Question about schools in East Orange and Newark

[Joshua Silva]

Good morning everyone,

I become a pro member a few weeks ago as I intend to commit myself into real estate investing, particularly with rental properties, so I am in no means experienced. Before I ask my question, I want to thank everyone in BP for your contributions in the forums as you all make this site a great source of information for people looking to invest. So again I thank you all in advance for your help.

I am currently in the market looking to purchase my first home, either a single family house or a multi-family, in the East Orange or Newark area. The reason I am looking in these areas is because I work in Brooklyn, first exit off the Verrazano Bridge and I would like to maintain a decent commute. I currently live in Jersey City. I have a wife and 4 year old daughter. I have been looking for a few days now, found some decent properties, but unfortunately my wife isn’t too fond of the area for what I would like to spend on a house. My budget is 300,000-350,000. One issue that my wife is worried about is the school system. My question is what is the best way into looking for information regarding a cities school system? I would like to know if there is any reliable source instead of looking at random websites from google search. Unfortunately I don’t know anyone in the area, especially ones with kids so I don’t have anyone to refer to. Any advice is welcomed and sure to help!