Relocating..3 options (Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Flower Mound: houses, transfer, school districts)

[twinsrus]

We want to relocate to Texas, my husband can promote to one of three places. He works for the Federal Prison system so he could go to Grand Prairie Complex, Fort Worth or Carswell, which one would you choose, we must have excellent school system first and for most, then a house around 125,000, no heavy traffic commute and we wouldn't want to be in a flight path.

[ChristieP]

I briefly worked for the BOP, and I can tell you that he will probably be unhappy at the GPOC. My coworkers there who came from institutions missed the environment they were used to (odd to me) and most of them transferred back as soon as they could. Carswell is a women's prison, so make sure your husband wants that. My old supervisor came from the Fort Worth one, and he liked it there. Most of DFW airport's flight paths are over industrial or airport/vacant land, so you don't have to worry about that.

[loves2read]

actually some of the most expensivie housing in Southlake is right under the flight path at DFW---
FTW itself is not under the flightpath of DFW because at low entry/exit altitudes they come and go in N/S more than E/W so Southlake/Trophy Club/Grapevine/Euless/Flower Mound are the towns more affected...

great school system and 125K for a house are not always paired up around here...
districts can have variation between schools within their district...
think you would do well to consider the Birdville, HEB, Keller ISD--maybe Aledo west of FTW--
White Settlement ISD which is by Carswell does not rate very well with TEA--lots of turnover in schools--complains abut quality of schools in the area S of 820 Loop like Everman and Crowley because of the overflow from FTW's lower socioeconomic SE and S areas...
FTW ISD itself is VERY variable and while some people like their magnet schools, they are not that easy to get admission to...

[twinsrus]

Christie -- Thanks for the info. He's in ISM dept so that's like Grand Prairie environment, I think. He wouldn't be a guard at the women's prison so that isn't an issue. We've heard nothing but great things about the Ft Worth prison I'm just concerned about schools and housing.

Love2read - thank you for the school districts. Now if only I could figure out a way to search for houses online by school districts. Any suggestions.

[ChristieP]

I'd definitely pick the Fort Worth one if he can find an open slot. The Chief at the GPOC was awful when I was there...not a good environment at all, and I transferred in from another agency...what a waste... The cities around Carswell are older and not nearly as nice, and White Settlement is just awful IMHO.

Look at the cities in SW FW, such as Benbrook, Crowley, Burleson, Cleburne, etc. Also Fort Worth proper in the Western Hills area. I can't speak about schools since I don't have kids, but loves2read gave you some good advice.