Neighborhood / School reccos, please (Austin, Round Rock: rent, houses, teaching jobs)

[RI_Guy]

Hi, first time poster here.

We will be moving to the area in early summer and we'd really appreciate information to help us target our housing search. The circumstances:

This is for a long-term but temporary assignment on a massive programming project, so we'll be there for 1, maybe 2 school years. Then we must follow the project to another state for installation and startup. So its renting for sure.

Besides safety, school quality is the major factor. The social status or amenities like golf courses are less important - but a good sense of community is. Got to keep the 3BR rent under $2k, the farther, the better. A university in the Northeast has just completed a pipeline into my bank account.

Our daughter will be a senior and son a freshman. They are good, but not perfect students with moderate ambition. They both love sports and would try out for several.

They're coming from a private school here in Puerto Rico with an average of 60 kids in a _grade_ level. They've never attended 'big' schools. They aren't wallflowers, but I think at first it will appear so because they'll be agog at the environment and resources and dealing with that social stuff that makes me grateful to be 48. A school that is prepared to support them through the adjustment is quite desirable.

I'll be working near 183 and Spicewood Springs (what is that area called?). My wife is an PE/Adapted PE teacher (w/ Texas cert.!) and would love to work as well. I'll be a frequent user of the airport, too.

I commute 110mi RT/day (on a Caribbean island if you can believe it) so reducing that is important, but I surmise the likelihood of hitting the sweet spot of two job locations and acceptable school, community, rent and airport access is well, challenging.

After some days of research, it seems there are a string of good HS's along 183: LBJ, Lanier, Anderson, Westwood. The latter two straddle my work. Going farther out lowers the rent, but the more NW, the farther from Bergstrom.

Of course good statistics are only part of the picture, right? I saw a post referring the 'Wastewood" and that worried me. I imagine a school that felt to them like a shopping mall on Saturday with a 'party' reputation could prove disastrous for a senior-year transfer from a small school. Are there any not-so-huge public high schools?

Another question is are there any good HS's in the downtown area? Is that a foolish or fiscally impossible place to live? My experience here is that lining in the city and commuting out is far better than the other way 'round.

Finally - Eanes ISD seems to fit some of the criteria if - if - the 360 is easy north in the AM / south in the PM.

So please, help us out with your experience / knowledge. I have to make a lot of decisions fast - thought the fam is at a camp until mid-Aug I'll be expected to nail down the housing as early as next month. So quick responses are greatly appreciated.

RI Guy

[Trainwreck20]

Wow, lot of info there....

First off, if you can find the size house you need for the money somewhere in Eanes school district, that is probably not a bad choice.
School - Excellent school, academically, although it has a reputation for an 'entitlement' culture.
Commute to 183/Sp. area - probaby around 15 miles and most of it would be opposite of traffic. Depends on where your house would be.
Commute to airport - Depending on when you go to the airport (assume mornings?) you might run into a bit of traffic, but Ben White has recently been almost completely converted to freeway, so not too bad.
Wife's job - Well, Eanes is probably hard to get a job at, at least relative to AISD or some of the other districts. Of course, this is just my assumption, could be wrong. But there are all sorts of teaching jobs, and I suspect the PE is not a favorite of the average teacher, so that may help.

As for the other HSs you listed:

LBJ, Lanier, Anderson, Westwood

LBJ - I substitute taught there some years ago and I can vouch that it is a rough HS, I doubt it could have changed all that much. Avoid it.
Lanier - Better than LBJ, but nothing to write home about.
Anderson and Westwood - Both are good schools, with Anderson being one of the better in the Austin district. Westwood (in the Round Rock district) is further out and probably is rated better, but I would send my kids to either one without a problem.

Considering all your criteria, I would recommend the Far West Blvd area. Possibly walking distance to Anderson HS (or a short ride), split the difference between the airport and work (but closer to work), easy access to downtown (or to get out of town), and likely to be reasonable rent when compared to Eanes school district (althought I have not rented in years).

[RI_Guy]

Thanks, Train (or is it Wreck?)

It was a lot of info, but I think you'd agree it gave you enough to make a very useful reply for which I am grateful.

You didn't say anything about downtown living / schools or small schools. Any comment there?

And what about these 'academies' that are part of the UT district? Are they too alternative, or do they have respect in the community?

[Trainwreck20]

There are several academies, and I can't say that I know a whole lot about them (I went to school in Georgetown, not Austin), but I know a little.

The science academy is at LBJ, and the Fine Arts Academy is at McCallum. Not sure about others. They are generally much better programs than are available at the rest of the HS in which they are located. I know you have to apply, and you can live anywhere and attend the academy, but I don't know what the entrance criteria are.

'Downtown' living would probably result in your kids going to McCallum or Austin HS. Austin HS used to be pretty rough (gang issues, I think), but I understand it is much better these days. McCallum covers north of downtown, and Austin South. Anyway, neither of these schools are considered 'top' schools now (at least in general discussion, I have not looked them up lately), but neither are they bad schools.

Your commute from downtown would be opposite traffic, and closer to the airport, but getting a good house for the price will be more of a challenge, although definitely possible. As far as house goes, are you looking for a minimum size? Do you have issues with older houses (no garage/no closests maybe...?). To tell you the truth, 2K will get you a house almost anywhere, but some will be nicer than others.....

When would you be moving here? I am assuming this summer, but is it earlier? The dowtown housing market is somewhat more impacted by UT than other areas of Austin (although Far West is defintiely impacted, too).

[AustinTraveler]

I can't comment on schools but I will say that you will have a tough time finding anything close to downtown that has three bedrooms for under $2K a month.

I think Trainwreck has found the best place. The Far West/Northwest Hills/Highland Park area is midway between your job location (183/Spicewood Springs) and downtown. Traffic is bad no matter which direction you travel, so you'll just have to get used to that.

Use Google map and search the location of Anderson High School:

8403 Mesa Dr
Austin, TX 78759

The areas that we're talking about are north and south of Spicewood Springs Road with 360 to the west and Mopac to the east. I don't know how far south the school boundary is though but even south of 2222 is still a very nice area, although it will start getting pricier because it's closer to downtown.

By the way, great post. I love LOTS of detail.

[RI_Guy]

We need a home but not necessarily a house. Currently living in an urban setting so a funky situation is in bounds, as long as it doesn't put us in a permanent battle with vermin, thieves or other activities of interest to the APD.

Do Austin / McCallum have 'normal' facilities / sports programs / curricula?

[austin-steve]

Do Austin / McCallum have 'normal' facilities / sports programs / curricula?

Based on everything you've said, a home in Lost Creek would be my first suggestion. You just can't beat Westlake High and the Eanes schools in general. You'll probably be able to find something at or below $2,000 this summer.

My second recommendation would be a home that attends McCallum High School. That would put you North Central, or East Central, with an easy contra-flow work drive, and close to the airport. McCallum isn't normally mentioned among the "top" high schools, but I know several people with kids there who really like it.

Steve

[Trainwreck20]

All the high schools in the Austin District will offer very similar access to sports and will have very similar curricula; for that matter, any public school in Texas that is 4A, 5A or super 5A (size designations) will offer a wide variety of options. As you get smaller (3A, but especially 1A or 2A schools), there will be fewer options. All the high schools in Austin and surrounding area are 4A or 5A, I think.