It's not about prospective employers. It's about going to the school that's going to prepare your kids the best and make them competitive for post-secondary programs. High school is not day care and no longer about "getting a life" as only the most basic and menial jobs are available for high school graduates. Post-secondary education of some kind (whether that be trade school, college, or university) is almost mandatory these days and the best programs are highly competitive to get into. There is also the desire by parents to keep their kids out of schools with crime problems. Getting their kids into a school with a strong academic reputation gives them a leg up in the race that is life.