Questions about moving to El Paso and the schools (Austin: renting, transfer to)

[Michchix]

Originally Posted by alikat1205

i'm gone, just paying on a house there, paying taxes on services i don't use.....

Where is the house? West or eastside? We are looking for a house on the westside.

[alikat1205]

my husband's company bought the house from us last week. i am sure it is still for sale and it is on the westside in franklin hills. there are several houses in that area right now, i am sure you could get a deal!

[XChucoresident]

And no matter where I am ..or what i do..I will always stand up and be proud of saying...El Paso is where I grew up...and my immediate family has, still, and will always live there...I love you El Paso..you will forever be in my blood and thoughts

[Danno33]

Thanks for updating your post to show your feelings towards El Paso since moving there. I am seriously considering relocating our family there from Cleveland, OH for many reasons. It looks really nice and affordable, but it is great to hear from people who actually live there, especially a person who relocated like we might. If you know of any links that may be useful to us to aid in our decision, please pass them along. Thanks again

[TheFarmer'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by KSHousewife

Our family has the possibility to move to El Paso in the next 6-9 months because of my husband's job. My husband would like to take the job, but he is not sure he is willing to risk the kid's education for it. We live by Ft Leavenworth now and with the exception of one person who was raised in El Paso, I can't find one person who has a nice thing to say about the schools in El Paso. All I hear is low standards, sub par education, overcrowding, and gangs. This person from El Paso said you have to live in the West area and your kids have to go to Franklin High, and Hornedo Middle, and Polk or Kohlberg Elementary. Is this true? Is it really that bad? What about Horizon City? I hear they have a new middle/high school. Also, what about the commute from Horizon to Bliss? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I sent my daughter to Polk Elementary and let me tell you it was by far one of the best schools I have ever sent her to. Honestly. I would never, ever, send my child to an East side school. They are quite dangerous, and it's true they are full of gangs. My sister in law married a white man, and is herself hispanic. Their children look white, and they were beaten up alot for it, which is also something else to consider. The situation was similar with my husband and I, and our children. Which is one of the reasons why we didn't stay in EP. Another reason was the property taxes. Which are astronomical!
Horizon I don't have much experience with. My husband and I considered moving out there, and there are some lovely homes, but in the end we decided it was too far from everything. I would plan 20-30 minutes going to Bliss from Horizon. All in all, if you had a choice of a different city, I would say go with anything else.

[mom02]

I am moving to El Paso in August 09 and can't decide if I should send my 3rd grader to Polk or Kohlberg. I have gone to Great Schools.com, but was wondering if anyone could give me updated information on these 2 schools.

[Caltep]

Polk has always been listed as exemplary and I belive Kohlberg is also now. I know Polk parents are pretty attached to that school, and are very upset if their child is reassigned to the new Lundy Elementary opening in the next year (which will draw from Tippin and Polk). You must be somewhere near Resler between Helen of Troy and Belvedere to have this choice. Surprised Guerrero is not one of your choices. The only bad thing out here is they are all in the Franklin feeder pattern, and that is the largest high school in EPISD(3,100). Good luck.

[Mr. Solis]

Originally Posted by alikat1205

it's not all that great on the budget. especially with the housing market taking a dive. my house is worth less now than what the builder spent to build it and it is only 4 years old. it stinks!

What it took him to build it? Or what it took him to build it, plus all the profit he made selling it to you?

For example: $200,000 on materials, and $200,000 for his pockets(and his excellent hiring sub contractor skills). Thats $400,000: what a buyer pays. So saying your house is worth less than what the builder spent to build it could be a little wrong.

Most homebuyers dont realize how cheap the materials really are, compared to the final purchasing price.

If you build your own home, like being your own builder so-to-speak, you can get your house for half price.
But since most consumers dont know much about building, they have to hire a Builder, or a pre-built home, where the builder makes most of the money, and does very little hands on work, they ream you in other words.

So your house is really worth more now than the actual used materials it is made of would cost right now, and I'm sure that the below the federal checkpoint construction workers didnt cut into the Builders profit too much.

So after Katrina kicked you guys butts, then you went and made a bad decision, agreeing to buy a way overpriced home in a brand new town/neighborhood with mexican construction guys all over your neighborhood eyeing your daughter.........and you didnt like being a minority, yea, being a minority is different isnt it?

And your point is very valid: A minority family/person of any type will have some form of problems resulting from having to go around the obvious majority. Fact of life that you learned well in El Paso.

Same down here in the Rio Grande Valley. With a 95% Hispanic population, I've seen many a white/black/asian family come down here and freak out, because they now are experiencing life as a small minority, but life goes on.

[mistabinks]

Originally Posted by TheFarmer'sDaughter

I sent my daughter to Polk Elementary and let me tell you it was by far one of the best schools I have ever sent her to. Honestly. I would never, ever, send my child to an East side school. They are quite dangerous, and it's true they are full of gangs. My sister in law married a white man, and is herself hispanic. Their children look white, and they were beaten up alot for it, which is also something else to consider. The situation was similar with my husband and I, and our children. Which is one of the reasons why we didn't stay in EP. Another reason was the property taxes. Which are astronomical!
Horizon I don't have much experience with. My husband and I considered moving out there, and there are some lovely homes, but in the end we decided it was too far from everything. I would plan 20-30 minutes going to Bliss from Horizon. All in all, if you had a choice of a different city, I would say go with anything else.

Good grief. How did I miss this gem of a post. LOL.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Mr. Solis

So after Katrina kicked you guys butts, then you went and made a bad decision, agreeing to buy a way overpriced home in a brand new town/neighborhood with mexican construction guys all over your neighborhood eyeing your daughter.........and you didnt like being a minority, yea, being a minority is different isnt it?

And your point is very valid: A minority family/person of any type will have some form of problems resulting from having to go around the obvious majority. Fact of life that you learned well in El Paso.

Same down here in the Rio Grande Valley. With a 95% Hispanic population, I've seen many a white/black/asian family come down here and freak out, because they now are experiencing life as a small minority, but life goes on.

I've seen "chicanos" or "hispanics" who are American culturally do the same thing coming to the border. They'll ask me why I'm living here, why don't I move to a better place.

It's not ethnicity - it's the foreign culture and language that many Americans cannot relate with. Plenty of people who leave the border region - hispanic and non-hispanic won't return, but of course there are those who can never leave because they could not fit in elsewhere.