Need a Good School District for Gifted Child (Dallas, San Antonio: apartment complexes, rent)
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You're forgetting that the other 2 in the family are adults with income as well, just not as stable. I agree that what this OP is looking for is next to impossible without more income, and those other two adults need to get secure jobs or it's not going to happen. Garland does have some cheap housing options.
EDIT: I just noticed the OP's name is Pitty Bull which means his two dogs are probably pit bulls, and that's going to exclude about 99% of rental options...
You're forgetting that the other 2 in the family are adults with income as well, just not as stable. I agree that what this OP is looking for is next to impossible without more income, and those other two adults need to get secure jobs or it's not going to happen. Garland does have some cheap housing options.
EDIT: I just noticed the OP's name is Pitty Bull which means his two dogs are probably pit bulls, and that's going to exclude about 99% of rental options...
That's just it. The other two adults add nothing- on paper, at least, which is all a landlord is going to care about.
Dallas area has a number of phenomenal school districts (called ISD for Independent School Districts), Charter Schools, and a number of private schools, all of are in the top tier nationally.
The best ISDs are Highland Park, Plano, Flower Mound (Lewisville ISD), and then Coppell.
The best privates for a boy are St Marks and then Greenhill. Both schools will offer full rides to kids who come from low income families.
There are also charter schools. Vista and perhaps Founders Classical are in the top tier locally.
How smart is your son? Have you had him tested? Has he taken any standardized tests, ie MAP and what was his percentile ranking? Is there one area he excels in? Does he have any issues other than being too smart?
Unlike the other posters, and with the exception of Highland Park, I think you can make it work in the other ISDs, privates, and the charters.
Your biggest constraint is your income and then the dogs. I love dogs. And so does your family. Keep the dogs.
The next constraint is the amount of driving you have to do for school - you really want to live close enough to school to make it easy all around.
The third is the tradeoff between the various programs in the area and the expected cost of living and the payoff from the program you get him into.
So:
In my mind, these are your priorities.
1. How smart is your son? If he is 99% on his standardized tests and has an IQ > 130, then you should focus on getting him into a private on a scholarship. Then you can find a place to live in North Dallas. If he is off the charts, then you should go all out for a private. These schools admit 30% of their kids from low income on full rides and it is a life changing event.
2. If he is 99% on his math tests, then you should get him tested on the MAP test. Then see if he meets the Plano ISD guidelines for entrance to the Math Rocks program. If so, then get him in. Then you can look in East Plano near one of the Math Rocks Elementary schools.
3. If he is 98% or lower in percentile, then apply to a Vista charter school in Carrollton and Coppell. If accepted, then live in Carrollton. If he is 99% and is a hard worker, then apply to founders classical. Then you can live in Lewisville.
For 1-3 you should be able to find an older 2BR home to rent with a yard in a not bad neighborhood for around 1100 a month. Utilities will be another 300 a month not counting phone or internet.
4. At this point you start to run out of options. Renting a nicer home in West or Central Plano, Coppell, or Flower Mound with a large dog will not happen. Homes will be 1500 a month or more with a large deposit. There ARE some parts of Coppell that have older homes and parts of the FM ISD extend into the older parts of Lewisville. You would have to carefully look at school boundaries to find a place to rent. It can be done with patience.
5. If you don't have the dogs, then I would rent an apartment in West Plano that feeds into Renner Middle School.
I would also look into public assistance. Like food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. DO NOT DO SECTION 8. The first three public programs can really help you out and you can stay below the radar. Unlike Section 8.
Texas Gifted programs (and schools in general) expect the kids to work really hard. These kids are seen as the future doctors, lawyers, engineers, leaders, etc and are expected to develop the emotional skills and work ethic required to succeed in these professions. You are looking at 1-2 hours of homework a night. He will need a quiet place to study and frankly, I would just not have TV - it will save you $$ and will not be a distraction for him. If your BF or sister does not like it, then tough. Your son will not succeed without daily studying.
I'd also find a church to belong to. This will help you and your family make friends and get connected. There are a number of tolerant, non-denominational churches in the area. Look around after you move unless you belong to one locally and can get an into to one here. Avoid the megachurches as the stigma against single moms is ever present and frankly disgusts me.
Its tough being a single parent but you are trying hard for your son. I think that's great.
The next step is to move here. And then get started on all the above. They all assume you are here and can commit to the time to execute them.
I would move to Garland right after the school year ends. Go to Garland ISD for the fall while working the above. It has a good GT program and a great set of programs. Garland has a number of homes for less than 1100 a month. Just come down with your son and yourself and find a place, then go back and move everyone.
