A common question I often hear from buyers in Chicago is, “What school district is the home in?”

Unfortunately, all too often the listing agent doesn’t know. What’s worse, they often don’t know how to find out. I’ve heard total guesses that were completely wrong (off by a district or two). My favorite response has been, “I’ve tried calling CPS, but can’t get anyone to tell me.” There is a much better way to find the answer than trying to get someone on the phone.

How to Find a Chicago Public School District’s Boundary

1. Use their online School Locator http://schoollocator.cps.k12.il.us/

That’s it! One step!

Two Options to Search

Nettelhorst School District Map Displayed From CPS's School Locator Web Site (Click to Enlarge)

You do have to make a decision when get to the site; you can either:

1. Search for an address and find the school district the home is in.
2. Search for a school and find a map of it’s boundaries. Here’s an example of Nettelhorst Elementary School in my neighborhood.

So, no more excuses listing agents! Look this up before your first showing or open house.