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Old 11-08-2017, 11:00 AM
 
44 posts, read 56,689 times
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Hello All,

Planning on moving to Dallas by Summer 2018 from MI before the school begins. Have two kids currently enrolled in talented and gifted schools, in 7th and 4 grade, hence school district is very important, especially High School. Heard great things about Dallas schools. Please let me know what school district is good over the other. I would like to hear personal experiences and reasons.

I work from home so location not very important as much as a great school district, DH is trying to get a job not sure which city as yet. Heard that Coppell is a central location. He flew down there and liked Keller and Coppell. I have narrowed it down to Flower Mound, Keller and Coppell. Looking for a home with atleast 3000 sq ft, with a nice backyard(we are spoil living in the Midwest) not more than 450K probably not more than 10 years old. I have heard newer houses in TX don’t have good landscaping, not sure. Did like Frisco, but the houses look boxed like trains and are very close with no or minimal backyard.

Positive suggestions are much appreciated! Thank you for your time!
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Old 11-08-2017, 02:23 PM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,545 posts, read 7,002,302 times
Reputation: 14045
First things first...you will like the winters down here much better than in Michigan!

Second, find out where your husband will be working, since there is actually a big difference between the Keller side or the Coppell side. Long timers will tell you 2-3 minutes a mile during rush hour, so keep that in mind.

Third, consider buying a home with a pool, or adjusting your budget so that you can put one in.

As far as schools and houses, I am sorry to say that you will have to weigh your priorities. Most people on this board would rank the schools in this order: Coppell HS, Flower Mound/Marcus HS, Keller HS. They will also suggest looking into Grapevine.

We were dead set on Flower Mound but ending up buying in Keller ISD. Our budget was initially $450,000 and we ended up spending $480,000. Maybe the market will be less crazy next year. But, you might have a REALLY difficult time finding a home less than 10 years old, with a nice backyard, with 3000 SF, at $450,000. Everyone wants one of those. Consider an older home that has been redone, or a smaller home, or be prepared to spend over that.

Some things to keep in mind:

Coppell...others will know better than I, but I think the lot sizes will be smallest in Coppell, and you'll also be looking at older homes. I think Coppell HS has the best reputation out of all those, but some have said there is severe overcrowding?

Flower Mound/Marcus...we were determined to live in FM. I think it is a really pretty suburb. Flower Mound is larger than say, Keller....there is more shopping in the town itself...think Belk's and TJ Maxx and Best Buy as well as all your grocery and big box stores. I love how much landscaping there is around town. Traffic in FM can be a bit much. As a newcomer, I didn't like the 6 lane roads; I thought it made it harder to get around unless I knew exactly where I was going.

At the FM high schools, all incoming students are given an iPad. From what I'm hearing, this has had mixed results. I actually spoke to a counselor at FM high school and they were very helpful and informative. The one thing she said that really struck me was when she said the school has a very competitive environment, so you have to consider if that is a good fit for your child.

In the end, we didn't buy a house in FM because a) we were outbid and 2) we were not impressed with the houses we saw. It seemed that the best houses (not on a busy road, nicer subdivision, etc.) received multiple offers for over asking. The houses that we could have gotten we didn't care for because of overwhelming negatives such as location or condition.

Having said that, if we had found the right thing, we would have bought in FM in a heartbeat and no doubt been very pleased to live there.

Keller: Keller is a smaller suburb in that it doesn't offer as many shopping opportunities in town...you might have to drive 15 minutes, which was not a big deal for us. (You still have all your everyday necessities, and for specialty shopping I can be in Southlake in 15 minutes). IMO, the traffic is less congested. Roads are 4 lanes, not 6. The Keller Pointe is a great fitness center available to residents at a discounted price. There is a beautiful public golf club. There are hills and views and trees. In Keller, you are the most likely to have a bigger back yard with trees. However, your options for a newer home at that price point are still somewhat limited.

My son started at Keller High School and so far we are happy. He has two learning disabilities and the school addressed his needs right away. When there was a glitch with his 504, it was corrected immediately. I have had teachers call me ON THE WEEKEND when I had a question. The teachers seem genuinely interested in helping him. My son says overall the kids are nice. He doesn't witness any bullying. Some kids are jerks, but these are teenagers. He says the behavior is overall better than his middle school in North Carolina. No iPads given out, but students can bring their own laptops.

