Plano ISD vs HP ISD (sales, 2015, neighborhood)

[Big G]

Originally Posted by styron

If I may be frank here - and I'm trying not to say anything TOO negative about schools that other people love and are loyal to - our elementary schools have been good, for what they are, but have had some shortfalls, and I mostly blame the State of Texas for those. There have been a lot of teacher cuts. There have been a lot of library cuts, and I think there will be more program and services cuts, and I think it is cutting into muscle....Maybe it all washes out in the end, but it's very unsettling to see for right now.

I'm not even that polite - I don't blame some abstract "State of Texas" - I blame our elected officials. And this is coming from a lifelong Republican. They completely ****ed over the public schools with their last-second pullback of funds. I've seen similar detrimental effects at the MS level, and I'm sure I'll see it at the HS level as well. Toss in how they made it impossible for PISD taxpayers to make up the missing funds, even if they wanted to, and I'm one PO'ed voter.

[styron]

Originally Posted by Big G

I think the MathRocks program is a great opportunity. I have two neighbors that have their kids in it at Brinker. I forget what MS the West Cluster MathRocks kids will go to from there, but it's definitely NOT Frankford. The HS program (which starts in pilot form this fall) will be at Jasper for 2012-2013, but the rumor mill says they'll relocate it to the STEAM magnet opening in 2013-2014.

We got the Math Rocks letter today and haven't had time to react, and we don't know much about it at all. I don't know if they will make room for my other children so we don't have to split up the family. It is so confusing! I am having a very hard time with this school decision, as you can see.

Well, it's good to have options though!

What I would say overall is: 1 - Plano ISD, in some of the non-star schools, has been good but not great. 2 - If my kids weren't in the PACE program and getting that supplementation, I would be very worried about them getting "lost in the middle." 3 - The budget cuts have hurt a lot. The teachers are so strapped and being asked to do way too much. 4 - I don't think, from my experience, the large class sizes are an advantage, although I appreciate that others feel differently. Program cuts kill a lot of that advantage.

I feel like the kids need another route, either out of the district or into a STEM/magnet/MRocks sort of pipeline.

[DitsyD]

I have a friend that used to teach in HP, and she says that the HP schools are busting at the seams and have no where to build. If overcrowding bothers you, then HP might not be a good fit.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

I have a friend that used to teach in HP, and she says that the HP schools are busting at the seams and have no where to build. If overcrowding bothers you, then HP might not be a good fit.

We have fiends with kids at several HP schools. Most of them are crowded. That said there is a big difference between overcrowding in HP/UP and say Detroit or inner city Houston.


To the OP I'd stay put.

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by Big G

I'm not even that polite - I don't blame some abstract "State of Texas" - I blame our elected officials. And this is coming from a lifelong Republican. They completely ****ed over the public schools with their last-second pullback of funds. I've seen similar detrimental effects at the MS level, and I'm sure I'll see it at the HS level as well. Toss in how they made it impossible for PISD taxpayers to make up the missing funds, even if they wanted to, and I'm one PO'ed voter.

Half of your local tax dollars go to "poor" school districts that spend more per pupil than PISD. All those "taxes" you vote for really just send the $$ out of the district. PISD and HP in particular send half their taxes out of the district.

The ISDs are stretched between growing populations in the district, growing populations outside the district, and then the real estate recession landed in the middle of it.

The urban professionals bear the financial cross for all of this while the urban poor and middle class get screwed.

This pact was made to ensure that the growing Hispanic population was properly educated. Is it working? Yes.

Longterm, as well. The solutions to this are underway, but it will take 5-10 years for all the infrastructure projects to get in place along the Gulf Coast and Valley AND for those young populations to become taxpayers so the "poor" districts can generate enough revenue to sustain themselves.

A little bit of pain now and things will be A LOT better after the next session and MUCH better the following.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by TX75007

Half of your local tax dollars go to "poor" school districts that spend more per pupil than PISD. All those "taxes" you vote for really just send the $$ out of the district. PISD and HP in particular send half their taxes out of the district.

The ISDs are stretched between growing populations in the district, growing populations outside the district, and then the real estate recession landed in the middle of it.

The urban professionals bear the financial cross for all of this while the urban poor and middle class get screwed.

This pact was made to ensure that the growing Hispanic population was properly educated. Is it working? Yes.

Longterm, as well. The solutions to this are underway, but it will take 5-10 years for all the infrastructure projects to get in place along the Gulf Coast and Valley AND for those young populations to become taxpayers so the "poor" districts can generate enough revenue to sustain themselves.

A little bit of pain now and things will be A LOT better after the next session and MUCH better the following.

Or you could nuke our current funding system, get rid of property taxes for ISDs, and have a state income tax instead.

[biafra4life]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Or you could nuke our current funding system, get rid of property taxes for ISDs, and have a state income tax instead.

HA!!! Income tax??? Never happen.

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by biafra4life

HA!!! Income tax??? Never happen.

Property tax reform, hmm? California went that route with Prop 13. Big feel good movement at first. Not working out so well right now....

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Or you could nuke our current funding system, get rid of property taxes for ISDs, and have a state income tax instead.

Or not.

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by DitsyD

I have a friend that used to teach in HP, and she says that the HP schools are busting at the seams and have no where to build. If overcrowding bothers you, then HP might not be a good fit.

You could always see if your kids could test into a Dallas Magnet school, it's a bit of a battle but it has been done (albeit rarely) in the past.

That said, these threads usually devolve into abject city-bashing.

All things being even, the talented 10th type kid- is usually fine wherever they are- it's the kids in the middle the get the most out of enrichment programs and the like. That said, the drop-off from top-10 students to everyone else is much bigger in schools with IB programs vs. schools that are alot more homogeneous due to the real-estate self selection that's already taken place. (say HP or St. Mark's)