school system of St. Tammany Parish is heralded as the largest single employer in the region. The Parish schools' scores excel against the state's average making them an important factor for families to consider when they think of buying a house in or around New Orleans. There are 49 public and 22 private or faith-based schools in the St. Tammany Parish.
The school district has been rated among the top 100 school systems of major metropolitan areas in the U.S. With almost 34,000 students studying in the Parish schools, seven schools have been named in National Schools of Excellence by the US Department of Education. The Parish schools average higher, on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, than the state and national norm in almost all grades as well as subjects.
The schools in the Parish have averagely smaller class sizes and around 95% of the teaching staff, teaching core subjects, is highly qualified. This, again, is higher than both the state and national average. The average on the American College Test for the students of the Parish was also higher than state and national average, standing at 21.5.
The state of Louisiana boasts a very innovative Tuition Opportunity Program for students. According to this program, a high school graduate who attains a 2.5-grade-point-average, finishes a college preparatory curriculum, and scores an ACT not less than 20, gets free college tuition. With the average of the Parish higher than 20, you are definitely giving your children a great opportunity to avail this incentive.
There are options available for students in all major subjects for higher education, with 12 colleges within commuting distance of the Parish. The average annual tuition fee for the state of Louisiana is considered among the most affordable in the country. Tulane University, ranked in the top 50 universities of the country, is one in the list of institutions in the area like Loyola, Xavier, Dillard, Southern University and University of New Orleans, to name a few.
With lower cost of living, higher per capita income, great facilities and attractive, as well as, abundant buying opportunities (building of 261 new homes permitted each month) in Mandeville Louisiana real estate and Covington Louisiana real estate markets, the time is right and ripe for serious buyers to head towards the area.
Some important things to be kept in mind while buying a house are:
* proper knowledge of the area and the market
* assessment of your resources and requirements before hand
* the ability to hunt the best bargain.
For this, it is always advisable to find yourself a good and reliable agent. Having professional is advisable when making such important and potentially life changing financial decisions. |