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We are doing a quick move this summer to the Plano / Richardson area.
Spouse will work in Richardson. HOPE to have settled before school starts Aug 24th!
Currently we can walk to our Elementary School and 4-year High School, and Middle School is less than 1 mile away. Spouse commute here is about 3 miles. Is a similar scenario remotely possible in Plano/Richardson - if we bump his commute up to a max of 10 miles?
Plano West looks too far.
Plano or East would work.
Plano East HS doesn't have other schools nearby except maybe Hickey Elem.
My favorite clusters feeding Plano High School are
Davis or Saingling Elem
Haggard Middle
Vines HS based on proximity to each other and Vines on the way to hubby's work.
and then
Shepard, Jackson or maybe Weatherford El
Wilson Middle
Vines HS
Plano East area might consider
Mendenhall or Memorial Ele
Bowman
Williams (although I don't read a lot good about this one)
May consider areas of Murphy but I can't seem to find a school cluster except
Boggess Ele
Murphy Middle
Not sure if Wylie or Garland HS are too far or as well regarded?
Other than being close to schools and work, we'd like to be in a neighborhood with kids (ours are going into 4th, 6th 8th).
5 Bedroom or 4 with an office and gameroom.
I've never had a pool, but it sure looks like a place the kids would
bring their friends and an "outdoor oasis" as the realtors call it with a covered porch and perhaps a grassy area for small dog and soccer juggling practice. Trees would be nice too.
And that is another thing, 9-year-old plays Premiere Soccer here and
would like to continue. Dallas Texans is club I have heard of -and they practice over in Farmers Branch. Any chance I'll find other families to carpool with? Other clubs in the area I should check out?
More on schools, my 2 boys have IEPs here for "gifted education" I detest the terminology and that they have labeled my boys as "gifted" but that is for another forum.
Should I be looking more seriously at Plano East bec of this IB program? I assume the whole district offers AP and or Honors classes.
Kids play rec sports - baseball, soccer, swimming, softball. And 8th grade here are no-cut sports with the schools and my 8th grader who has never played football would have been trying out and on a school team. Will he get chewed up and spit out in Texas? I'm sort of assuming he should forget playing football for a school team. Also, High School Swimming here is a no cut sport at the High School we would have attended. Any no-cut sports at the high school level?
What smaller schools / districts should we be considering that won't create a nightmare commute. We even think Allen is too far and when I saw there were 4000 students in the high school - feels too big and I read crowded.
We are looking in the 300 range up to maybe $325 if needed.
In my primary school cluster feeding Plano HS, I am finding almost no homes in my price range. The ones I am finding are 20 years old it seems. What are the neighborhoods feeding these schools that I should be looking in? I have been looking by zip of first choice 75075, second 75074. Looking some in 75080, 81 and 82 as well as 93 and 94.
What great areas am I missing or what great areas should I focus on?
Football is no-cut in Plano ISD at the middle school level. Hey, the future varsity needs JV guys to practice against!
Sports start in 7th grade in Plano ISD, but most, if not all of the star players have been at it for years in select leagues from an early age.
Saigling, Davis, and Haggard are nice schools. Vines is a bit shakier.
I personally would pass on the Jackson or Weatherford route.
Your biggest problem with Saigling and Davis would be finding a house of the size you're looking for. You could get a house right in the Davis/Haggard/Plano Senior area, but those are older and smaller homes. Stonewood Glen on the edge of the Saigling attendance area might be the only neighborhood to meet your specs. The houses there run $250K - $350K, depending on size. Mid-90s construction, community pool and tennis court. Also, that's not within walking distance of any schools.
You might be happier in the newer area over by Murphy Middle School.
Looking over the PISD map some more, compSciGuy's suggestion of Gulledge/Robinson/Jasper might be your best bet, with houses nearby that should fit your specs and price range.
Shepard/Wilson/Vines won't have the house you're looking for, and Brinker/Renner is missing the high school and probably would cost too much.
