Not Good News: Austin #3 in overall economic segregation in the nation (Houston: transplants, 2013)

[hornraider]

useless study...
"we risk jepardizing the competitive landscape"????
All of those cities, especially Austin, have very healthy and strong economies, OF COURSE there will higher economic segregation. Thank you Mr. Obvious! Not sure what the objective of this study is...

[cBach]

I think the only city that doesn't have economic segregation in the US is New Orleans. There are large mansions that are right next to dirt poor shotgun shacks. I think in future years there may be a group of people that will be drawn back to cities like NOLA and decide to live in a truly integrated city.

Master planned communities are all communities of like salaried individuals, although ideological differences can abound. Austin is becoming a San Francisco style community that only the rich can afford.

[sojourner77]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Actually, there are many communities in Central, South, and East Austin where mansions are rising out of lower middle- or working-class communities, some formerly known as ghettos. For example: Of course, many people don't know the first black community in Austin was Clarksville in West Austin.

But, alas, it appears that may be the problem: housing affordability in Austin is quickly going only one way..towards unaffordability.

There are mansions in the middle of bad neighborhoods in Dallas:

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7692...yHhI3FAG5Q!2e0

and Austin:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.1475...eAr_oAXgKQ!2e0


Honestly, I think the future of Austin is complete gentrification within the city limits. Certain people are choosing RRISD and HCISD over AISD because they are trying to avoid certain types of people in AISD - let's face it. That what's the study is getting at. The lower income people will eventually be economically forced into the surrounding school districts.

[gpurcell]

Irony: the Pied Piper of the Creative Class nonsense is now complaining about the Creative Class doing exactly what he said they should do!

[Aquitaine]

Certain people are choosing RRISD and HCISD over AISD because they are trying to avoid certain types of people in AISD

I swear, it's Unsupported Proclamation Week on City-Data!

Folks care about the quality of the schools. That's it. AISD has a bad track record in Central Austin. We can point out the exceptions to the rule all we like, but we can't pretend that they're not exceptions. This hasn't even got anything to do with Austin: look at ANY forum on this site and you'll see the same question:

"Hi, I am thinking of moving to <place>. I have two kids and a dog. Where can I get (size house) with good schools for $250k?"

(Okay, so in Austin it's more like $300k now, but you get the idea).

The lower income people will eventually be economically forced into the surrounding school districts.

"the surrounding school districts" are, pound-for-pound, better than the "gentrified" Austin, right? Why are we shedding tears over anybody leaving a part of town that our elected officials and school board and career-ladder-climbing Superintendents have made an unappealing place for families?

[Tams here]

Originally Posted by Aquitaine

I swear, it's Unsupported Proclamation Week on City-Data!

Folks care about the quality of the schools. That's it. AISD has a bad track record in Central Austin. We can point out the exceptions to the rule all we like, but we can't pretend that they're not exceptions. This hasn't even got anything to do with Austin: look at ANY forum on this site and you'll see the same question:

"Hi, I am thinking of moving to <place>. I have two kids and a dog. Where can I get (size house) with good schools for $250k?"

(Okay, so in Austin it's more like $300k now, but you get the idea).



"the surrounding school districts" are, pound-for-pound, better than the "gentrified" Austin, right? Why are we shedding tears over anybody leaving a part of town that our elected officials and school board and career-ladder-climbing Superintendents have made an unappealing place for families?

This whole better/best school issue is nothing new. I remember when we moved here in the mid 1980's looking for a home with good schools. Everyone we talked to said stay away from AISD for various reasons. My "kids in school days" are long over, but it sounds like nothing has changed, really.

[Trainwreck20]

Everyone we talked to said stay away from AISD for various reasons.

Kind of like "stay away from East Austin"?

Anyway, there are lots of people that would not mind at all being in AISD if they could afford the homes that feed to the 'good' schools. AISD would probably be better across the board if it didn't have to send $175 million back to the state for redistribution (22% of all AISD money). That number, by the way, dwarfs the amount any other district pays into 'Robin Hood'.

I am all for letting the 'issue' sort itself out. Trying to achieve a particular goal via governmental action is not likely to end up well.

[Tams here]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Kind of like "stay away from East Austin"?

Anyway, there are lots of people that would not mind at all being in AISD if they could afford the homes that feed to the 'good' schools. AISD would probably be better across the board if it didn't have to send $175 million back to the state for redistribution (22% of all AISD money). That number, by the way, dwarfs the amount any other district pays into 'Robin Hood'.

I am all for letting the 'issue' sort itself out. Trying to achieve a particular goal via governmental action is not likely to end up well.

I'm probably thinking about this issue much more simply than most. It just seems AISD still has a cloud or reputation of not being the place for a better/best education for kids in my 30+ years here. Whatever the reasons.

[tom331]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Kind of like "stay away from East Austin"?

Anyway, there are lots of people that would not mind at all being in AISD if they could afford the homes that feed to the 'good' schools. AISD would probably be better across the board if it didn't have to send $175 million back to the state for redistribution (22% of all AISD money). That number, by the way, dwarfs the amount any other district pays into 'Robin Hood'.

I am all for letting the 'issue' sort itself out. Trying to achieve a particular goal via governmental action is not likely to end up well.

I don't like Robin Hood from the school funding. But, money is not the main issue for AISD. They spend more money per student than RRID. If money is the main issue, AISD should have better quality students than most other school districts in the state. Look at other countries such as Korea, India, China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Germany. There is NO country spending more money on education than we do in per student base or absolute number as a country. The family support is the core for eduction. Without family support, we are wasting our money on education.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Tams here

I'm probably thinking about this issue much more simply than most. It just seems AISD still has a cloud or reputation of not being the place for a better/best education for kids in my 30+ years here. Whatever the reasons.

Well that was ridiculous and unsupported 30 years ago and it is ridiculous and unsupported now!

AISD LASA is the best high school in central Texas. Anderson, Austin, Bowie and McCallum are all fine comprehensive high schools with exceptional programs across the board and diverse student bodies.

Myself and at least one other Austin forum poster are waiting this week on pins and needles to see if our kids get into the highly competitive AISD Fine Arts Academy. Notices of admission for LASA and Kealing go out this week too!

It is the desire for certain kinds of housing at certain price points that drive folks out of AISD.

Shoot, as the suburban districts wrestle with rapid expansion AISD might become more desirable. Slipped into a story on Manor HS becoming a one school/two campus system was the notice that Lake Travis HS converted an on-site MS to become a 9th grade center, setting the stage for Lake Travis HS to grow to 3500 students!! I cannot imagine anything less desirable than that!