Houston area relocation - school quality (Sugar Land, The Woodlands: transplants, homes, school district)

[NewJeffCT]

Hi there - we live in Connecticut now, but I may be getting a job offer in Houston for a large company just outside of downtown. I'm trying to find out more information on the quality of the public schools for the various suburbs outside of Houston - a friend of mine in Houston mentioned The Woodlands and Katy as potential places. (He does not have kids, so isn't really focused on that.)

Any other places you'd recommend? Also, where can I find things like % of HS graduates going on to 4 year colleges, average SAT scores, etc. I found a HAR.com website, but it seemed like SAT data was out of date, as they had avg SAT score for The Woodlands at 1125 and 1116, which translates to a 375 and 372 average. If it was dated back to when the SAT had two parts, the average of 563 and 558 would be better.

When I was down this past weekend, I spent a few hours at The Woodlands, though my friend did say that it might be a bit of a hike from The Woodlands to downtown. I liked the area quite a bit and like the quality of the homes. As I told the people there, though, for the same amount of money in a town with good schools in CT, I actually get a home almost the same size as a home in the Woodlands, before you add in the basement and larger attic you get in Connecticut. The difference, though, was that the homes in The Woodlands really had all the bells & whistles/more "high end" material.

[swopoe]

greatschools.org and

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...XX-4450164.php

How about Sugar Land? That is where we live, and we love it. We are east coast transplants too.

[LocalPlanner]

Also look at Friendswood - a small district but considered by some to be the best overall district in the region.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by swopoe

greatschools.org and

Search the database: Where does your school rank? - Houston Chronicle

How about Sugar Land? That is where we live, and we love it. We are east coast transplants too.

Thanks - I'll take a look at Sugar Land. In your link, which area contains Sugar Land?

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Also look at Friendswood - a small district but considered by some to be the best overall district in the region.

Thanks! I will take a look

[Rip808]

You can't go wrong with KatyISD. Look for schools in the following boundaries and you should be more than fine:

-South of I-10

Basically, look in the 77494, 77450 zip codes and you will find excellent schools. Stick to the schools (Elementary, Jr. High) that feed to these high schools and you will be set:

-Cinco Ranch
-Seven Lakes
-Tompkins High

[swopoe]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Thanks - I'll take a look at Sugar Land. In your link, which area contains Sugar Land?

Start with Fort Bend ISD.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Rip808

You can't go wrong with KatyISD. Look for schools in the following boundaries and you should be more than fine:

-South of I-10

Basically, look in the 77494, 77450 zip codes and you will find excellent schools. Stick to the schools (Elementary, Jr. High) that feed to these high schools and you will be set:

-Cinco Ranch
-Seven Lakes
-Tompkins High

Thanks - one of the guys I interviewed with lives in Katy. He said it's nice and people support the schools, but that it has no character.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Rip808

You can't go wrong with KatyISD. Look for schools in the following boundaries and you should be more than fine:

-South of I-10

Basically, look in the 77494, 77450 zip codes and you will find excellent schools. Stick to the schools (Elementary, Jr. High) that feed to these high schools and you will be set:

-Cinco Ranch
-Seven Lakes
-Tompkins High

How big a concern is re-zoning the schools? Meaning, if we're in a good school district one year, it could be re-zoned for one that is not so good the next year or in a few years?

[Rip808]

You can't rezone from one school district to another (i.e. KatyISD to HISD). The only "re-zoning" I can foresee is Seven Lakes and Tompkins shifting some students to the new high school in Cross Creek Ranch (yet to be built, figure another 2-4 years). And even then, you will be going from one excellent high school to another. You will know ahead of time if your subdivision is up for rezoning.

And what does your coworker mean by "no character"?