A few other things to note:

Flower Mound/Marcus H.S. and Keller H.S. have different kinds of schedules. (IDK about Coppell). At FM, you take the same classes every day for half the year, then switch to different classes the other half of the year. So for example you don't take math all year long. (Someone please correct this if I am wrong).

At Keller, you take the same classes all year long, but alternate days. This is good and bad, because you aren't going half a year without math (for example). However, it does make it more challenging to have a set group of friends in that your lunch time is not the same every day. My son has met a lot of kids he likes but he doesn't get to see them all that often. I think also Keller is the smallest of the high schools you listed?

Also, on the middle school level, Keller ISD has had a split for 5th and 6th grade at intermediate schools and 7th and 8th at middle schools. I am not sure if they are going to change that to 6th-8th in the future.

I am sure that if we had ended up at any of these schools, it would have been fine. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them.

You may receive some advice to look at Byron Nelson HS in Northwest ISD, but I think Northwest ISD is having some problems and from what I hear, all the good teachers are trying to get out.

Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps, and good luck.
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Old 11-08-2017, 02:30 PM
 
Location: DFW
40,920 posts, read 48,822,759 times
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In general.... The newer the house, the smaller the yard. You may struggle with this.

Also finding homes less than 10 years old in these 3 areas may be difficult in your price range.
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Old 11-08-2017, 04:39 PM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,545 posts, read 7,002,302 times
Reputation: 14045
Another difference is that Keller HS changed their calendar this year so that they start a week earlier in August. This means they take exams before Christmas and are out before Memorial Day. FM starts a week later, takes exams after Christmas, and finishes in June. IDK about Coppell.

Of the three towns, Keller feels least "busy" to me. Just something else to think about.
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Old 11-08-2017, 05:38 PM
 
44 posts, read 56,689 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgirlinnc View Post
First things first...you will like the winters down here much better than in Michigan!

Second, find out where your husband will be working, since there is actually a big difference between the Keller side or the Coppell side. Long timers will tell you 2-3 minutes a mile during rush hour, so keep that in mind.

Third, consider buying a home with a pool, or adjusting your budget so that you can put one in.

As far as schools and houses, I am sorry to say that you will have to weigh your priorities. Most people on this board would rank the schools in this order: Coppell HS, Flower Mound/Marcus HS, Keller HS. They will also suggest looking into Grapevine.

We were dead set on Flower Mound but ending up buying in Keller ISD. Our budget was initially $450,000 and we ended up spending $480,000. Maybe the market will be less crazy next year. But, you might have a REALLY difficult time finding a home less than 10 years old, with a nice backyard, with 3000 SF, at $450,000. Everyone wants one of those. Consider an older home that has been redone, or a smaller home, or be prepared to spend over that.

Some things to keep in mind:

Coppell...others will know better than I, but I think the lot sizes will be smallest in Coppell, and you'll also be looking at older homes. I think Coppell HS has the best reputation out of all those, but some have said there is severe overcrowding?

Flower Mound/Marcus...we were determined to live in FM. I think it is a really pretty suburb. Flower Mound is larger than say, Keller....there is more shopping in the town itself...think Belk's and TJ Maxx and Best Buy as well as all your grocery and big box stores. I love how much landscaping there is around town. Traffic in FM can be a bit much. As a newcomer, I didn't like the 6 lane roads; I thought it made it harder to get around unless I knew exactly where I was going.

At the FM high schools, all incoming students are given an iPad. From what I'm hearing, this has had mixed results. I actually spoke to a counselor at FM high school and they were very helpful and informative. The one thing she said that really struck me was when she said the school has a very competitive environment, so you have to consider if that is a good fit for your child.

In the end, we didn't buy a house in FM because a) we were outbid and 2) we were not impressed with the houses we saw. It seemed that the best houses (not on a busy road, nicer subdivision, etc.) received multiple offers for over asking. The houses that we could have gotten we didn't care for because of overwhelming negatives such as location or condition.

