I also think something to remember is to send your kids to schools that fit thier personality. A friends family had 3 daughters, each about 14 months apart. These girls are all smart, beautiful, and rich (even in the pigg sense); and each went to a different school. The eldest was in my class at a private catholic school. The middle went to the largest public school in the county. The youngest went to private ivy league prep boarding schools.

All three ended up in good private west coast colleges.

Ask your kids where they want to go. Cause it is more any important that the kids are involved and want to be involved than if it is 20-1 or 25-1 teacher ratios. Especially in HS, it is important to involve your kids in the decision to help make sure it is their decision also. All the kids I knew who didnt get a choice never did quite as well as those who chose to be there, even if their parents both had advanced degrees. Motivation matters.