There are a lot of opportunities in the area where you can move up and make more money over time. I think you will be surprised. With some hard work, you can eventually end up managing a number of pet stores. Bransom does not have much to offer 20 somethings. A lot of people have moved to the DFW area with far less and made it.
you CAN find 2 br apartments in Garland for under $800 per month. And no, you wont be in the middle of a gang/drug/overall slimy area. It will mean being around minorities, but for the most part you will find that these are very peaceful people. My wife and I rented an apartment for under $800 a month in Garland for 3 years, and it was just fine. We left after we bought our house because it DID feel very crowded (something you will feel too), but hey you make do with what you've got.
Some people have no idea how much things costs. Why in the world you advise a family of 4+2 (moving to a new town with only one 15k pay check, two unemployed and two large dogs) to rent a 1100 plus apartment? Food, utilities, car, gas, etc etc aren't complimentary in life. By the way how many landlords or even apartment managers in a decent area with decent schools would allow two pit bulls on their property?
you CAN find 2 br apartments in Garland for under $800 per month. And no, you wont be in the middle of a gang/drug/overall slimy area. It will mean being around minorities, but for the most part you will find that these are very peaceful people. My wife and I rented an apartment for under $800 a month in Garland for 3 years, and it was just fine. We left after we bought our house because it DID feel very crowded (something you will feel too), but hey you make do with what you've got.
Yep. And there are lots of pit bulls there too. For a reason.
Personally, I don't like pits, but some relatives have them, and they are just as gentle as labs.
OTOH I was attacked by a pit about ten years ago and it took almost a full magazine from a .45 to stop it. And I was near another dog attack a few years later and that dog was a ... lab.
This is an interesting thread because it highlights the cultural disparity between the upper middle class and those who live in poverty.
When you are poor, taking a big risk to move to a new location is called survival. There is no downside because the worst case scenario you are already living..
When you are upper middle class it is "too much of a risk."
LOL.
Personally, if you are not getting ahead where you are and there are jobs and a growing city to move to, then you move. Period. You do not reinforce failure.
One of my brothers made this move five years ago under nearly similar circumstances and now he is making nearly 100K a year as a welder. He was out of a job for six months and on food stamps but he made it. My SIL started out at a 15K job for one of the big box retailers ten years ago and now she is a district manager pulling down 80K+ bonus.
Some people have no idea how much things costs. Why in the world you advise a family of 4+2 (moving to a new town with only one 15k pay check, two unemployed and two large dogs) to rent a 1100 plus apartment? Food, utilities, car, gas, etc etc aren't complimentary in life. By the way how many landlords or even apartment managers in a decent area with decent schools would allow two pit bulls on their property?
I don't think it was as much advising the OP to find that apt but showing a realistic picture of what it will cost to live here with that family size.
My 9 year old son, my little sister, my boyfriend, and I are all planning on moving to the Dallas area either this summer or next summer. I have been trying to research good school districts, but am getting so lost. Jack is in the 3rd grade and is in the gifted program at his current school. I need to find a school where he can be challenged, but that isn't in an area that has a high cost of living. Even though we are going to have 3 combined incomes, we are still pretty poor! My annual income is currently less than $15,000, and the other two's can vary. We can live in a hovel for awhile if need be, but a house with a fenced yard is preferred since we have a couple of large dogs. The 2 things that concern me most are A) location within an acceptable school district and B) reasonable cost of living. I work for a large chain pet store and can easily transfer to one of the several stores in the area.
So does a public school with a good/great gifted program in an area that poor people can afford exist anywhere around Dallas?
Something's going to have to be rationed. At your price point, the large dogs are a deal breaker on my apartment homes in Dallas, where you could potentially compete for a spot in a TAG school (still not guaranteed).
Not to get all Dave Ramsey, but you need to find a way to increase your income across the board. Can the other two find work (even waiting tables for about $100/night in tips- I've done it) that would be more stable and allow you to make real plans.
A privte school scholarship is potentially an option but not quite that simple- then there's transportation, uniforms, books and the fun act of fitting in when you're the poor kid at the rich school (again, I've done it- it's doable, but not very fun).
So, to recap, ditch the dogs (just not realistic), increase your incomes and at least find an area with a blue ribbon school which will mean an apt noreso than a house unless you want to be in a really scary area.
Yes, I think you need to get the other adults in your household to work. And you could make better money delivering pizzas than you're making now. Take a second job, insist that the others in your household do, too. Your responsibility is to your child. Your child is watching you. Live up to what you hope he will become.
Finally- Why are you moving? I liked the advice you got about moving yourself and your son down first. Let the others follow when they have secured employment. Take your son to the library. Sign him up for a sport. Give him a chance. The school's influence over his life pales in comparison to your influence over his life. Good luck, be wise for your boy.
Garland has strict fence requirements specifically for pit bulls. That would make it even harder to find a rent house within the OP's budget.
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