Drop off traffic. Make sure drop off and pick up don't interfere with your commuting times. Also buy cones because otherwise people will block your driveway during evening activities.

Only if its cheaper than comparable houses in the area.

My kids enjoyed easy access to playing on the field and blacktop afternoons and weekends.

Anonymous wrote:Increased traffic in general. Is the elementary school parking lot a bus stop for middle school/high school buses (at least in my district, students can choose to go to a school they are not zoned for, and the local elementary school is used as a bus stop for these transfer students.)

Are there sports fields where rec teams practice/play in the evenings weekends?

Does a church rent out the space for Sunday morning services?

+1

Nope. Walking distance to school was great, until it wasn't.

walk around at drop off time. parking. but mostly schools are otherwise quiet neighbors and the short commute and/or also weekend playground access is great.

I really don't mind living adjacent to an elementary school. Noise and traffic aren't big deals. However, I hate the extremely well lit grounds. Some of these LEDs are really bright. Haven't seen stars in decades.

Anonymous wrote:Idling cars in carpool and buses exhausting black smoke. Nope.

Good point. I had just thought about the traffic but the exhaust would be a problem too.

I didn't mind being next to (not across from) a school. I do enjoy the sound of kids playing.

Traffic would be bad for 15 or 20 minutes twice a day, 180 days a year or so.

Idling cars in carpool and buses exhausting black smoke. Nope.

I would worry about getting blocked in by the drop off/pick up traffic.

If you have a dog, he or she may go bonkers barking at everyone and their dogs that walk by. If it's the specific house I'm thinking of/know of for sale in my neighborhood across from the elementary school, my dog would probably sit in the front window and watch the world go by, "voicing his opinions" along the way. If you don't have a barky dog, disregard my comment!

(And if it's not the house I know of, disregard this next comment that the pool noise adjacent to the elementary school is also quite loud, so the noise doesn't just end when school's out of session; there are also sometimes kids day camps taking place on the school grounds in summer which are noisy.)

Anonymous wrote:People blocking your driveway or even parking in it.

The only thing that would be a concern is people blocking the driveway. A friend has this issue almost daily and is ready to rip her hair out at the entitlement of some of these jerks. It’s a neighborhood school, so it’s mindboggling that people are willing to piss off their fellow neighbors/community members to save 2 minutes. It was less of an issue when her kid was in elementary at the school, but now that the kid is in HS, current parents don’t know them and, apparently, feel free to block their driveway. It’s obnoxious. We live a half a block from a school with minimal parking and it’s not been an issue.

So before buying, spend some time watching at drop off and pick up and make sure it’s not happening already.

It's amazing. We are also near the MS but we might actually move for proximity like it to HS. The kids are so much more independent that way--less driving for everyone.

Anonymous wrote:Get that decibel meter out and walk around the neighborhood.

Man you old people are the worst

We do, it’s fine, it’s mainly walkers or busses, not many cars dropping off so we can get out at the 9:15am time just fine.

Not noisy like living next to a triple AAA high school with evening games. Might hear some recess time around lunch but that is it.