Austin was one of the top cities with gains,
scoring high marks all around. Approxi-mately 45% of Austinites 25 years of age
or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Intelligent Community Forum named Austin
the number one Top Intelligent Community,
and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance included UT
Austin on its list as one of the “best values in
public education.”
We’ve also been recognized as one of the
country’s “top five intellectual capitals,” and
we’ve been ranked among the top five cities
in Forbes annual “Best Place for Business and
Careers” listing for the last several years, in
part because of a highly educated workforce.
GROWTH, EDUCATION AND
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
It’s not surprising that the city’s growth
in recent years has had a considerable
impact on education. School districts
have doubled in size to accommodate
more students, with residents consistently
approving bond packages in Austin and
surrounding communities to renovate and
build new schools.
The business community is also
committed to education, with alliances
like Austin Partners in Education (www.
austinpartners.org) – a collaboration
between the Austin Independent School
District and the Greater Austin Chamber
of Commerce in which business commu-
nity partners are matched with schools
or districts, providing volunteer services,
in-kind contributions, or cash donations.
A nonprofit organization, the group offers
schools support with technology and other
necessary resources.
Other partnerships include the Skill-point Alliance ( www.skillpointalliance.
org) – a program that promotes workforce
development in such in-demand industries
as technology (especially semiconductor,
information technology and digital media);
healthcare; and construction.
AUSTIN RANKS HIGH ON
QUALITY OF LIFE, EDUCATION
No matter where you’re moving, or even
whether or not you have children in school,
education is an important consideration for
anyone contemplating relocation. After all,
the quality of education in a community
affects everything from resale value to neighborhood schools.
NATIONAL RESOURCES
No matter where you’re moving, knowing the facts about a city’s educational system and options for families is critical. The following is a list of national general education, private school, charter school, and homeschooling resources.
GENERAL EDUCATION
National Center for Education Statistics and the
Institute of Education Sciences
www.nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/
HOMESCHOOLING
Homeschool Central www.homeschoolcentral.com
Homeschool Reporting www.homeschoolreporting.com
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The Association of Boarding Schools www.tabs.com
Association of Christian Schools International www.acsi.org
Foundation for Educational Choice www.edchoice.org
National Association of Independent Schools www.nais.org
NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
National Commission for Exceptional Schools (NCES) www.nationalcommission.org
National Private School Association Group www.npsag.com
Austin is also tops for higher education –
and area schools are just one of the
reasons many people move here and
decide to stay well past graduation.
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