Skaggs/Rice would be a nice Elem/Middle school combo if you're willing to drive to the high school.
If you want new construction and you're willing to live way out east, Bogguss/Murphy/New High School would be something to consider.
I wouldn't rule out Richardson ISD either. You might look into the Lake Highlands area of Dallas, which is in Richardson ISD. Canyon Creek is another nice neighborhood in Richardson. Parts of Richardson are in the Plano ISD.
PISD will allow you to transfer schools, subject to capacity limits, so if there's a clunker in the feeder system for a given property, you have the opportunity to bypass that school.
I'm in the Saigling/Haggard/Vines/Plano Senior pipeline, so feel free to PM me with any questions specific to those schools.
In Richardson ISD you have Mohawk Elementary across the street from JJ Pearce High. The only grades that would be further away would be the junior high which contains just 7th and 8th grades and is called North Jr High. The nearby neighborhoods are the JJ Pearce Addition and The Reservation. Mohawk sits right on the border of these two neighborhoods.
Thanks for your help. Question on the new Murphy High School - is this a 9th and 10th grade level high school that would feed Plano East for 11th and 12th or is it a new Sr. High? Do you know when it will be open?
I'm a little confused on how kids have spirit for their high school when they are only there 2 years and the Jr highs - Jasper specifically seems to have some students that feed into West and some that feed into Plano HS. Is that right - or temporary?
Richardson seems to have 4 year High Schools, correct?
I believe the high school in Murphy is scheduled to come online in 2011-2012, so your 8th grader would have to attend Williams for a year. It will be located next to Murphy Middle School. It will be a 9-10 school.
I agree with you - school spirit can be a bit lacking when you're only at the school for 2 years.
There are currently 5 high schools and 3 senior highs, so Jasper is split. It is widely rumored that Jasper will be rezoned to feed entirely into Plano West once the new high school (McMillen) opens. If that happens, either Willams or Clark (probably Clark) will be rezoned to Plano Senior. The new high school will almost certainly feed into Plano East.
Re: IB - I don't think it's all that and a bag of chips. I know of many more people whose kids dropped out of it (due to its lack of course options) than those who continued on to get the IB diploma.
Thanks for your help. Question on the new Murphy High School - is this a 9th and 10th grade level high school that would feed Plano East for 11th and 12th or is it a new Sr. High? Do you know when it will be open?
I'm a little confused on how kids have spirit for their high school when they are only there 2 years and the Jr highs - Jasper specifically seems to have some students that feed into West and some that feed into Plano HS. Is that right - or temporary?
Richardson seems to have 4 year High Schools, correct?
Thanks again for the direction!
I think Plano is overrated as a school district. Middle class children from educated parents will usually do well no matter where they go, and most of Plano is middle class and educated. Its performance on TAKS has more to do with the demographics there than the quality of the teaching. That is not to say that Plano schools are bad, they are not, but I think they get a little more credit than they deserve. They do not have to deal with a lot of the staggering social problems that affect the Dallas ISD. Lucky them!
If you want new construction then forget Richardson and Plano; most new construction in both suburbs that fits your needs will be out of your price range. If you can cope with an older home (and there is nothing wrong with them) then consider Richardson over Plano. Why? It is closer, the schools are just as good (IMHO), it is more diverse hence will give your children a more real view of the world, and it is a very well-run city. I am biased though, I am closing on a house in Richardson on July 2nd. The house is 52 years old and oozes retro charm. It is almost like not being in the suburbs with its proximity to Dallas and its diversity. It can be difficult to stay south of 190 when you are a single buyer but I managed it. If you want new and shiny everything, you may want to forget about both Plano and Richardson and head directly to Frisco or Allen. There are no Pottery Barns or Crate and Barrels in Richardson; I don't think Plano has them either. No Best Buy in Richardson that I know of. Richardson is definitely short on big box stores but some people (like me) like it that way. There are hardly any fast food restaurants near me, most of them are a good 15 minute drive in traffic. That is a good thing! In Richardson the best shopping (IMHO) is at Coit and Campbell where you have a Sprouts, a Super Target, a Home Depot, a Tom Thumb (pricier grocery chain), restaurants like Campisi's, Mi Cocina, La Madeleine, Chili's, etc. It is a pretty quick drive there from Canyon Creek. There is also a Central Market further north on Coit in Plano but that place is ridiculous! Richardson also has a (equally ridiculous) Whole Foods Market on Coit and Belt Line.
