Three years into the state’s implementation of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing for students in fourth, eighth and 10th grade classes, some real estate agents across the state are finding continued interest in MCAS scores from prospective homebuyers looking at a community’s education system. However, with the newness of the testing beginning to wear off and some controversy over the test itself surfacing, Realtors report that savvy homebuyers are looking beyond a single number when it comes to finding a new place to live.

Though MCAS scores are ultimately most important to school superintendents, teachers and parents, they no doubt have had an effect on the real estate industry. In a survey released last year by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, respondents said – second only to low crime levels – a good public school system was the biggest factor in determining where to buy a home.

For three years running, the Worcester County town of Harvard’s public schools had the highest combined scaled scores. This year, the scaled scores of the fourth, eighth and 10th graders – which include all three subjects – totaled 2,219. Wayland’s school system came in second, with Belmont in third. Only school systems with all three grades were considered in the ranking, leaving out many regional high schools.

As was the case in previous years, Realtor Peter E. Warren said the distinction of highest MCAS score continues to bring prospective homebuyers into his office.

“Obviously, the MCAS is mentioned all the time because we’re real high in the standings,” said Warren, broker/owner of Harvard Realty. “That’s impacting us, because [the homebuyers] want have their kids in the No. 1 school.”

The combination of prospective homebuyers wanting to move to Harvard because of the school system and current homeowners wanting to remain in the system has led to low levels of inventory, which presents further challenges, Warren said.

“There are only 12 houses on the market right now. One of them is a summer cottage, and three of them have backup offers,” Warren said. “Then you have a couple that are just having the foundation poured or are just getting the framing up. That doesn’t leave much. It’s the toughest I’ve seen in terms of inventory.”

The school system in the Berkshire County town of Lenox ranked 32nd in terms of MCAS scoring statewide, but first among the schools in the state’s westernmost county, making it a magnet for homebuyers in the area, according Pamela Roberts of Roberts & Assoc. in Lenox.

Roberts said the town already benefits from both a year-round resident market as well as second-home owners, and the high MCAS scores have increased interest from both sectors. While people want to get their children into a good system, “second-home owners think of it as a good protection of their investment,” she said.

“People are paying top-notch prices to get their kids in here,” Roberts said. “Students from other towns can go to our schools through the school choice program, but our school choice slots at the elementary level are full. We’ve seen locals decide to move here so the schools have to take their kids.” Roberts said she has had homebuyers from as far away as California express interest in Lenox homes after examining the test scores on the Internet.

“They’ve done their homework in advance,” she said.

Bigger Issue
Realtors have stressed that although the MCAS tests are designed to illustrate the performance of students and schools, they are not the only factor to be considered. Students from a number of districts refused to take the test in protest of what they called an unfair system – thus bringing down the overall score of some schools – which officials say paints an unfair picture. And perhaps in response to the controversy, homebuyers are also looking at other indicators of the strength of a community’s school system.

Roberts said her office has contact information for area schools and encourages homebuyers to visit the schools themselves, for example.

“As of now, the people I am dealing with aren’t speaking so much about the MCAS tests, but are talking in a more general way about the quality of the schools,” said Chobee Hoy of Chobee Hoy Assoc. in Brookline and a member of the Realty Guild. Although Brookline ranked in the top 20 statewide in terms of combined scaled scoring, and the education system is by far the top priority among her clients, not much weight has been placed on the MCAS scores.

“A lot of people think it’s an artificial way to measure, and it’s not fair to judge a school by its score,” she said. “The look at the faculty in the schools, what degrees they have, what the salaries are, how many libraries there are, and other factors like SAT scores. Nothing is more important than the school system in the mind of the buyer. They understand a good system means the property values will hold.”

Even homebuyers in top-ranked Harvard are looking at other factors, Warren said. “A lot of people go down to talk to people at the school. The MCAS is the initial attraction, but they go beyond that, and they find there are negatives as well as positives.

“It’s a small system, so we don’t have the variety of classes and sports that they have down at Nashoba Regional High School,” he continued. “And some don’t like it because it’s too rural.”

In Springfield, where this year’s MCAS scores ranked near the bottom of the list, Realtor Dot Lortie of Dot Lortie Realty said those numbers have not had a significant impact on homebuyers in her market.

“It might be a bigger issue next year when there’s more implementation of the program and those 10th graders that fail the test won’t be allowed to graduate,” she said, “but right now I can honestly say I have not had any customers bring it up.” She added that the level of interest rates have remained a higher priority than MCAS scores among her clientele.

“I know our school system has a lot of high-caliber teachers, and we have excellent schools and new schools being built,” Lortie said. In addition, she pointed out that there are a number of schools other than those in the public school system, and those are often factored in when buyers choose to settle down in the City of Homes.

“There’s no doubt about it: schools are one of the more important things in relation to high values,” Hoy said. “Schools are connected to all the other services in a town, and are used a measure of all the other services.”