SMU and Waxahatchie--schools in between? (Dallas, Plano: appointed, transplants, renting)

[lablvrs]

We are relocating to the Dallas area from central Missouri. I have been accepted to a graduate program at SMU and my husband has a potential job in Waxahatchie We had originally hoped to buy a home in Richardson or Plano (and are still hoping for a job more in that area). But, if the Waxahatchie job works out, that might be too far for him to commute from the north! Any ideas what the commute times could be? Or, does the DART have transportation he could use?
I'm guessing we need to set our sites at relocating somewhere midpoint between our two destinations...if so I would appreciate some suggestions as to nicer, vibrant, family oriented communities to consider.
*** Important to us: quality schols (we have 2 school aged kids & schools were big reason we had looked into richardson & plano), reasonable commute times for each of us, home with larger rooms and 2400+ square feet, ability to get a little bit larger GRASSY backyard, budget around $200K max out at 250K. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated!

[padcrasher]

Not much to offer between SMU and Waxahachie by way of schools. Red Oak ISD is rated "recognized", that's about as good as it gets.

[ChristieP]

What about DeSoto, Duncanville and Cedar Hill? People here seem to rave about those cities...

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by lablvrs

We are relocating to the Dallas area from central Missouri. I have been accepted to a graduate program at SMU and my husband has a potential job in Waxahatchie We had originally hoped to buy a home in Richardson or Plano (and are still hoping for a job more in that area). But, if the Waxahatchie job works out, that might be too far for him to commute from the north! Any ideas what the commute times could be? Or, does the DART have transportation he could use?
I'm guessing we need to set our sites at relocating somewhere midpoint between our two destinations...if so I would appreciate some suggestions as to nicer, vibrant, family oriented communities to consider.
*** Important to us: quality schols (we have 2 school aged kids & schools were big reason we had looked into richardson & plano), reasonable commute times for each of us, home with larger rooms and 2400+ square feet, ability to get a little bit larger GRASSY backyard, budget around $200K max out at 250K. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Regarding schools, are your children in elementary, middle, and/or high school? Are there any unique school programs, such as gifted/talented, special education, AP, IB, etc. that you would like a school to offer? Most school districts in the area do have higher performing ("Recognized" or "Exemplary") campuses, so we will be able to better assist you by knowing this information.

Public transportation isn't available in most of the suburban areas south of Dallas. The one exception is Glenn Heights, which has a DART Park and Ride Station.

Welcome to the area!

Originally Posted by padcrasher

Not much to offer between SMU and Waxahachie by way of schools. Red Oak ISD is rated "recognized", that's about as good as it gets.

Cedar Hill ISD also carries a district-wide rating of "Recognized."

[Acntx]

I didn't see your other post that specified what grades your children will be in next year until after I had posted my previous comment. In many local school districts, 2nd and 5th grade are elementary, and there are a number of higher performing campuses in the area between SMU and Waxahachie. The suburbs south of Dallas aren't as large or popular with out-of-state transplants as those north of Dallas, but there are family-oriented neighborhoods and good schools with great programs in this part of DFW as well.

In addition to your personal preferences regarding home size, what other amenities are you looking for in a city or particular neighborhood? For example: proximity to shopping/dining, recreational activities, etc.

[lablvrs]

RE: Schools--Yes, my kids will be in elementary next year, but the oldest will be in middle school the following year & if we like the area enough to stay after my 4 year program, a good high school will be important, too. I'm looking at the overall school program for an ISD--not just individual buildings/grades. My kids have been in a public, arts integrated elementary school, which has been nice, but is not necessary when we move. The extra curricular activities they currently enjoy should be easily replicated (scouts, soccer, etc). Not sure we'll be able to afford private schools.

RE: Community--I have lived in the same town my entire life, so honestly, I'm looking forward to being somewhere new & experiencing a different community. What I'm used to would probably be considered small suburbia with a lot of midwest "hometown" support. Some things I like about our current city are that it is vibrant & growing, has lots of nice city parks & green spaces, strongly supports quality education, and also has a strong arts community as well as plenty of locally owned restaurants & galleries. At the same time, I'm looking forward to a broader variety of chain retail than what we have in our town of 100,000. I don't have to be super close to everything, but like convenient access to groceries/basics, etc. I don't want to live near/in mostly industrial communities. I definitely want to live in a neighborhood with other families with kids! It is so nice when my kids can play with kids from down the street rather than needing us to haul them across town for a playdate. Does this help?