Having said that, if we had found the right thing, we would have bought in FM in a heartbeat and no doubt been very pleased to live there.

Keller: Keller is a smaller suburb in that it doesn't offer as many shopping opportunities in town...you might have to drive 15 minutes, which was not a big deal for us. (You still have all your everyday necessities, and for specialty shopping I can be in Southlake in 15 minutes). IMO, the traffic is less congested. Roads are 4 lanes, not 6. The Keller Pointe is a great fitness center available to residents at a discounted price. There is a beautiful public golf club. There are hills and views and trees. In Keller, you are the most likely to have a bigger back yard with trees. However, your options for a newer home at that price point are still somewhat limited.

My son started at Keller High School and so far we are happy. He has two learning disabilities and the school addressed his needs right away. When there was a glitch with his 504, it was corrected immediately. I have had teachers call me ON THE WEEKEND when I had a question. The teachers seem genuinely interested in helping him. My son says overall the kids are nice. He doesn't witness any bullying. Some kids are jerks, but these are teenagers. He says the behavior is overall better than his middle school in North Carolina. No iPads given out, but students can bring their own laptops.

A few other things to note:

Flower Mound/Marcus H.S. and Keller H.S. have different kinds of schedules. (IDK about Coppell). At FM, you take the same classes every day for half the year, then switch to different classes the other half of the year. So for example you don't take math all year long. (Someone please correct this if I am wrong).

At Keller, you take the same classes all year long, but alternate days. This is good and bad, because you aren't going half a year without math (for example). However, it does make it more challenging to have a set group of friends in that your lunch time is not the same every day. My son has met a lot of kids he likes but he doesn't get to see them all that often. I think also Keller is the smallest of the high schools you listed?

Also, on the middle school level, Keller ISD has had a split for 5th and 6th grade at intermediate schools and 7th and 8th at middle schools. I am not sure if they are going to change that to 6th-8th in the future.

I am sure that if we had ended up at any of these schools, it would have been fine. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them.

You may receive some advice to look at Byron Nelson HS in Northwest ISD, but I think Northwest ISD is having some problems and from what I hear, all the good teachers are trying to get out.

Sorry this is so long. Hope it helps, and good luck.
Calgirlinnc - I appreciate you taking the time to put in all the pros and cons :-)
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Old 11-08-2017, 05:47 PM
 
3,478 posts, read 6,517,232 times
Reputation: 3239
Quote:
Coppell...others will know better than I, but I think the lot sizes will be smallest in Coppell, and you'll also be looking at older homes. I think Coppell HS has the best reputation out of all those, but some have said there is severe overcrowding?

Flower Mound/Marcus...we were determined to live in FM. I think it is a really pretty suburb. Flower Mound is larger than say, Keller....there is more shopping in the town itself...think Belk's and TJ Maxx and Best Buy as well as all your grocery and big box stores. I love how much landscaping there is around town. Traffic in FM can be a bit much. As a newcomer, I didn't like the 6 lane roads; I thought it made it harder to get around unless I knew exactly where I was going.
I'd put Flower Mound and Coppell on the same level academically with Keller behind, but still good. We live in Coppell and would consider Keller eventually. Coppell does have some overcrowding issues now, but construction is actively taking place right now to remedy that. I went to Flower Mound high school and it is very competitive...but honestly any "good" high school in DFW is going to be.

Flower Mound does have the block schedule where you take 4 classes one semester and 4 the next. I liked it because you got more classes in and got more focus. It's much like college. The downside is you might take an AP class in the fall and the test in the spring. They've been doing this for years, though, and it hasn't been an issue. My youngest sister was there when they moved exams after Christmas--that does really suck. Some of her teachers assigned giant projects over the Christmas break, which I think is inappropriate. I'm not sure about Coppell, but I think it is your typical 7 classes a day schedule.

Lots in Coppell are small and you will almost surely have to purchase an older home--many have been redone nicely, though. Flower Mound is the next expensive, but with bigger lots. It is unlikely you will find what you are looking for (new, bigger lot) in your price range. Keller is your best bet for price, but even then it is unlikely you are going to find a huge yard. In general, lower your expectations in that regard.

