Best of the Soutwest Suburbs (Dallas, Grand Prairie: homes, neighborhoods, school districts)

[Uncle Pookey]

Planning to relocate, I have a ton of family moving to the DFW, and I will be doing the same thing in the upcoming year. I made a post previously about wanting to be close my folks in the Keller/Northeast Tarrant County area, however, I don't really like how far away it is from any fun, to say the least.

I will be working from home so distance from work really isn't the problem. But I do have children, ages two, and eight. I fell in love with the prices of homes in Cedar Hill along with the beautiful scenery and the diversity of that area compared to the Northern suburbs. But I am having a hard tirme reconciling the school districts out there, from what I have read online, on sites like schooldigger and greatschools etc.

Can someone tell me or guide me, into which of these south suburbs are the most desirable.

[thenewtexan]

Cedar Hill hands down.

[dallas89]

Cedar hill

As for elementary, Colin Powell in Grand Prairie is not too far. It has a rating of exemplary. Grand Prairie is an open enrollment district meaning that you don't have to live in Grand Prairie to enroll your kids in the district

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by dallas89

Cedar hill

As for elementary, Colin Powell in Grand Prairie is not too far. It has a rating of exemplary. Grand Prairie is an open enrollment district meaning that you don't have to live in Grand Prairie to enroll your kids in the district

I thought that meant you still have to live within the ISD boundary, but there are no attendance zones for each individual school.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by thenewtexan

I thought that meant you still have to live within the ISD boundary, but there are no attendance zones for each individual school.

That's what I would have thought, too. I looked on the district's website and what the other poster said is correct/ you don't have to live in GP to enroll in GPISD schools. Schools and Programs of Choice / English - Home

[J800]

Colin Powell is by far the best elementary in GPISD.


Colin Powell to Reagan MS in GP will have you covered up until high school.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

That's what I would have thought, too. I looked on the district's website and what the other poster said is correct/ you don't have to live in GP to enroll in GPISD schools. Schools and Programs of Choice / English - Home

Huh...good to know.

[Acntx]

Cedar Hill is a great choice. The areas of Grand Prairie that have been mentioned and the other suburbs of southwest Dallas County (DeSoto, Lancaster, parts of Duncanville, etc.) should also be considered. There are nice neighborhoods in these communities as well and depending on other indicators such as housing budget, potential commute, and other preferences, they could work too.

There are decent public schools in the southern suburbs where your children can receive a quality education, especially at the elementary level, which will be your primary focus in the near future. They may not receive much attention on this forum and there is a tendency to completely "write off" entire districts with little regard for individual school performance (particularly elementary/middle schools), specialty programs offered, and other indicators that may be important to one family and not so much to another. Once you narrow down your search, I highly recommend contacting the school district to see what academic programs and resources will best serve your children's needs. GreatSchools and similar sites have been roundly criticized here when schools in the more popular areas receive a rating lower than anticipated. While the parent comments can provide some insight, I think most would agree that those websites shouldn't be used as the sole determinant of school quality. Most of the southern suburban districts are "open enrollment" now, making it possible to live in one city and have your chidren attend school in another as long as you can provide transportation to and from campus (no busing provided). Several public charter schools also serve the area, so there are quite a few public options available without going private.

I hope this is helps and all the best to you and your family. If you need further assistance, let us know.

[dallas89]

Originally Posted by Acntx

Cedar Hill is a great choice. The areas of Grand Prairie that have been mentioned and the other suburbs of southwest Dallas County (DeSoto, Lancaster, parts of Duncanville, etc.) should also be considered. There are nice neighborhoods in these communities as well and depending on other indicators such as housing budget, potential commute, and other preferences, they could work too.

There are decent public schools in the southern suburbs where your children can receive a quality education, especially at the elementary level, which will be your primary focus in the near future. They may not receive much attention on this forum and there is a tendency to completely "write off" entire districts with little regard for individual school performance (particularly elementary/middle schools), specialty programs offered, and other indicators that may be important to one family and not so much to another. Once you narrow down your search, I highly recommend contacting the school district to see what academic programs and resources will best serve your children's needs. GreatSchools and similar sites have been roundly criticized here when schools in the more popular areas receive a rating lower than anticipated. While the parent comments can provide some insight, I think most would agree that those websites shouldn't be used as the sole determinant of school quality. Most of the southern suburban districts are "open enrollment" now, making it possible to live in one city and have your chidren attend school in another as long as you can provide transportation to and from campus (no busing provided). Several public charter schools also serve the area, so there are quite a few public options available without going private.

I hope this is helps and all the best to you and your family. If you need further assistance, let us know.

Agree! The southwest has some nice homes and neighborhoods

[WorldKlas]

Check out Midlothian, too.