The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Record high SAT scores may bolster home prices

By Justin Berton

Last year's graduating seniors in the Fremont Union High School District narrowly posted the highest SAT scores in the last 10 years, scoring well above the national and statewide means, according to results released last week.

The positive news was also well received by local real estate agents, as record-high home prices in Cupertino and Sunnyvale continue to be closely tied to the success of the district's schools.

The district cumulative mean score was 1157, up one point from last year. Verbal scores in the district remained the same at 547, and math improved one point to 610.

The district's scores blasted past the statewide mean by a margin of 144 points and exceeded the national mean by 141 points.

"It really does show we have a lot of students serious about getting enough out of their high school education to go on to college," said Maribeth Smith, associate superintendent at the district.

Smith said lower scores at one district high school as compared to higher scores at another could be due to several factors, including parent participation at the school and the number of students taking the test at each individual school.

Smith suggested that in some states--but not within the Fremont district--test scores become inflated because administrators allow only select students to participate.

"They have a very small core of elite test-takers taking the test, which can boost their scores," Smith said.

Though the SAT is not a good indicator of students' overall performance, Smith added, it does accurately reflect the hours of study for those who take the test.

"No matter what people say about the SAT, it does measure your preparation in school," Smith said.

Though some administrators like to downplay the relevance or accuracy of standardized test scores, results also have a direct impact on the housing market--even within the relatively small five-school district.

Tom Tognoli, branch manager of the Century 21 Contempo in Cupertino, said a copy of the SAT test scores promptly showed up on his desk one day after being released.

Good scores help keep home prices high, Tognoli said, and even within a top-performing district, the prices between individual high school boundaries can vary greatly.

"I would say a fairly good example is the difference between a home in the Fremont area vs. Homestead," Tognoli said.

Traditionally, Homestead High School students have outperformed Fremont students in standardized testing.

In last week's SAT results, the combined mean score for Fremont students equaled 988, while Homestead students posted an 1135.

Tognoli said the selling price between the two high school boundaries--where elementary schools are also different--can vary as much as 8 percent.

"A normal house in the Fremont district would go for $550,000, where the same house would go for probably $600,000 in the Homestead area," Tognoli said.

To illustrate his point, Tognoli spun the tale of the very real recent sale of two similar four-bedroom homes in Sunnyvale located just four blocks apart.

The first home, located on Pointe Claire Drive inside the Nimitz Elementary and Fremont boundaries, has sat idle on the market for two months at $515,000.

The second home, located on Chemowa Court inside the West Valley Elementary and Homestead borders, sold for $619,000 after being on the market for just 12 days.

The Chemowa Court home also had one less bathroom to offer, Tognoli said.

While the district's overall reputation for strong schools sells homes in itself, Tognoli does not think new buyers with young children should pause for a Homestead residence over a Fremont home.

"Someone would be crazy to buy a house in one area for where their children might go to school in 10 years," Tognoli said.

"Boundaries could be redrawn, or scores could change," he added.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 9, 1998.
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