Teacher relocating from San Antonio to N. Dallas area (Carrollton: transfer to, to buy)

[Sugar-free_jazz]

Hey everyone, I went through some of the stickies, but still felt like I had a few questions-- especially in regards to school districts. I am resigning from my current position as a high school teacher at the end of this school year. I have been at my current school here in SA for the past 5 years. My husband and I are relocating to the N Dallas area because we have family in (further) north TX and would like to be closer than almost 6 hours away. He is also wanting to transfer to UNT to finish his degree, and I also want to go back and get my masters. I have already started applying and going to job fairs, and I have had somewhat promising results: an interview, then (somewhat) offer for a position at Hebron High School (they are waiting for 2 positions to open from resigning teachers), a digital interview from Prosper High School, and today I got a call to interview for a position at Braswell HS (the new-ish one in Denton, I think). Overall, I'm feeling pretty positive, but I am not relying on those three instances and I'm still actively applying.

What I'm wondering is which of the three prospects (if I receive official job offers from the district's HR) would be the best? I currently teach in my school's Early College program, which is in the same vein as Pre-AP/AP, but I've also taught gen. pop. for the first 2 years (this is all at a Title 1 school). Our school has a 1:1 device policy where every student in the school is supplied with a chromebook/iPad, so technology integration is something I am very familiar with. The school morale can be a bit low at times, but where we lack in athletics (primarily football), we make up in CTE and academics, so I am looking for a school that has a nice balance. Since I've been at my current school, my department has been through 4 appraisers (not a reflection of the dept.) and our school has been through 2 principals. It may sound like a not-so-good place, but I actually really enjoy it here (the students and the people I work with); however, it's not enough to keep my husband and I (especially when we want to be closer to family, and closer to starting our own).

I've heard good things about Hebron/Lewisville ISD in general, and (out of the three) it seems to be my first choice. As for Prosper, I don't know too much about the district, other than what I've researched online, but it seems to be okay, so that would be my second choice. I, honestly, applied to the Braswell HS position without fully researching the school, and then when they called to set up an interview the other day, I took some time to look up the school. What I found was not very promising: quite a few bad "reviews" by parents/students talking about all the bad things happening at the school, and mostly apathy from APs and staff. From what I've read, it sounds to me like it might not be an ideal place, but I have to keep an open mind because I know my school could be seen the same way at times, depending on who you ask.

I also want to seek advice on which school districts are ideal within about a 25 mile radius of Denton. My husband and I would rather not live in Denton and are used to commuting 20-30 minutes to school/jobs (also the traffic that goes with it). Also what are some smaller/quieter towns in the Denton area that aren't outrageously priced when it comes to cost of living? We aren't looking to stay in Dallas, or TX for that matter, forever (we ultimately want to move further north after we've gotten our degrees), so we're not looking to buy a house, but we'd rather not live in a complex (unless we have no other options).

I apologize for this post being so long, but I wanted to be able to give enough information of our situation. Any suggestions/advice is much appreciated! Thank you!

[speedyg]

I had a friend in Prosper ISD. He had great things to say about it.

[stephwin]

I think either Prosper or Hebron would be good choices. Prosper is growing very, very quickly. They have one high school now but I think there are plans for another one to be built soon. The current superintendent was the superintendent when I went to school there (early 2000s) and he is really great. Obviously more jobs will be popping up in Prosper as the district expands, but I'm sure there will be some growing pains. Hebron is in a more established area and I do not know if there are any plans to open a new high school for Lewisville ISD anytime soon.

Where you end up working will determine where you will live. For instance, if you end up in Prosper some of the smaller, cheaper areas around there are Aubrey, Pilot Point, etc. Most of Prosper is quite pricey. If you end up at Hebron, Carrollton could be a good option. I wouldn't suggest living in Pilot Point, as an example, if you will be commuting to Hebron. Aubrey/Pilot Point (and even Prosper) are much more rural than the areas around Hebron. Traffic will be worse, too. Just something to keep in mind.