I don’t think that race should be a factor in education, but we must understand that it is. Historically, caucasian and asian Americans have performed better in school…period. If I am racist for saying this, so be it. But if I am a racist, why are there “race-sensitive” admission policies at universities? (http://www.hooverdigest.org/993/sowell2.html)
Why some groups perform better than others is multifold and can’t be readily discussed within the scope of this post. Suffice it to say that yes, some bright people will perform well no matter the environment. Some bright people will also perform poorly no matter the environment. In general, however, we are only as good as our competition. Higher academic standards and greater academic competition will tend to produce better pupils. I hit .457 one summer on my men’s league baseball team. Do you think that if you suddenly transplanted me into the Major Leagues that I’d achieve similar results? There’s a possiblity that I would, but it is highly unlikely.
In terms of buying a home, I would not buy a home in any place where I felt that they did not have a good chance to learn as much as possible, regardless of the demographics of the school.