So, if you had to choose...... (Plano, Allen: estate, travel, income)

[MissMee]

I've been doing a lot of research based on things I've learned from this board and links posted here as well as other sources I've found. I've compared SAT/ACT scores; TAKS scores for grades 3, 8, and 11; % of low income students; and basic information such as crime stats/sex offenders in the area (which doesn't mean that much). Here are my top contenders. Which, in your opinion, would you rather live in and why. Or why isn't one a good choice.

Yes, it's all subjective, I know. Depends on this and that, blah blah. I just want to know your thoughts on an area. Thanks!

1. Southlake, areas that feed into Carroll schools
2. Fairview/Allen with Lovejoy schools
3. Coppell
4. Frisco
5. Colleyville
(possibly 6.) Rockwall - but their scores on all the above were just average

[MurphyPl1]

I like Fairview/Allen but I don't like the Lovejoy schools' Supertindent and the AP only HS. My DD could have done just fine there, but I hate the whole "none of our kids will grow up to be auto mechanics" mentality that he is promoting. I can't imagine what kind of "I'm better than you" attitudes are going to be graduating from that school. Heck, I'm sure Highland Park has a similar mentality, but they have the good sense not to go on the news and advertise that fact.

Frisco is the IT town in that area right now, but I fear what kind of crisis they will be running into in the next 10 years. I can only foresee huge infrastructure issues and tax increases to fund that. The vast majority of the town will begin to deteriorate at the same time and unless there's an aggressive plan in place NOW for what is coming down the pike, it'll be a disaster.

Rockwall seems to be doing a much better job of managing their growth. Of all you mentioned on the list, that is probably the one I would consider. They have good schools. And if you are involved and your kids are motivated I think they will do as well there as they would in any of the other districts. The big drawback for us was the difficulty in getting anywhere from Rockwall. You have to cross the lake and when there's no traffic and no accidents it's no problem. But if there is...

[MissMee]

That's another reason why Rockwall is on my "maybe" list. I'm afraid it might me too far out. My parents live on the complete other side of the metroplex, so I'm thinking Rockwall is a little "boonies."

And I'm thinking Frisco might just be too darn big and will just eventually fall apart and become a cruddy town when something new and better comes along.

[Spree]

Are you basing it just on school performance? These places are all over the DFW map - with Southlake being more of a FT Worth suburb. Where are you going to have to travel for work, will that be an issue at all? All of the places you've mentioned are good places to live.

Your list is a good start. From that list you can consider taxes - Coppell being the highest I believe, if newer, tract type homes(Frisco/Southlake) appeal to you or more traditional homes (Allen), do you want to be nearer big box stores (Southlake/Frisco) or want to have a little more land (Fairview). Does school size matter - Allen and Southlake will be much larger, while Frisco schools are newer and will eventually have a large capacity, they keep building new schools so they might not be at capacity yet. Do you want to be near the lake (Rockwall) or near airports (SouthLake/Coppell/Colleyville).

[5stones]

Gapevine/Colleyville ISD was my number 1 choice based on many reasons. The schools preform very well and there is some diversity. The area has a big mix of realestate options. It seems to have a much more down to earth mentality as a whole.
Downtown Grapevine is very cute, small but nice historic old town. The lake is right there for boating and fishing etc...

Southlake while it looks great on paper, has it's own problems. (I live near the Keller south lake boarder) The town itself has a better than you kind of attitude, and refuses to see that the kids there can cause just as much (if not more) trouble than the kids from surrounding communites. It is very much of a "bubble", NOTHING bad happens here, and everyone is just perfect. Just not real life.
Some people love it, we are not into outward appearences and Keeping up with the Jones'. Been there and lived that in PA. I want my kids more concerned with who a person is, not what they are driving or what they are wearing.
Those great TAKS scores may not be all what they are chalked up to be either, one elem. school is currently under investigation.

Coppell is another nice bedroom community. Great schools, but they are pretty competitive and my sister complains at the ammount of HW given (5th grade) and progects there are etc... (she is a former teacher and works in hte schools for tutoring) It's a very nicely diverse community culture wise. Yards are smaller there and things feel a bit yammed. I believe they are building a new HS there as well. Neighobrhoods seem very close knit and have a real sense of community.

Those are the only ones on your list I am familiar with.

But depending on where your job is a commute from Southlake could be very bad.

[MurphyPl1]

Originally Posted by Spree

Does school size matter

Size matters.

[momof2dfw]

Of all of those the only one I'd even consider is Rockwall. As others have said the ones that "appear" to be "better" are not all they are cracked up to be. I prefer to be around a more economic diverse group of people so the "better than you" types are not the only ones around for my family to associate with. Rockwall has a GREAT community spirit and really isn't that far from everything. They are getting tons of great restaurants and shops building and opening up. Depending on where your family lives it can sometimes be much easier to get to them from Rockwall than somewhere like Frisco. With 190 coming thru to I30 or swing around 635 to I20. Bypass a lot of the heavy traffic depending on where your going.

Yes, those TAKS scores are NOT an accurate way to gauge a schools performance at all. I don't give them ANY weight at all.

[MissMee]

All good points, Spree. At this point, commute doesn't matter. School size does matter somewhat. I'd like for it to *not* be some humongous see of faceless people. I'd think a 4A would be good. However, I like the idea that Southlake has divided its HS into two sets of grades. Does anyone else do that?

I also like the idea of a lake. Ideally, I'd love to live on a lake again, but not sure where that would be possible.

I also like the idea of being really close to shopping and the idea of a really well laid out city with lots of sidewalks, parks, and fountains. I would love a huge house since I have a large family. I don't mind tract homes as long as I can customize it, and I'd like to have a yard in addition to a pool. But there is a nice appeal to both a new home and to a really nice older home with updates.

School performance does matter to me, or at least good SAT/ACT scores. That's why I picked the towns I did. The only one I left off were Highland Park because I'm priced out of it.

[Spree]

>>I like the idea that Southlake has divided its HS into two sets of grades. Does anyone else do that?<<

Plano does. Southlake is a 5A school, so it's large. What is Allen (anyone - 6A?)

[lpepping]

Originally Posted by MissMee

All good points, Spree. At this point, commute doesn't matter. School size does matter somewhat. I'd like for it to *not* be some humongous see of faceless people. I'd think a 4A would be good. However, I like the idea that Southlake has divided its HS into two sets of grades. Does anyone else do that?

I also like the idea of a lake. Ideally, I'd love to live on a lake again, but not sure where that would be possible.

I also like the idea of being really close to shopping and the idea of a really well laid out city with lots of sidewalks, parks, and fountains. I would love a huge house since I have a large family. I don't mind tract homes as long as I can customize it, and I'd like to have a yard in addition to a pool. But there is a nice appeal to both a new home and to a really nice older home with updates.

School performance does matter to me, or at least good SAT/ACT scores. That's why I picked the towns I did. The only one I left off were Highland Park because I'm priced out of it.

Are SAT/ACT scores really because of the school though? When I was in school it was more based on what prep courses you took outside of school to prepare you for the test and more dependent on the actual student. Maybe that has changed and certain schools integrate SAT prep courses into their curriculum?