Moving to Keller (Denton, Flower Mound, Southlake: relocation, estate, apartment)

[HRP]

We recently made an offer that was accepted on a home in the Quail Valley Estates Subdivision and look to move in soon. We have a child that will be in the 10th grade next year. I assume with what I have read on this site and the Keller ISD site, that she will be attending Keller HS this fall. I am very confussed about the bus issue. Do the kids get bus service or not? That seems odd to me that there is no service if you live within a 2 mile radius...but then again, I am moving from St. Louis, so I will have to get used to new ways of living. Any info on either the area we are moving to and/or the Keller HS/bussing issue would be greatly appriciated. Can't wait to get away from this nasty weather!

[5stones]

welcome to Keller!You will be living in the subdivision right behind ours. It's pretty quiet here (you will hear the train whistle though!) Quail Valley is a very nice neighborhood.

Yes, your daughter will attend Keller HS. And no unfortunately she does will not get bus service. (MY #1 complaint with KISD is the bussing issue!!) If you are within 2 miles you don't get bussing, it doesn't matter that your child has to cross a MAJOR thoughfare to get to school! So, you will end up driving her both ways... and pick-up/drop-off times are CRAZY! cars line up down the street etc.
NOw...I believe you can pay for bussing, but since my daughter will just be starting out at KHS I am unsure of this. (we are new to the area as well)
This is the first place we have lived that doesn't offer bussing to all students, esp if they have to cross a MAIN street.

[HRP]

Thanks 5stones...looks like I am going to have to get a job close to home with flexible hours because there is NO WAY I am letting her walk nearly 2 miles each way alone. I guess maybe there is some kind of carpool club I could buy into. Just seems unreasonable to place children at risk...no matter how old they are...perhaps I'll buy a mini-van and start my own business!

[hypocore]

To those of us who have always lived here, it's just the norm. Less than 2 miles, no bus.

I've always enjoyed taking my kids to school, even when it was a 30 minute trip to make it out to the high school and back to the elementary school. It gives you the opportunity to talk to them about anything..just think you have a 'captive' audience and many times they will tell you things they just thought of that you might otherwise miss out on. You might find out what's happening for the day and be able to make sure they've got money for their needs that they put off asking for until the last minute.

It also ensures you have less worry about their overall safety since you are the one responsible for the driving. They don't have to face bullies on the bus, or drivers who are distracted. They don't have to stand out in the extreme cold, heat or rain waiting on a bus and you don't worry about them being hurt or taken. There's no worry about missing their ride. You also know they have made it to school without worry.

Then there's the social networking you can do with other parents after school while waiting on them to get out. You can also get to know the office staff and take care of any issues that may have come up. You can see how some of the teachers present themselves just by watching them after school. You become involved in their education by default.

I understand that there are parents who never even step foot inside their kid's school until conference time (if at all) simply because they always take the bus. They haven't met the teacher, seen the way the school is set up, or witnessed how it all works together. That boggles my mind. haha

So, think of all the positives instead of the inconvience, which to me it isn't an inconvience at all.

[HRP]

Hypocore...I understand and agree with you 100%, but most employers don't.

[hypocore]

Originally Posted by HRP

Hypocore...I understand and agree with you 100%, but most employers don't.

I'm going to guess you mean that you've chosen a job that is prohibitive to you taking and/or picking up your children?

School has always been a major factor in the jobs I've chosen. It was a priority to me that I be available to my children on many levels. My husband and I decided that raising our kids took priority over making lots of money and adjusted accordingly. I got out of a high-stress, long-hours, making-good-money job because of the effects it had on raising my kids in the manner we desired.

However, none of that means anything in the discussion of bussing....except that I have no personal need for it and would absolutely hate it if I had to use it, because of the way we choose to raise them. :-) I love driving my kids to and from school and would not take any job that would prevent me from continuing to do so.

I provide child care from my home, which allows me to continue to be readily available for my kids. This also allows a couple of other families the ability to still work regular jobs and know that their kids are just as well taken care of here as if they were being picked up by their own moms. It's what works for us!

[HRP]

I haven't yet chosen a job...but will be leaving my current job here in St. Louis after 14 years. I will have a few months before I will want to find something that works well for our family as far as work is concerned. I do currently work only 4 days a week with much flexibility, I just hope I will find something there that is equally flexible. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it...and I hope the bussing issue is the hardest thing I have to face during this whole relocation!
What about Keller in general? I hope we made the right choice to move there...we tossed around a few cities such as Flower Mound, Corinth, and Denton. It's hard to get a feel based off a few weekends down there and the feeback from my hubby as he is working there and I am here with our daugher while the house is on the market...any words of wisdom on Keller would be welcome!

[loves2read]

TX law says that ISDs aren't required to bus students who live within 2 miles of their local school--that is why TX has many neighborhood elementary schools--most districts build them within 2 miles to avoid having to pay for bus transport--
in my district the kids who are bussed to elem. schools are there to even out numbers between crowded schools (many with apartment kids) and schools in areas where there are older kids/empty nester homes and fewer apts within their zones---

parents are not happy because test scores drop with higher quotients of apartment kids...

