Elementary Schools in Katy (Houston, Vega: appointed, 2013, to rent)

[Meeshee]

Which elementary schools are the best in Katy? We are looking at Kilpatrick, Rylander, and Griffin. Leaning more towards Kilpatrick. I believe all three are rated exemplary. Are there any others that we should consider? Or stay away from? We are moving from Las Vegas, where our children attend private school, our daughter is in first grade, our son is in Kindergarten, and we also have a 6 month old. We plan to rent when we first arrive, our budget is around $2,000, and commute is not an issue for us. We chose Katy because it seems to be very family oriented and has great schools, both of which are lacking here in Vegas, unless you go the private school route. I am hoping to keep my kids in a school that will keep them challenged. Our first grader is doing cursive prep, weekly speeches, monthly book reports, attends french class after school twice a week, and just began learning multiplication so I am a little concerned that she may be bored transitioning to public school. This is why I would like for her to go to the best possible school...

Also we plan on moving this summer, but would entertain the idea of coming in March or April, would there be a benefit to coming part of the way through the school year? Or should we just wait it out? My husbands work schedule is flexible so we could make either move work. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, is it better to be the new kid towards the end of the year or at the beginning of the school year? They are both really friendly kids and shouldn't have a problem making new friends.

Thanks!

[descovy]

They are all good, but they are all in danger on being rezoned, so don't be too surprised if you move to a Kilpatrick neighborhood and get moved to Griffin.

Current rezoning for next year to make way for a brand new elementry school... Kilpatrick has been (and continues to be) over-capacity. Griffin is losing enrollment due to the new school opening and certain neighborhoods not moving from Kilpatrick to Griffin.

That's the way it stands now, but you can't expect it to stay like this forever.

My kids' neighborhood rezoned from Griffin to Stanley when SSE opened in 2009. It was perfectly fine, and smooth. They have friends from both schools... all these schools you speak of are very geographically close.

Katy continues to grow and boundry lines cannot be set in stone for YEARS. So move here, only if you can relax and enjoy the ride...

[Meeshee]

Is the new school opening this fall???

I heard good things about Stanley as well... I guess it's good that we plan to rent then

[descovy]

3 new elementry schools and 1 jr high open this fall... and all fairly close to each other.
A new high school opens in 2013.

They're all equally good schools, I would relax about that. They all share the same demographics. I would focus on finding the home best suited for you. You will drive yourself crazy trying to pick apart their differences...or chasing the boundry lines.

Good luck! I really do enjoy living out here, but I have learned that some neighbors get downright paranoid and ugly over rezoning, yet this area is growing and changing constantly. You just got to roll with it!

[Meeshee]

That's quite a few new schools opening. Thank you for your input, I'll probably drive myself batty trying to figure it out just for it to change again, so I'll *try* to focus on the housing. I'm glad to hear that they are all good schools, I'm not sure if there are any schools rated 'exemplary' here in Vegas, I think there are a couple that a ranked high on great schools, but overall, the district is very poor and has a 49% graduation rate! Eeek! Hence the reason we are leaving...

BTW, I love your status! I use that line with my kids all the time

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Meeshee

Our first grader is doing cursive prep, weekly speeches, monthly book reports, attends french class after school twice a week, and just began learning multiplication so I am a little concerned that she may be bored transitioning to public school. This is why I would like for her to go to the best possible school...

If your first grader is not stressed and is doing multiplication and cursive, I think that he would need to be in a gifted program in any public school here in Texas or he may be very bored.

I don't know many private schools at that level for first graders here although an IB school might do it.

[notready]

Originally Posted by Meeshee

I'm glad to hear that they are all good schools, I'm not sure if there are any schools rated 'exemplary' here in Vegas, I think there are a couple that a ranked high on great schools, but overall, the district is very poor and has a 49% graduation rate! Eeek! Hence the reason we are leaving...

'Exemplary' is not a National rating or designation. Each state may have its own tests and rating system. Do not assume that because a school is 'exemplary' it is a great school. Schools here can be rated based on projections by racial subgroup, not all actual test results. Texas may also have a test that is 'easier' than another state, or more difficult.

You should be visiting one of the schools you are considering and see if the curriculum matches your expectations (I'm afraid you are bound to be disappointed). Even if your child meets the strict requirements for a gifted program, it could be for a small portion of the day or week and still might not have the level of curriculum you are hoping to find.

Good Luck!

[descovy]

That's true... I didn't catch the cursive, French class, book reports in first grade.

Katy is good... For Texas. The teaching isn't magical or super-duper special above and beyond any other school district.

Rather, the students come from upwardly mobile families who push good grades... So the kids get good grades. That's all. You may want to consider private or your own enrichment classes if you are expecting cursive and foreign language in 1st grade.

[davidrod8]

Not sure how big of a house you want to get, but $2000 might not get you very far... We are in the process of selling our current home which sets right accross the street from kilkpatrick and building a new one a couple of miles away... In the meantime, we found a house to rent for $2200, 2600 sq ft... We also have 3 kids (a little bit younger than yours) and wanted each to have their own room...

I heard that schools in Katy are quite challenging, compared to the rest of Houston, so I'm sure your kids will be quite busy

Our neighborhood is also collecting signatures, trying to keep it zoned to kilkpatrick... As fast as this area is growing, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen again in the next couple of years when the next round of schools open...

[Meeshee]

Originally Posted by notready

'Exemplary' is not a National rating or designation. Each state may have its own tests and rating system. Do not assume that because a school is 'exemplary' it is a great school. Schools here can be rated based on projections by racial subgroup, not all actual test results. Texas may also have a test that is 'easier' than another state, or more difficult.

You should be visiting one of the schools you are considering and see if the curriculum matches your expectations (I'm afraid you are bound to be disappointed). Even if your child meets the strict requirements for a gifted program, it could be for a small portion of the day or week and still might not have the level of curriculum you are hoping to find.

Good Luck!

I was a bit curious about how the TAKS test compares to the Iowa test that my kids take at their school, I figured that they could not be compared equally. The school that my children are in now is pretty intense, their kids begin reading at age 3, it's pretty amazing stuff! It only gets more intense as they progress. They say that parents are no longer able to help their children in the 4th grade, a lot of the information is beyond what their parents have learned. I love the program but I still would like my kids to be kids. I feel like we have given them a great foundation and they can be successful in whatever program they are in, I just don't want them to be completely bored.