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by lablvrs

RE: Schools--Yes, my kids will be in elementary next year, but the oldest will be in middle school the following year & if we like the area enough to stay after my 4 year program, a good high school will be important, too. I'm looking at the overall school program for an ISD--not just individual buildings/grades. My kids have been in a public, arts integrated elementary school, which has been nice, but is not necessary when we move. The extra curricular activities they currently enjoy should be easily replicated (scouts, soccer, etc). Not sure we'll be able to afford private schools.

RE: Community--I have lived in the same town my entire life, so honestly, I'm looking forward to being somewhere new & experiencing a different community. What I'm used to would probably be considered small suburbia with a lot of midwest "hometown" support. Some things I like about our current city are that it is vibrant & growing, has lots of nice city parks & green spaces, strongly supports quality education, and also has a strong arts community as well as plenty of locally owned restaurants & galleries. At the same time, I'm looking forward to a broader variety of chain retail than what we have in our town of 100,000. I don't have to be super close to everything, but like convenient access to groceries/basics, etc. I don't want to live near/in mostly industrial communities. I definitely want to live in a neighborhood with other families with kids! It is so nice when my kids can play with kids from down the street rather than needing us to haul them across town for a playdate. Does this help?

Based the criteria you listed, I think Cedar Hill would be a good option.

[hal2814]

I would seriously consider renting for a year or so. If Richardson and Plano are your yardsticks, I think you're going to be a little disappointed in anything you find that's commutable to Waxahachie. I'm usually right there with the chorus for Cedar Hill but I think in this situation Red Oak makes a lot more sense. It's just as easy of a shot to SMU and Waxahachie is right there. You'd be missing some of the shopping options in Cedar Hill but Waxahachie shopping is respectable and it's not like Cedar Hill is far away. I personally wouldn't send my kids to Lancaster, DeSoto, or Duncanville schools and that's a shame because Lancaster would be an ideal location.

For the SMU trip from Red Oak (or anything else along I35E), you could drive all the way in, pick up the park and ride at Glenn Heights or catch the rail station at Ledbetter just north of I20.

[Acntx]

To the OP: You mentioned not knowing if you could afford private schools, but there may be some in the area that might be affordable. I'm not personally familiar with any of them, but that might be an option worth looking into. There are also several public charter schools in the area as well. Either choice would potentially broaden the number of communities/neighborhoods suitable to your needs.

I would like to mention several major changes taking place in the two neighboring school districts I am most familiar with, DeSoto and Lancaster. I am a product of DeSoto schools and received a wonderful education there. I have a younger brother who graduated from Lancaster High in 2010 with a good academic record. Beginning next fall, DeSoto High is launching five career academies that will give all students the opportunity to earn college credit in addition to regular high school courses. One of the five is an Arts academy. Lancaster ISD will be implementing a district-wide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education program next year that will increase accelerated learning options (AP, dual credit, college/career programs, etc.). It is also one of the few districts to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at all three levels: primary, middle, and high school. I just wanted to make you aware of steps being taken by southern suburb school districts to increase student educational offerings. Positive things do happen in these districts and too often, those aspects are barely mentioned in this forum. That said, I still believe that Cedar Hill best meets your stated criteria, which is why I recommended it in an earlier post.

If I can be of any assistance to you, just let me know.

All the best to you and your family.

[lablvrs]

Thanks for the great comments and suggestions. I will look into Cedar Hill & Red Oak. I guess we need to consider the private school option, too--although from reading several other threads on this forum, it sounds like the application/reservation period for many private schools may be past. Is that probably true?

And, no guarantee on hubby's job location yet--we're still looking for other Dallas options, but that was the best lead we have so far. Since I had been focusing my research energies on the North Dallas communities, I figured I should start learning more about some of the southern towns, just in case. I really appreciate all of your thoughtful insights!