Anybody live in Crystal Falls? (Austin, Round Rock: real estate, renting, house)

[jdkamcc1]

I was in Austin last weekend looking for a neighborhood. We are relocating, having just gone under contract on our home in Colorado Springs. I researched several neighborhoods, and visited many, but ran out of time before I found out about Crystal Falls from a friend who lives in Cedar Park. My questions are: if you live in Crystal Falls, particularly Grand Mesa, what are the pros/cons? Also, what is up with the schools? With all the good schools in the LISD we noticed that neither Whitestone nor Winkley is performing well according to the TEA. Do you know the student populations of either school and are these schools overflowing into modulars? We have two young kids, just starting elementary school, and are very concerned about the school they will attend. It is hard to gleen much info from the TEA website, beyond test scores. Crystal Falls looks like a beautiful place, but in my experience just about anyplace can be made to look great on the web. We are going to try to get out there again soon to see first hand, but wanted to get some impressions beforehand.

[gigi927]

I live in the south part of Leander ISD and I think what you are seeing in the elementaries up there in the north part of the district is that they're in a transition phase. That part of Leander and Cedar Park used to be very undeveloped and there are some older neighborhoods up there that demographically and financially may not have forced the issue of better schools. Historically that part of the school district has not performed as well as the southerly part where the median family income was higher. Now, as upscale developments go in to that part of town I think you'll see those elementaries improve to respond to the needs of the communities they serve.

Also, LISD is scheduled to open another high school right near Crystal Falls, I believe, called Rouse HS in 2008-2009. IMO this is a positive indicator that the district is beginning to reinvest in that area of the district to respond to growth.

also, the test scores are helpful but of course not the be all and end all when it comes to whether a school is right for a given child. You should visit the schools and see what you think. You may get a totally different feeling one way or the other about the schools once you take a tour. Best of luck!!!!

[neddy]

We are renting a house off of Crsytal Falls right now but are going to Pleasant Hill elem. I think that most of the elem schools here in LISD are going to have portables now days cause the area is growing so fast. I think there are another couple of elem coming on line in the area next year and that will help level us out somewhat in this area. Test scores don't tell all. Call them up and ask them some questions and see what type of feel you get from that. So far its been pretty relaxing to live here. the neighborhood of C Fall is a nice neighborhood and I went to the real estate agent there and the master plan is something covering 5000 acres and I think he said something about a new elem school one day. Very clean neighborhood and the parks in Leander show friday night movies or have a band in the park. There is a soccer league that plays there also that starts out at 4 yrs old. The ligh t rail station is about 2 miles from that area and there is a nice big grocery store. Lots of mom and pop places to eat. A new lifestyle center opened Friday here with the big box stores and a new movie house. Corner of 183 (old) and Crystal Falls there are building a Lowes and Kohl with other smaller stores. The Cedar Park train station is about a mile away for those kiddo steam train rides. So far so good here. send my a direct message if you have any other questions

[monomakh]

Originally Posted by jdkamcc1

Also, what is up with the schools? With all the good schools in the LISD we noticed that neither Whitestone nor Winkley is performing well according to the TEA. Do you know the student populations of either school and are these schools overflowing into modulars?

Winkley has only been in operation for a year. From what I was told it will take at least two for the ratings to have any upward trend. From the look of it, the school looks great. The communities feeding into it are all going to be 250k+ housing values. I'm sure it will be Exemplary soon.

[FromCalitoSteinerRanch]

Originally Posted by monomakh

Winkley has only been in operation for a year. From what I was told it will take at least two for the ratings to have any upward trend. From the look of it, the school looks great. The communities feeding into it are all going to be 250k+ housing values. I'm sure it will be Exemplary soon.

I really don't think home prices have all bases covered when looking at the the rating of the school, but the parenting has a much stronger tie in. I know that my neighborhood, Steiner Ranch, has historically provided 1/3 to 1/4 of the whole budget for LISD based on property taxes, and we do have Exemplary, or at least two out of three schools Exemplary this year.

We certainly don't keep all the tax money just in our neighborhood schools, but still every parent night we go to, or other events, has a few hundred parents, along with their children. That is what will motivate the teachers to be in tune with their students, and the "feedback" loop continues at home with those same parents spending extra time at home on their children's studies and progress in the school. The competition factor may help, and I will give in and say that may be stronger in the higher home price neighborhoods, but at the end of the day, what may be "competition" in one neigborhood, may as easily be "elevating" one's children to a "better future" in another neighborhood, regardless of lower home prices.

So, my opinion is to not rely on home price alone to determine a school's capabilities or probability to provide a quality education to your child.

[Mike78613]

~ If you can afford a home in Crystal Falls and live out by the golf course do it! Those are going to easy 1-2 million dollar homes. I love riding my bike out that way! How lucky to be a owner of a piece of land and home out there!!
Everything around you is around/in Leander and Cedar Park! Austin access is pretty quick depending if you like to take Lakeline Blvd, Hwy-183 or 183 Toll.

Heading north towards Hwy 29 you see lots of small towns or the East of hwy-29 you can get to Georgetown. Coming down 1431 to Lago Vista is Lake access. Going to 1431 towards Round Rock you can check out the Round Rock Express Baseball games or just cruise on I-35... you pick..

[texastea]

Originally Posted by gigi927

Also, LISD is scheduled to open another high school right near Crystal Falls, I believe, called Rouse HS in 2008-2009. IMO this is a positive indicator that the district is beginning to reinvest in that area of the district to respond to growth.

LISD does a good job of spreading the wealth around Nobody suffers from lack of "investment." When Vista Ridge High School was built, Leander High School got a major face lift. The teachers move around a lot and all get the same training. LHS and Rouse are less than 10 minutes apart, so they haven't needed a new high school "in that area" until recently.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by texastea

LISD does a good job of spreading the wealth around Nobody suffers from lack of "investment." When Vista Ridge High School was built, Leander High School got a major face lift. The teachers move around a lot and all get the same training. LHS and Rouse are less than 10 minutes apart, so they haven't needed a new high school "in that area" until recently.

Your post seems a bit defensive, texastea. My post about LISD was positive, yet you make it seem negative. I did not say that any part of LISD suffers from lack of investment. I did not say one negative thing about any teachers. I am merely saying that LISD has obviously made that part of the district a top priority. It could have added portables or kept cramming kids into the existing high schools, but they didn't. It could have built a HS in the SOUTH part of the district first as our kids get bussed a very long way to attend school, but they didn't. LISD saw a need and responded to it. Kudos to them. I was trying to alleviate concerns on the part of the OP. I am sorry if you were offended that I stated the north part of the district has not performed as well in the past, but I think it is an accurate statement.

If, to this point, everything truly was equivalent as you suggest across the district in terms of teachers, training, funding, etc. then it could be argued that all of the schools would be rated exemplary or recognized like they are in Steiner. They're currently not, so *something* was out of balance. LISD is working to fix it and we all benefit, regardless of what part of the district we live in. And that should be of great encouragement to the original poster

[texastea]

I'm sorry if I misunderstood ya, gigi. I just thought when you said "beginning to reinvest in that area" you meant it had been neglected for awhile and this isn't the case at all. Sounds like we both love LISD and have good experiences with it.

[Mike78613]

Ditto. I have to agree.