Thornwood in 77079? Nottingham Elem. & Spring Forest middle? (Houston, Katy: new house, scorpions)

[anabel]

Yes, it's the first one inside the subdivision. Not a good location by any means. Still, with the price what it is, I am surprised it has been on for so long.

[beegirls]

The accountability ratings only tell a part of the story, of course. I do believe that my daughter still gets the same education at Nottingham that she would have gotten at Wilchester or Bunker Hill, because the curriculum and teaching philosophies are those of the Spring Branch ISD. I don't have any concerns about how she will perform on the TAKS test, and have, in fact, seen much better results at Nottingham than I saw from a very high pressure environment at her previous (exemplary) school.

If your concern is the social issues that come with a diversified school population, I can assure you that I had those concerns, too. We might have chosen to push our budget and move into the zones of one of the more prestigious schools in the district, but I'm glad we didn't. I spend a lot of time around the school, and have been pleased with the environment both inside and out of the classroom. My daughter loves going to school, and I feel good about sending her there.

I just want to make sure to get those points across, because I was unable to get a lot of information about the school before we moved here. If I had relied on the accountability ratings alone, we may have spent a lot more than we needed to on a home.

I'm not sure why the homes are so much less expensive in Thornwood - there are apartments in Westchester and Nottingham Forest that haven't had an effect on property values there. I have lived in this neighborhood for three months now, and have not seen any reason that it would be less desirable. I've seen the same floor plan that I live in now in many of the neighborhoods around here, but I was able to buy mine for $93 per square foot.

[anabel]

Hi Beegirls, thanks so much for your post. Yes, I am concerned about all of the things you mentioned. Frankly, though, I am much more concerned about Spring Forest Middle than I am about Nottingham. I am planning to visit both early next week. We have spent the last 7 years sacrificing quite a bit to give my children access to the best schools. I wonder now, though, if all that time spent "insulated" from the real world has colored my ability to recognize a good school. I am pretty sure (and my husband keeps telling me) that SFM and Nottingham are perfectly good schools and our kids will be fine.
We really do love Thornwood. It is beautiful and seems very peaceful. The house we are interested in is on a cul de sac and backs right up to the cemetary.
I really appreciate your comments. Have a blessed weekend!

[EasilyAmused]

The house on the corner of Yorkchester and Memorial has been on the market for over a year and 1/2, and was foreclosed on at some point. It has foundation problems galore. It's also a bad/busy corner and right next to the bust stop.


Spring Forest Middle is just fine. Memorial is more "elite" and sheltered but both schools give the same education.

And to the above poster, yes being in the far flug burban schools will mess with your head on what is a good school and what isn't. Apartment kid doesn't mean dangerous. Most of the apartment kids are there because THEIR parents are making a sacrifice to live there to get them a solid education...just like those that pay 300k and up.

I live in Yorkshire and love it. It's quiet and green and just close enough to everything to make life very civilized.

PS-I have heard NO whispers of any middle school rezoning. As always, you can request to go to Memorial MS, but it's hard to accomplish if your address is west of Kirkwood. With the economy going the way it is, I think public school enrollment is going to explode in 77024 in the fall. Parts of 77079 as well. The private school price tag is going to be hard to justify if things are tight and you live in SBISD.

[anabel]

Hi Amused, thanks for your input. Very useful info regarding the Yorkchester house. The owner has not been very forthcoming at all. It is nice to know about the foundation issues, as that means we will remove that one from consideration. Also, I appreciate your comments regarding the schools. I am hoping that my visits next week will support what I suspect, which is, that they are good schools. Yorkshire is gorgeous, what a beautiful neighborhood! Is it zoned to SF and if so, do you/have you had children there? If not, do you know parents who do? I would love to hear directly from those who have experienced it firsthand. Thanks again and have a blessed weekend!

[EasilyAmused]

Most people in Yorkshire have their kids in private. It's just that they're at a different level in life and make that choice. However, the CIO of Memorial Hermann has all his kids going through Meadowood, Spring Forest and Stratfrod and they feel the education is just fine and equal to Memorial MS.

I think both middle schools are fine. Nottingham has more mixed reviews due to the mixed socio-economic situation. Meadowood and all schools to the east seem to be the preferred ones.

[anabel]

Thanks for the response. My 5th grader has been at BHE since Prek and is actually eager to go to SF as it means making new friends to add to the ones she has had her entire life. My oldest will be at Stratford in the fall with people she knows from MMS. Then I have a 4 yr old and 8 month old. I am very eager to get in to the schools and see them with my own eyes.

[EasilyAmused]

Re: What constitutes Memorial.

As a Houston (ITB) native, technically the "Memorial Villages" stop at Gessner, thus so does Memorial. But because it bumps up to and shares the same schools, it's been "grandfather claused" into Houstonian's minds as Memorial. But the true idea of Memorial ends at Gessner because you start picking up commercial properties at the point along Memorial and the lots get smaller.

West of the Beltway isn't Memorial per say. But it has long been considered "West Memorial." Or more lovingly termed by the residents as The Memorial Ghetto. The minimal commercial areas and SBISD schools have given it a similiar feeling, but you can feel the income go down the minute you pass over the Beltway(and Gessner really). With minimal exceptions, the lots are mostly 10,000 sf or less. So West Memorial is the Memorial's "cling-on."

To me and most, calling anything west of Kirkwood "Memorial" is a stretch. You pick up one of the junkiest commercial strips on the Western side of town. It's always been junky, so it's nothing new. All the neighborhoods are accessed by going through these buildings. But, still because of the schools many still call it West Memorial. So West of Kirkwood would be considered West Memorial's "cling-on."

Now West of Dairy Ashoford shouldn't be considered West Memorial or Memorial on any terms, except for the fact that it runs along Memorial. Most of it isn't even in SBISD or even HISD. Yet, residents of the area refer to it as West Memorial or even Memorial. So, West of Dairy Ashford is "West Memorial's Cling-on Cling-on." It should just be termed The Energy Corridor, IMHO.

Just a little local, westside geo-history lesson.

[sbhubbell]

That just sounds like a lesson in snobbery to me.

[beegirls]

Just had to chime in from the "ghetto of the ghetto of the ghetto" of Memorial...

I used greatschools and schooldigger to research schools, and both are similar. But I'd say that Meadow Wood is equally plagued by the socio-economic situation that you mentioned, and actually has a lower rating than Nottingham in School Digger. There is a high density of apartments in that section of "not-quite" Memorial. If this was a deterrent for someone to attend Nottingham, then Meadow Wood would not be a preferable alternative.