Almost half of Kiwi parents would move house to get into 'right' school zone - poll
A Neighbourly poll shows almost half of parents would leave their home for the 'right' school zone.
Parents have long been going to radical lengths to secure their children a place in coveted schools - from dramatically downsizing, using fake addresses and even leaving the family home to rent in another area.
The pressure is greatest in Auckland in desirable school areas, but a Homed poll on Neighbourly shows it extended into the regions as well.
The nationwide poll asked participants if they would leave their house and rent another to move into a specific school zone. Of more than 1100 people who participated, 45.4 per cent said they would, and nearly 11 per cent saying they've already done it.
In popular Auckland high school zones, such as Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls' Grammar School, people have gone to extreme lengths to secure a place, and equally the schools have put in measures to stop it – some, including Auckland Grammar School and North Shore's Rangitoto College, having previously hired private investigators to discover fake enrolments.
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Auckland's Mount Albert Grammar School has recently tightened up it's out-of-zone enrollments.
One former Remuera resident said she was happy to help close family friends who wanted their daughter to attend Epsom Girls' Grammar School by letting them use her address.
"They couldn't afford to buy in the zone," she said. "We had a call from the school one day asking to speak to Ashley; we knew why they were calling."
The level of desperation was highlighted when the family left New Zealand and decided to rent their house.
"A family were keen to rent the house just for the address so their children could attend Auckland Grammar and they would remain in their family home. They knew they'd be better off [financially] to rent for this period of time, rather than increasing their mortgage. The father was a school principal," she said.
Another case highlights it's not just at high school level that parents are prepared to uproot their lives for the right school.
Despite only just completing an extensive renovation on his central Auckland home, one family recently put their 330sqm house on the market when they discovered they weren't in their preferred primary school zone.
They've since rented a 55sqm apartment.
"We went in the ballot four times and missed out so it came down to finding a rental property or buy in the area, and we couldn't buy. It has a very small intake," the father said. "It was better to get him a place in zone and send him to the school. We didn't want him to start in one place and then move. People think we're nuts."
It's not just an Auckland problem.
One Ngaruawahia resident Homed spoke to recently put into place a three-year plan to ensure his children attend Hamilton's popular Rototuna High School.
Money has been put aside to renovate and rent out the family home to shift their children into the school zone for the duration of their high school years.
"We know that our boys would have much better opportunities at Rototuna High Schools," the father said.
Chief executive of the Real Estate Institute Bindi Norwell says as schools look to end out-of-zone applications, it will likely drive up the price of properties within that zone.
It's a similar scenario in Taranaki.
Despite owning a New Plymouth property, for the past two years one family has rented in Oakura so his children could attend the local primary school there.
With property prices too dear in Oakura, it was the best option.
"Some people might think we abused the system just to get our kids into the school. We would have stayed in Oakura if we could find an affordable property," the father said.
Popular Auckland schools including Mt Albert Grammar School, Western Springs College and Avondale College recently announced they are ceasing enrolments for out-of-zone students due to population pressures.
Bindi Norwell, chief executive of the Real Estate Institute, said this could further drive up house prices in already expensive areas.
If you're thinking of buying in Wellington Girls' College zone, you'll pay almost 32 per cent more than the average house in the capital.
Statistics from popular school zones around the country show that if you want to be in a desired school, you are going to have to pay the price.
As of April 2018, the REINZ stats show the average house price in Hamilton was $540,000. Yet a house situated in the Rototuna High Schools zone was 32.5 per cent dearer at $750,000.
The average price of houses in the coveted Christchurch Boys' High School zone was $810,000, almost double the city's average house price of $455,000.
In the Epsom Girls' Grammar School zone, you'll be paying on average $1,820,000, almost $1,000,000 more than the average Auckland house price of $860,000.
And in Wellington, to buy a house in the Wellington Girls' College zone, you'll pay almost 32 per cent more. The average home in the capital costs $575,000, but in the college zone it's $792,000.
"We do hear examples of parents going to extreme lengths to purchase in-zone such as renting a smaller additional property in-zone for the time their child is at school," Norwell said.
"Families will look for a number of specifics when it comes to purchasing a house … increasingly school zones is becoming an important consideration particularly in the larger cities across New Zealand.
"Homes within specific school zones tend to achieve a higher price than schools outsize popular zones, and as schools look to end out-of-zone applications, this is likely to add further pricing pressure and expectations on properties within that zone."
* Names have been omitted to protect privacy.
- Homed
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