“The quality of area schools is consistently one of the most important factors that homebuyers consider when choosing a new home,” said Austin Board of Realtors President Barb Cooper. "Homebuyers want to know how local schools measure up, and they look to their Realtor to point them in the right direction.”

That’s why Austin ISD and the Austin Board of Realtors have partnered to educate local Realtors on neighborhood schools, equipping them with the knowledge to be expert resources for their clients.

“Community partnerships are key to AISD success, and this new collaboration is a model of efforts which are mutually beneficial,” said Superintendent Paul Cruz.

The partnership between AISD and ABoR began earlier this year, when AISD asked the group for feedback on school Web pages the district was already in the process of redesigning. This conversation about the importance of easy-to-navigate information that highlights a school’s unique strengths culminated in Web pages for each school that showcase each school’s programming, include photos of the school and provide the most recent performance and demographic data.

In October, AISD welcomed Realtors on a bus tour to visit three South Austin schools: Cunningham Elementary School, Covington Middle School and Crockett High School.

"The school tour was a valuable opportunity for Realtors to get a firsthand look at the innovative, forward-looking programs that many AISD schools are embracing,” Cooper said.

Crockett High School ishome to the nation’s first K–12 Entrepreneurship Program, which, through a partnership with Bazaarvoice, teaches students how to launch a business or nonprofit upon graduating. The school unveiled its entrepreneurship classroom earlier this week.

Covington Middle School Fine Arts Academy uses drama-based instruction as an integral part of all classes to help students develop deeper understanding of each subject. College preparation is central to the school’s goal of producing lifelong learners.

Cunningham Elementary School’s MicroSociety Program serves as the framework for campus initiatives, including the school’s community farm.

After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants on the first tour, AISD has begun planning for a second set of visits. 

"I'm so excited that AISD and the Austin Board of Realtors are developing a partnership that is sure to benefit families moving to Austin,” Trustee Julie Cowan said. “Realtors will have the opportunity to step inside our schools and learn about the unique programs found on each campus. For too long we've assumed Realtors and the general public knew of all the good work taking place in our schools. Now we're taking steps to ensure that they do."

For more information, please contact Executive Director of Communications Reyne Telles or Assistant Director of Community Engagement and External Communications Celso Baez at 512-414-9776.