Best school districts in Dallas (Plano, Irving: sales, to rent, houses)

[adixyz]

Originally Posted by frenzyrider

What is Flower Mound ISD? I don't think there is any such ISD. You probably meant "Flower Mound" schools in Lewisville ISD. In any case, I would Southlake (Carroll) in that list and take out Flower Mound...

Southlake is not an option for 300-350K. Even Flower Mound might be difficult to get these days in a sellers market but slightly better than Coppell + Irving. There are 17 houses on market as of date between 300-350K in FM Vs 11 in (Coppell + Irving) for Coppell ISD.

[adixyz]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

6) Flower Mound High School in Lewisville ISD - Flower Mound is a generally affluent suburb (notice a recurring theme here) north of Grapevine Lake (while Southlake is...well, South of Grapevine Lake, hence the name). Test scores are below the cluster of #'s 2-5 above but percentage of NMSF is the highest of any non-magnet public in the Metroplex. Flower Mound's housing is a bit "newer" than the other burbs noted and the OP may find a house that meets many of her criteria, but location is not convenient if one needs to drive "all over" DFW.
7) Marcus High School in Lewisville ISD - also serves Flower Mound and (IIRC) Highland Village, similar demographics to FMHS above. Test scores a tiny bit lower than FMHS and NMSF %age significantly lower but generally pretty good most years (comparable to Carroll, I believe). Again, it's not convenient driving to much of DFW.

If one has to drive all over DFW, the location comment holds good for Plano, Highland Park, South lake, Colleyville, Grapevine and to an extent to Coppell as well depending in where you live and work.

Living in FM, I actually find it pretty central after Coppell. Funding has been approved to extend FM 2499 from State Highway 121 North to Denton Creek. This section of FM 2499 was part of the original scope of the DFW Connector. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and should take approx 2 years to complete. An additional lane will also be added on 114E to downtown. This will ease commute time specially during peak time in the morning.

[styron]

I would think the first place to look would be in the Plano ISD, specifically Far North Dallas or the southwestern edge of Plano. I think you'll have good access if you're near the intersections of the Tollway and George Bush.

[frenzyrider]

Originally Posted by adixyz

Southlake is not an option for 300-350K. Even Flower Mound might be difficult to get these days in a sellers market but slightly better than Coppell + Irving. There are 17 houses on market as of date between 300-350K in FM Vs 11 in (Coppell + Irving) for Coppell ISD.

Agreed! I was just responding to the poster who missed out Southlake (Carroll ISD) and listed FM ISD (which is really FM schools in Lewisville ISD)

[Leighbra]

Thank you for all the information. My husband will be working from home quite a bit, so we are wondering what the best community to live in is without worrying about proximity to Dallas. What's the consensus on Mckinney? Seems like a nice community, but how are the schools? Are you better staying in the area with Frisco ISD or Mckinney ISD? Anyone know anything about Stonebridge Ranch?

[BiGeek]

Not much difference between those two.

[bencronin04]

McKinney is a little older and doesn't feel as "concrete city" to me as Frisco does.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by adixyz

If one has to drive all over DFW, the location comment holds good for Plano, Highland Park, South lake, Colleyville, Grapevine and to an extent to Coppell as well depending in where you live and work.

Living in FM, I actually find it pretty central after Coppell. Funding has been approved to extend FM 2499 from State Highway 121 North to Denton Creek. This section of FM 2499 was part of the original scope of the DFW Connector. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and should take approx 2 years to complete. An additional lane will also be added on 114E to downtown. This will ease commute time specially during peak time in the morning.

I guess it depends on where you are in FM. The further NW you get, the less "central" the location, and I'd generally agree that SE FM is pretty good, but...well, you live, there, I'll take your word for it. If FM works for you than it might work for the OP, and she's now saying that her DH will be working from home a lot so the discussion is moot.

My question to you: Is the additional lane to 114E you note part of the current DFW connector project? IIRC that should be done within the next 6 months, possibly sooner (they seem to be making excellent progress and their website states (substantially completed by mid-Summer 2013, although who knows what "substantially" means).

To the OP - although most of DFW is new, Frisco is VERY new (population went from about 6,000 in 1990 to about 120,000 today). McKinney is a slightly "older" city (well, what passes for older in DFW). School districts have similar metrics and are well above average but not quite "outstanding". If you're considering either your best bet is to drive around and get a feel for each.

[Leighbra]

I agree. My husband and I are leaving the kids at home and taking a trip to Dallas next week. My plan is to just drive around every area that were interested in until we get a feel for the area. I am definitely going to concentrate on Plano, Mckinney and Frisco.

[Texas is only OK]

Originally Posted by Rakin

What you really mean is what are the best school districts for my price range of $300-350k ??

Forget Highland Park, Southlake and many nice areas that are much more expensive.

I suspected that this was not true when I read it. Just to do my own research and have evidence to support it, I looked up some houses on realtor.com. It is true that you cannot even get an apartment in HP for less than $800k, but there were pages of homes less than $350k in Southlake...???? I really don't know that part of town at all, so I am strictly basing this on my internet search.

IMHO, why pay $350k for a 4 bdr home in a good school district if you don't have to? Wouldn't it be nice to have both for only $200k? And all that extra spending money? One of the few positives that this area offers is a low cost of living- why not take advantage of that? God knows you can't ski, surf, hike or have anything at all pretty to look at, so you might as well! Richardson is the best for everything you mentioned and then some. It has a lower cost of living east of 75, much less than $350k, except for a couple of pockets of new construction. I would not live anywhere else as long as I have kids, but everyone is looking for something different, so let me elaborate. If you like a good location to what the big city has to offer, while living in the oasis of good schools and less traffic that the suburbs offer, then Richardson and Garland fit the bill, and to some extents Plano as well. If you like diversity of race/culture/religion, then ditto, although less so in Plano than the other 2. If you like your neighborhood to be pretty homogenous, then choose one of the other suburbs that people have listed, or the west side of Plano.
Good luck! Hope you like the heat (and that you have plenty of diamonds and new boobs to fit into the culture here- LOL!)