The Real Schoolkids of Mill Valley

So you want to get into grade school in Marin? Get real. Southern Marin has experienced a surge of incoming students at all grade levels seeking excellent public education. In one town, Mill Valley, the School District now requires 3 pieces of proof of residency and if you are renting a signed affidavit from your landlord is one of them. Why? Marin has award-winning, high-achieving schools with high test scores, innovative teaching and involved parent volunteers.

The $3,200 Mill Valley Advantage

California is 49th in the nation in per pupil spending and California averages $6,800 per pupil but Mill Valley manages to increase that to $10,000 per student. Mill Valley is considered a Basic Aid District, meaning high property values means that only 3 percent of school funding comes from the State or Federal government and 97 percent of our school funding comes from local property tax revenues.

An average of $1,250 per student is generated by fundraising by and PTA. This is a requested annual donation or whatever a family can comfortably afford. Proceeds from Kiddo! go toward art, music, dance, poetry, drama, PE, library, teacher’s aides and technology. Don’t expect parent donations to stop there, PTA’s at each school have suggested donation amounts to go toward materials, equipment and projects they deem necessary.

Because of its excellent schools and an affluent community structure to support them, home values in areas of better schools tend to rise.

Getting in on the Ground Floor

In Mill Valley, the 2012 kindergarten class decreased in size for the first time since 2007. For families entering the school system for the first time in Marin, there is no guarantee that all children of the same family would necessarily go to the same school.

Mill Valley’s Five Elementary Schools with a link to their ratings:

• Edna Maguire Elementary School (Scott Valley) Rating
• Tam Valley School (Tam Valley) Rating
• Old Mill School (Downtown Mill Valley/Cascade) Rating
• Park School (Downtown Mill Valley) Rating
• Strawberry Point School (Strawberry) Rating

Edna Maguire and Tam Valley are the largest of the 5 elementary schools with over 400-500 enrolled at each school. The other three schools have smaller enrollment approaching 300-325 per school. Class sizes vary but can reach 30 in the 4th and 5th grade. The 2011 Bond Measure C, raised $60 million to fund the building of a new 600 student Edna Maguire campus, make upgrades and repairs to the other 4 elementary schools as well as the Mill Valley Middle School. The new Edna Maguire School campus is tentatively planned for completion in the Fall of 2013.

Getting Real

Because of the generous support and attention Marin and Mill Valley pays to its’ schools, its overall county ratings are high, and test scores students are thriving and as a result the real estate values thrive making Southern Marin a hot market with fast moving properties.