Neighbourhoods with best schools near FW (Dallas, Fort Worth: to rent, how much, buying a house)

[nina-vin]

Hello folks, I am considering a job in FW near i-35 Altamesa. Planning to move at the end of school year. Daughter is currently in 4th grade in a collin county public school.

Please suggest some good neighbourhoods to rent/ buy homes with best schools around FW. It can be up to 30 miles commute to my work. Probably be renting first for a year and then buy. Price range 350-400k.
Thanks

[loves2read]

there are some good elementary schools in FTW but the district as a whole is in terrible shape
Would suggest you consider living in area with other ISD than FTW--
it is not so much the miles but the time
right now many roads in Tarrant county are under construction and have at least a year or more to go
the 121/Airport Frwy from the eastern MidCities area into downtown is going to get worse
you can live in N Hurst, NRHills area, Colleyville for your price point and be in Birdville ISD, Keller ISD, Grapevine Colleyville ISD
Grapevine would have price appropriate houses but commute would be worse/longer from there

I-35 north like Keller/Haslet area -- Northwest ISD or Keller ISD--would probably take 40 min each way or more

you could go west into Aledo area--and have about the same time but maybe less traffic frustration

[centercab]

I would not consider Fort Worth ISD, Crowley ISD or Everman ISD. Those happen to be the closest to your new work location. I would suggest Burleson (Burleson ISD) or Rendon (Mansfield ISD). The commute would not be bad...just a drive south down I-35. Although during rush hour, driving a few miles on that part of I-35 takes a lot longer thank it should!

[FTWRunner]

While FTWISD has some issues, Tangelwood Elm or Lilly B Clayton Elm, Mclean Middle and Paschal High are very good schools and with your price point you could find a home in the area that feeds these schools.

Though understand the neighborhoods that feed these schools are mostly older, though highly desired, so if you wanted new construction you probably couldn't find it in your price point.

Search 76109 zip code to see homes that fall in this area.
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

[loves2read]

I just think FTWISD is totally screwed up--check the latest news story about how much in the hole this next year's budget is going to be--
and they will be paying a 10K incentive to get teachers to notify of retirment/resigning--mainly because they hired TOO MANY teachers last year and are in the hole 30MM...
get real--that district can't zip its collective pants w/o help...

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by FTWRunner

While FTWISD has some issues, Tangelwood Elm or Lilly B Clayton Elm, Mclean Middle and Paschal High are very good schools and with your price point you could find a home in the area that feeds these schools.

Though understand the neighborhoods that feed these schools are mostly older, though highly desired, so if you wanted new construction you probably couldn't find it in your price point.

Search 76109 zip code to see homes that fall in this area.
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

This is the area I was going to recommend.

OP, just like DISD, FWISD overall has a bad rap, BUT has some STELLAR feeder patterns from K-12 that are way better than your current school district of Allen ISD.

Paschal HS had 13 National Merit Semifinalists last year (2.5% of a class of 518 graduates). Allen HS had 12 NMSF in a class of 1200 (1%). Some schools on the Dallas side of the metroplex with 2.5%+ NMSF are Plano West and FM Marcus. I'm sure you're aware of their reputations!!

Paschal HS ranks #303 in the nation on the Washington Post's top high schools list (blend of SAT scores, AP exams taken and the results, college preparedness, graduation rate, etv). Allen ranks #1385. Plano West ranks 310, for comparison.

If you're willing to look at an established neighborhood with access to all the great culture (Kimbell, Bass Hall, TCU) a small city like FW has to offer (vs doing the cookie cutter suburb thing again), you can upgrade schools big time AND have an easy commute to work in FW.

[PISDstudent]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

This is the area I was going to recommend.

Paschal HS ranks #303 in the nation on the Washington Post's top high schools list (blend of SAT scores, AP exams taken and the results, college preparedness, graduation rate, etv). Allen ranks #1385. Plano West ranks 310, for comparison.

Washington Post just ranks AP exams per student; Newsweek is the more comprehensive system (Number of AP exams, test scores, college readiness, etc.)

America's Best High Schools - The Daily Beast

On that, Plano West is 98. (Allen is 397 and I don't think Paschal has data listed)

Just noticed that since it's about my school.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by PISDstudent

Washington Post just ranks AP exams per student; Newsweek is the more comprehensive system (Number of AP exams, test scores, college readiness, etc.)

America's Best High Schools - The Daily Beast

On that, Plano West is 98. (Allen is 397 and I don't think Paschal has data listed)

Just noticed that since it's about my school.

TC80 has also provided that link in the past (when I was asking about HS comps between DFW and Chicago). I've found it very useful, and like the fact that one can also rank schools by individual categories if desired. THBS, I'd love to go 1,500 deep in rankings instead of 500.

Assuming we're staying here and buying a house, we're leaning towards Colleyville, with the eventual feed into Heritage HS.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

Assuming we're staying here and buying a house, we're leaning towards Colleyville, with the eventual feed into Heritage HS.

Good choice. It will be about a 35 minute commute from Colleyville to Fort Worth, but the traffic really isn't bad. Colleyville has lots going on and is very convenient to shopping and restaurants. Heritage is a very good high school, too.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Good choice. It will be about a 35 minute commute from Colleyville to Fort Worth, but the traffic really isn't bad. Colleyville has lots going on and is very convenient to shopping and restaurants. Heritage is a very good high school, too.

Sadly, unlike the OP, my commute will be to Addison.

However, wife's commute is to DFW, which will be 10-20 minutes depending on exactly where in Colleyville we buy. I'm more tolerant of the long commute than she is, so that's why.