You would probably like Canyon Creek better than my neighborhood (Heights Park), it is in the 75080 zip code. Most of Richardson is zoned to the Richardson ISD but the part of Richardson in Collin County is zoned to the Plano ISD. I think the Plano schools those parts of Richardson are zoned to are inferior to the nearby schools in Richardson but that is only my opinion. Homes in Canyon Creek in the RISD seem to go for more per sq ft than similar homes in the PISD. Just an observation. All of the RISD part of Canyon Creek is zoned to Pearce which is not within walking distance but you should look at neighborhood and school quality over physical distance. Most things in DFW will not be within walking distance. If you are lucky you will be within walking distance of an elementary school. Beyond that you are looking at the school bus or dropping them off.
Also, all high schools in Richardson are currently 4 years due to declining enrollment caused by normal demographic fluctuations but they have been 3 years in the past and could be again in the future.
I'd like to address your concerns about Williams. I live in Murphy and there has been a lot of discussion about Williams. Particularly from parents of elementary kids. But the parents I talk to that have kids at or that have recently been to Williams, the reputation that Williams has is somewhat unwarranted. I can only name a few people who werent happy with the school, but by and large it seems the principal has worked hard to get the school working well. Yes, there are apparently kids who "test the waters" each fall, but those are reportedly dealt with quickly.
I would strongly encourage you to consider Murphy. I think it is a fantastic place to live and raise a family. But I would probably not consider the WISD side if your kids are older. I have 6 kids working for me who go to, or just graduated from Wylie HS and there is NO WAY I would send my kid there. Just for comparison sake, my DD went to Naaman Forest HS in Garland - a good school with a changing demographic. WHS has serious administration issues at both the HS and the school board level.
3 of 4 Richardson ISD high schools are 4 year schools. Lake Highlands feeder zone has their 9th graders alone in a Freshman Center across the parking lot from Lake Highlands High.
All Richardson ISD high schools were originally 3 years schools and the 9th graders were in the junior highs. Richardson and Pearce Highs added on to the schools with new additions to make room for the 9th graders in the high schools in the 2005-2006 school year. The district could not meet the 9th graders academic demands - classes and teachers available - with them being at the junior highs.
When they added on to the 2 schools they gave them both new front entrances. Berkner High also underwent renovations in order to add 9th graders at the same time, but I am not sure how the appearance of the school changed. Sothat means all the junior highs are now 2 year schools - 7th and 8th. The 6th graders have always and continue to be in the elementary schools.
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Re:
It is almost like not being in the suburbs with its proximity to Dallas and its diversity. It can be difficult to stay south of 190 when you are a single buyer but I managed it. If you want new and shiny everything, you may want to forget about both Plano and Richardson and head directly to Frisco or Allen. There are no Pottery Barns or Crate and Barrels in Richardson; I don't think Plano has them either. No Best Buy in Richardson that I know of. Richardson is definitely short on big box stores but some people (like me) like it that way. There are hardly any fast food restaurants near me, most of them are a good 15 minute drive in traffic. That is a good thing! In Richardson the best shopping (IMHO) is at Coit and Campbell where you have a Sprouts, a Super Target, a Home Depot, a Tom Thumb (pricier grocery chain), restaurants like Campisi's, Mi Cocina, La Madeleine, Chili's, etc. It is a pretty quick drive there from Canyon Creek. There is also a Central Market further north on Coit in Plano but that place is ridiculous! Richardson also has a (equally ridiculous) Whole Foods Market on Coit and Belt Line.
