Wanting to buy a home in Cedar Hill or Desoto Texas.. Need help (Garland: for sale)

[Moving1213]

Hello,

I am from Louisiana and I currently live in Coppell, TX. I moved here becuase I have a son in Junior High and the schools here are excellent. I am currently looking to purchase a home; however, the houses in my price range in Coppell are old, small, have not been updated, small backyard, or townhouses. Homes in Cedar Hill and Desoto in my price range of 170k-200k are very nice and spacious.

Could someone please let me know about the Middle Schools and High Schools in the area? Also, what part of Cedar Hill or Desoto should I stay away from? I like the area by Uptown in Cedar Hill, but I do not know much about the area.

Thanks in advance

[Acntx]

Hi Moving1213,

I lived in DeSoto from 1990 to 2006, so I can help you with your questions about the city.

Most of DeSoto's residential neighborhoods are nice. The higher-end neighborhoods tend to be located west of Hampton Road, although there are well-kept areas throughout the city. You shouldn't have that much difficulty finding a nice property within your stated price range.

I attended DeSoto schools from kindergarten through high school and my younger brother attended them through the ninth grade. He finished his remaining years at Lancaster High School and graduated in 2010. We both received a good education in DeSoto ISD and the district still has quality programs for motivated students.

This upcoming school year, DeSoto High is launching five career academies that will give all students the opportunity to earn college credit in addition to regular high school courses. They are: Arts and Performance, Business and Technology, Classical Studies, Health and Science, and Professional Studies. In order to accommodate the new programs, the school underwent a 160,000 square foot expansion.

Regarding middle schools, there are three in the district: DeSoto East, DeSoto West, and McCowan. I attended DeSoto East in the seventh grade and transferred to DeSoto West in the eighth grade. I liked DeSoto West more. That said, it has been quite a while since I attended those schools. McCowan didn't exist at the time and the grade configuration for junior high schools was grades seven and eight. Today, they are called middle schools and include grades six, seven, and eight.

I don't have any direct experiences with Cedar Hill schools, but we do have a few posters from that area who could better assist you. Regarding the city itself, it is a very nice community.

I would also encourage you to contact both school districts with any additional questions you may have.

Hope this helps

[Grainraiser]

You need to provide a little more information. There is huge difference between Coppell and Desoto/Cedar Hill. Quality of schools and distance is the first two that pops up in my mine. Correct me if I am wrong but it seems to me your looking for neighborhoods in which you get a lot of house for the money. Desoto/Cedar Hill certainly meets this criteria but they are not the only areas of town that do. Forney, Mesquite, Grand Prairie and Garland are a few others that might need to be added to the list. Nothing wrong with Desoto or Cedar Hill but I just want to make sure you are exploring all of your options. A little more information about your wants and needs would help greatly.

Reggie

[TurtleCreek80]

You can certainly get a good education in DeSoto or Cedar Hill schools, but you do realize that - OVERALL- they are on a completely different planet than Coppell HS? The overall caliber of student is going to be much higher at Coppell than the other two. Not saying there aren't a handful of uber-competitive students and good AP/Honors teachers at DeSoto or Cedar Hill, but overall.....it's just not the same enviroment by a long shot. Coppell is a top 5 high school in the entire DFW area. The others are in the bottom 20% (based on SAT's & AP pass rates/enrollment- the best two indicators of college preparedness).

You may be better off renting in Coppell ISD until your son graduates. You will have to decide if homeownership is more important than giving him a higher overall caliber of education. We certainly can't prioritize one over the other for you.

Some quick stats for you:

SAT averages - Math +Verbal only (2010)
Coppell - 1149, #4 in public high schools in the DFW area
Cedar Hill - 917, #93 in DFW area
DeSoto - 871, #98 in DFW area (out of 115 public, non-magnet schools)

National Merit SemiFinalists - score top .5% on PSAT (2012)
Coppell - 14 out of class of approx 700 --> 2% of students ranking in the top .5% in the US. That's 4X the average school

Cedar Hill and DeSoto did not have any NMSF. Not one ranked in the top .5% of US high school students.

Advanced Placement Exams Scores - 2011
Coppell - 77.7% of students passed their AP exams. 47.2% of students are enrolled in 1+ AP (college level) course.

Cedar Hill - 32.6% of students passed their AP exams. Only 6.5% of students are enrolled in 1+ AP course.

DeSoto - 14.5% of students passed their AP exams. 17.8% of students are enrolled in 1+ AP course.


Study these stats carefully and it's pretty clear how different the academic environments are.

[Acntx]

To the OP:

Coppell is a wealthy school district while Cedar Hill and DeSoto are more socio-economically diverse. It is no secret that wealthier districts outperform those that aren't as wealthy.

You can enjoy a good quality of life in either DeSoto or Cedar Hill and your child can receive a good education in either district. Please keep in mind that the southern suburbs are growing communities that continue to attract new residents, but there are only a few of us living here who post on a regular basis. That makes them more prone to blanket generalizations than the more popular and well-represented areas. Just something to keep in mind while reading through the posts.

I recommend contacting both districts to determine if either has the academic programs available to properly meet your son's needs. Instead of eliminating them outright, give them an opportunity to explain what they have to offer.

[Fitz1911]

I moved from Atlanta to Coppell, like yourself, I was looking for great schools.

My sons are currently enrolled at Pinkerton Elementary in Coppell.

Coppell has sound academics but everything else lacks luster. The city is diverse by composition but VERY CLOSED MINDED by cultural interaction. Its very hard to feel like a part of the community.

If you are looking at Coppell for schools, and you want diversity...look at Frisco!


I'm also looking in Cedar Hill. Let me know what you find.
I'm looking in the $300k to $450 range.

[dallas89]

Originally Posted by Fitz1911

I moved from Atlanta to Coppell, like yourself, I was looking for great schools.

My sons are currently enrolled at Pinkerton Elementary in Coppell.

Coppell has sound academics but everything else lacks luster. The city is diverse by composition but VERY CLOSED MINDED by cultural interaction. Its very hard to feel like a part of the community.

If you are looking at Coppell for schools, and you want diversity...look at Frisco!


I'm also looking in Cedar Hill. Let me know what you find.
I'm looking in the $300k to $450 range.

This thread is almost 3 years old. I don't think they're looking for a home anymore

[pistisan]

Originally Posted by Fitz1911

I moved from Atlanta to Coppell, like yourself, I was looking for great schools.

My sons are currently enrolled at Pinkerton Elementary in Coppell.

Coppell has sound academics but everything else lacks luster. The city is diverse by composition but VERY CLOSED MINDED by cultural interaction. Its very hard to feel like a part of the community.

If you are looking at Coppell for schools, and you want diversity...look at Frisco!


I'm also looking in Cedar Hill. Let me know what you find.
I'm looking in the $300k to $450 range.

As of today, there are 17 homes for sales in Cedar Hill in your price range. Many over 3400 sqft 4/3, some with lot size 1+ acre. Anything specific are you looking for?