Progressive, urban-minded family looking for neighborhood (Fort Worth, Grapevine: sale, rent, house)

[lunebloc]

Originally Posted by stanwood

I'd take a little longer look around North Richland Hills. Look for a home that feeds Green Valley Elementary -> North Ridge Middle -> Richland High School. There were three kids that graduated from Richland High School this year that will be attending Rice University. They call came out of Green Valley and I know it's not a coincidence. Many others attending UT and A&M and a couple Ivy Leagues. There are many, many homes in your price range.

Oh, that's interesting and good to know! I had the impression that Birdville ISD wasn't all that great.

[loves2read]

Southlake Carroll and Keller get most of the press here on this forum and in the FTW paper

but Birdville has had an excellent district for years--
it just has mixed demographics in many of its schools which is a turn off for some people

[lunebloc]

I don't mind mixed demographics, but I do mind low class people who don't give a crap, about education in particular. I think people tend to rely on the former to predict the latter.

[5stones]

I am sorry that you have written off Keller as a whole. There are many great neighborhoods in Keller and NRH that would be in your budget etc...

[lunebloc]

Well, I've largely written off Keller ISD, not necessarily the city of Keller or NRH. I just don't want to be part of a community that doesn't support their ISD, it's almost like those that voted no for the TRE expect an exceptional ISD without any sacrifice on their part in these hard times for public schools (hard both economically and politically).

If push came to shove and we were left with no other option, I think I'd still move to KISD rather than stay put. Then, I would just try to help the ISD and my kid's home schools. My kids would just be starting elementary in a couple years, so I'd figure how bad can elementary be and we can move later if things don't improve for the district.

[stanwood]

Because elementary school is where it all begins. The kids get grounded in a positive school with positive parental influence through PTA working with the teachers and administration to start the kids off right. If anything, it lessens as the kids get older.

Birdville does have mixed demographics. In High School your kids will go to school with just about every racial and economic demographic that exists in Texas. Personally, I think that's a fantastic opportunity to meet and get to know others from different backgrounds and cultures. I look at this as a positive vs growing up in a homogeneous town and school. In the real word you deal with all sorts of folks. You learn to respect all sorts of folks. Why wait until you're in college to do that? Our lives aren't insular.

[stanwood]

I forgot to add - what your kids get out of their education is exactly proportionate to what they put in. Doesn't hardly matter if it's Birdville, Keller, HEB, GCISD, etc. If mom and dad stress the importance of the education and are involved with the school then that's just bonus.

Oh, and another thing... Here in NRH there's a nice family that lives down the street and the dad stays home with the kids. Not only that, we have a lesbian couple a few more doors down and a few black families. Point is, the area and the people here, for the most part, judge you by the content of your character, and not the label that's been attached. I am sure there are some that don't like it but I don't care how "progressive" your neighborhood is there will always be a few.

[lunebloc]

Thanks for the info Stanwood. I agree with your sentiments, where about are you in NRH?

[5stones]

I forgot to add - what your kids get out of their education is exactly proportionate to what they put in. Doesn't hardly matter if it's Birdville, Keller, HEB, GCISD, etc. If mom and dad stress the importance of the education and are involved with the school then that's just bonus.

Couldn't agree with you more!
We have had kids in school in 4 differents and what happens at home is VERY important. You can be in the BEST ISD or private school money could buy and a kid who doesn't want to succeed will fail.

Oh, and another thing... Here in NRH there's a nice family that lives down the street and the dad stays home with the kids. Not only that, we have a lesbian couple a few more doors down and a few black families. Point is, the area and the people here, for the most part, judge you by the content of your character, and not the label that's been attached. I am sure there are some that don't like it but I don't care how "progressive" your neighborhood is there will always be a few.

Sounds like my Keller neighborhood as well as many others in the Metroplex.

OP...Elementary schools are EXCELLENT all over. Find a good commute and a neighobrhood you really like and chances are it will have a great Elementary school.
MS are where things get tough. For and over excellent school pyramid look at the MS and HS standings. HS look for SAT scores, AP passing rate, NM Scholars etc...

[stanwood]

Originally Posted by lunebloc

Thanks for the info Stanwood. I agree with your sentiments, where about are you in NRH?

We live on the far norther edge off of Rufe Snow.

Funny story: BISD hired a consulting firm about 10 years ago to help them determine why their school district, while on par with neighboring school districts, had lesser name recognition and a slightly negative connotation. The first item on the report was the name "Birdville". It sounds stupid. Now the folks that grew up around here were shocked! We moved here twenty two years ago and I remember thinking, "what a stupid name for a school district." I can say now after all that time that the name doesn't bother me anymore, it seems "right." But I also can see how people from outside the area are immediately turned off by the silly name.

For the record, Birdville was named after Bird's Fort. One of the first, if not the first settlement in Tarrant County. There was an election many, many years ago between Ft Worth and Birdville as to who would host the county seat. Old Birdville is near the corner of Broadway Ave and Carson St. What could have been, huh?