[5stones]

hypocore, consider yourself very lucky then.
But..

Then there's the social networking you can do with other parents after school while waiting on them to get out

This isn't true...cars are all lined up (way down the road) no-one i've seen is out socializing.

I understand that there are parents who never even step foot inside their kid's school until conference time (if at all) simply because they always take the bus.

From my expirence this is NOT true. I have always been an active member of PTAs, classroom volunteering etc... and my kids have always been bussed. The KISD just sees it as a financial situation. NOt looking to the safty of the kids.
When I drop off...more kids are at risk of getting hit by another Parents car than hurt on the bus! The kids run in between cars etc.. and the parents drive way to fast when leaving...
Anyway that's MY OPinion and you have yours.

HRP... The schools open early so hte kids can get in and lots of teachers have Tutoring etc... for the kids. The HS open an hour early for what it calls 0 hour. I am not sure what they have avail for them but I know teachers there have hours for tutoring as well.

As far as Keller.... I really like it. It's in a GREAT location, you have all the shopping and eateries you need with a 15 minute drive. Southlake Town center is about 15 minutes away. My daughter and her friends meet there for movies and munchies etc... Nice to able to her them go to movies without going to a big mall etc... (we moved from a small town that still had the old movie theather right downtown! Southlake has done a good job of duplicating that atmosphere)

People are very kind and helpful. I have been impressed with the helpfulness of the Office staff at all 3 of the schools my kids go to, REALLY made the transition great for them. I really love my neighborhood and the neighbors were all helpful and still giving me great advice and references for Doc's etc...

The Keller Pointe is GREAT! we joined the first week we were here and already have used it a ton of times. The Gym is great and the kids love the pool, ALL sorts of classes etc. Pick up the activity book at the front desk.

Bear creek park (you can walk or bike there from your neighborhood) is very nice with paved trails going through the woods etc..

As far as schools I am very Happy with the schools and the education avail, yes it could be better and as I have said I give it a strong 8 rating. (we moved from Northern VA with some of the best schools in the country) I seriously don't think ANY school gets a 10, there IS always something that can be improved on. In most classes my kids are ahead, (we moved mid year) so next year may be a shock to them as my 5th grader is getting all A's without much effort. MY eighth grader is taking 5 pre AP classes and really only having trouble with Algebra 1 (KISD doesn't offer the mid range math classes only high(preAP) or low PreALG... in VA they had 4 levels of math at 8th grade and 3 at lower grades...)

The schools are HUGE, this may or may not be waht you are used to. We were NOT. we were used to smaller "neighborhood schools" middle school had 6-8th with a student pop of 895. Middle school here is 7-8th with a pop of 1000. HS are close to 3000. Where ours in VA was 1700. Just an adjustment for the kids, but they have found thier Nich and are making some very nice friends etc...

But yes, all in all I am pleased and happy and it seems like a good fit for our family.

Good luck with your move.

[hypocore]

Originally Posted by 5stones

hypocore, consider yourself very lucky then.
But..
This isn't true...cars are all lined up (way down the road) no-one i've seen is out socializing.

From my expirence this is NOT true. I have always been an active member of PTAs, classroom volunteering etc... and my kids have always been bussed. The KISD just sees it as a financial situation. NOt looking to the safty of the kids.
When I drop off...more kids are at risk of getting hit by another Parents car than hurt on the bus! The kids run in between cars etc.. and the parents drive way to fast when leaving...
Anyway that's MY OPinion and you have yours.


Good luck with your move.

Ah, that would be your experience is different than mine then, more than a difference of opinon.
It sounds like your school doesn't have or doesn't enforce safety rules for drop off. At our schools, all levels, there are clear rules about pulling to the curb to drop off kids and if parents do that they don't chance their child getting hurt. If parents choose to ignore that rule, and it's not enforced, then of course they are putting their child at risk. Each parent can ensure the safety of their child by simply following that one rule. Some schools do an outstanding job of this, other's need some work. :-)

I've picked up through my own kids and through other school kids that attended the child care center at 10 different schools in 4 districts and 3 private schools and found the same things...some schools great procedures, others lacking. Some with lots of parents out chatting, others with less.

At the elementary level there are as many as 50 parents each day who have parked and gotten out of their cars and come up on the sidewalk to wait to get their kids at my daughter's school. There are lanes where parents wait in cars as well, and some of those have people stopped at their windows to chat.

At the middle school level there are cars parked all along the curbs all around the school and many of them get there really early and get out and socialize as well.

High school not as much due to many of the kids driving themselves and differing schedules with afterschool activities and such, but it does still happen while waiting at main dismissal times.

It's great that you are involved! That's the way it should be! I merely stated that I've known many that never step foot in the school.

For example, my oldest daughter teaches 4th grade in a different district and she's got a parent she's never even seen or spoken with in person at this point. She has spoken to the mom and made appointments to meet, yet she's never stepped foot in the door, except for registration where she didn't go past the front office. The child rides the bus to and from school and if she misses it has to walk home. My daughter is out front helping the kids get in the cars and that allows her the opportunity to at least speak with some parents who don't come in the school very often. However, for this child she can't even do that.