I cant emphasize enough what previous posters have said about your husband's job location being key. Keller to Dallas or Plano would be rough. Coppell to Dallas is much easier than Flower Mound. Flower Mound or Keller to the Fort Worth area is much easier than Coppell (well depending on where you are in Flower Mound).

In general, all three areas are a good choice. Like others said, don't rule out Grapevine/Colleyville either. The schools are great and the area is beautiful--same housing and lot issues though.

The other area I might recommend (depending on your husband's job location) is Argyle (zoned to Argyle ISD) and Double Oak (zoned to LISD--Marcus High). You may find a bit more lot and house for your $$ there and the schools are also good.
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Old 11-08-2017, 06:00 PM
 
Location: In a George Strait Song
9,545 posts, read 7,002,302 times
Reputation: 14045
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spring2018 View Post
Calgirlinnc - I appreciate you taking the time to put in all the pros and cons :-)
You are welcome. Hope it all made sense. It is overwhelming trying to choose among all these areas from 1,000 miles away.

Honestly, though, all those areas are extremely nice, and if one school is "better" than another, I doubt it is dramatically so. All of them would be a good choice.

Oh, and by the way, if you do look at Keller, you want Keller H.S., and not the other high schools in Keller ISD. And try to be zoned to FM or Marcus and not Lewisville H.S.
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Old 11-08-2017, 09:46 PM
 
3,478 posts, read 6,517,232 times
Reputation: 3239
Quote:
Oh, and by the way, if you do look at Keller, you want Keller H.S., and not the other high schools in Keller ISD. And try to be zoned to FM or Marcus and not Lewisville H.S.
That's a good point. Lewisville High School would be a HUGE step down from FM or Marcus and Keller too.
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Old 11-08-2017, 10:15 PM
 
44 posts, read 56,689 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by mSooner View Post
I'd put Flower Mound and Coppell on the same level academically with Keller behind, but still good. We live in Coppell and would consider Keller eventually. Coppell does have some overcrowding issues now, but construction is actively taking place right now to remedy that. I went to Flower Mound high school and it is very competitive...but honestly any "good" high school in DFW is going to be.

Flower Mound does have the block schedule where you take 4 classes one semester and 4 the next. I liked it because you got more classes in and got more focus. It's much like college. The downside is you might take an AP class in the fall and the test in the spring. They've been doing this for years, though, and it hasn't been an issue. My youngest sister was there when they moved exams after Christmas--that does really suck. Some of her teachers assigned giant projects over the Christmas break, which I think is inappropriate. I'm not sure about Coppell, but I think it is your typical 7 classes a day schedule.

Lots in Coppell are small and you will almost surely have to purchase an older home--many have been redone nicely, though. Flower Mound is the next expensive, but with bigger lots. It is unlikely you will find what you are looking for (new, bigger lot) in your price range. Keller is your best bet for price, but even then it is unlikely you are going to find a huge yard. In general, lower your expectations in that regard.

I cant emphasize enough what previous posters have said about your husband's job location being key. Keller to Dallas or Plano would be rough. Coppell to Dallas is much easier than Flower Mound. Flower Mound or Keller to the Fort Worth area is much easier than Coppell (well depending on where you are in Flower Mound).

In general, all three areas are a good choice. Like others said, don't rule out Grapevine/Colleyville either. The schools are great and the area is beautiful--same housing and lot issues though.

The other area I might recommend (depending on your husband's job location) is Argyle (zoned to Argyle ISD) and Double Oak (zoned to LISD--Marcus High). You may find a bit more lot and house for your $$ there and the schools are also good.
Thank you, I appreciate your time and output too :-)
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Old 11-08-2017, 10:16 PM
 
44 posts, read 56,689 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgirlinnc View Post
You are welcome. Hope it all made sense. It is overwhelming trying to choose among all these areas from 1,000 miles away.

Honestly, though, all those areas are extremely nice, and if one school is "better" than another, I doubt it is dramatically so. All of them would be a good choice.

Oh, and by the way, if you do look at Keller, you want Keller H.S., and not the other high schools in Keller ISD. And try to be zoned to FM or Marcus and not Lewisville H.S.
That is a great point, thanks again!
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