There’s a lot of debate over how much the education system is responsible for some very big issues facing the tech industry—including a supposed lack of STEM workers entering the job market. Whatever tech pros’ opinions on the matter, a new survey from Dice (PDF) suggests that many of them are happy with the school to which they send their own children. Of the 1,600 tech professionals surveyed in the U.S. in September, some 59 percent characterized the schools in their area as excellent or good. These respondents were a good deal happier about their respective education systems than other aspects of their life. For example, only 49 percent said they were fine with the length of their commute, while a mere 41 percent thought their house was an ideal size. Only 8 percent said their city offered enough mass-transit options, and 48 percent felt they faced too much congestion on the way to work. Those stats (when taken in conjunction with tech pros’ overall happiness and feelings about work-life balance) suggest some challenges and opportunities for employers, especially in an era of low tech-sector unemployment. Companies that are willing to offer perks related to transportation, and pay enough to make it markedly easier for employees to find adequate housing (especially in high-cost tech cities such as San Francisco) will have an advantage when it comes to employee hiring and retention. Given concerns over transportation and work-life balance, perks such as telecommuting could also go a long way toward happier employees. That low unemployment rate, and companies’ need for tech pros with specific skills, potentially gives candidates a lot of negotiating strength when it comes to landing those sorts of perks. Whatever the benefits of their particular company, though, a lot of tech pros seem pretty happy about the local schools.