Schools: Eanes or Leander? (Austin, Round Rock: crime, house, theater)

[orionid]

Hi all,
I posted a few days ago about moving to NW Austin, and I see many people writing that the Eanes school district is the "best". But I'd like to know more about what "best" means. A lot of times the schools with the best numbers may mask other problems, like drugs or an overall "chip-on-the-shoulder" feeling of entitlement among the kids that would make the school experience worse for non-millionaire kids. We're looking for a great education, lotsa sports & group options, in an environment that allows all kids to excel, isn't overall "clique"-y, and doesn't have a big negative side to the wealth of the area.

If anyone has kids of any age in either the Leander ISD (specifically those schools leading to Cedar Park HS) and also the Eanes ISD (specifically those feeding Westlake HS), please dish on both the positives AND NEGATIVES that you've seen or heard of. Thanks!

[achtungpv]

If you're kids are more than 4 years away from HS, you can't plan on them attending a certain HS in the Leander ISD. A coworker has lived in the same house for 20 years. He has 3 sons and each of them went to a different HS...Leander, Cedar Park and Vista Ridge. I think the plan is for like a minimum of 3-4 more HS's so those boundaries are gonna keep on changing.

[austin-steve]

No matter what school you pick, you'll have to take the good with the bad. I think it's generally agreed by most in Austin that no High School in the area better prepares students for getting accepted into and then succeeding in a 4-year college than Westlake.

I have a 9th grade daughter attending Westlake next year after 8 years in a private school. I've done my homework, visited other public high schools and talked with students and staff, and, to me, Westlake is a no-brainer.

I also liked Bowie High a lot, but it's the difference between a Honda Accord and a Lexus, for lack of a better way to express it.

The best way to learn more about Westlake is to drive to the school and walk into the main office and start asking questions. That's what me and my wife did, unannounced, and we were able to meet with and talk to a school counselor and were given a campus tour by a Senior student, who answered a lot of the questions we had about what it's like there.

Steve

[traceyr13]

That is a good sign Steve - I was a high school counselor for 4 years at a VERY highly regarded high school in Rhode Island (we were consistently ranked number one in the state) and we had that happen on a regular basis, and always accomodated parents (unless there was something particularly crazy going on that day).

I agree that Westlake seems universally thought of as "the" high school - my oldest is in 1st grade, but because I believe in the trickle down effect from the high school to the middle school to the feeder elementary schools, I have been doing a lot of research and asking around, including at UT where I work. Yes, that's usually followed up by "it's also very snobby and wealthy" but unfortunately, in my experience, the two usually go hand in hand (best academics with the highest socioeconomic area).

As far as Leander ISD vs Eanes, I think (one person only!) that Westwood HS, in Round Rock ISD, is the next best high school, not any of the schools in Leander. You could live close to the Arboretum, west of 183, and still be zoned for Westwood.

[austin-steve]

Westwood HS, in Round Rock ISD, is the next best high school

That's my impression also. Westlake #1, Westwood #2, Lake Travis, Bowie, Dripping follow.

I do think however that a good student can do well at schools that aren't necessarily #1.

Steve

[orionid]

Thanks for your replies.
Austin-Steve, is there any specific reason why Cedar Park HS isn't on your list of high schools that follow Westlake?

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by orionid

Thanks for your replies.
Austin-Steve, is there any specific reason why Cedar Park HS isn't on your list of high schools that follow Westlake?

No, I'm not as informed about Cedar Park HS, so it might be an inappropriate ommission on my part. GreatSchools.net is a good place to compare data on schools. You can line up schools in columns and compare the stats.

By the way, my wife and two kids and my Mom attended the Westlake HS production of Wizard of OZ last night, and it was very impressive. It's the best school play I've ever seen.

My daughter is very interested in Theater Arts, so we thought it would be a good idea to go see what they have going on at WL, and it was beyond awsome. The singing, dancing, orchestra, lighting and stage props - everything was amazing and we were all completely blown away.

We've been going to see plays at Zilker Hillside Theater for 20 years, and the quality of this play was on par with the Zilker productions, it was that good.

OK, I'm gushing ... but I'm not exagerating.
Steve

[gigi927]

One thing I can add that might help inform the question - Westlake, Dripping Springs and Westwood all have "recognized" status by the Texas Education Agency. The ratings are "exemplary", "recognized", "academically acceptable" and "academically unacceptable". For this past year, Cedar Park, Bowie and Lake Travis all earned academically acceptable status. These can change from year to year and they certainly aren't the be-all-end-all of what schools are good, but it is based on some quantifiable data.

If you haven't visited already, go to the TEA website and review the 2005-6 report card feature. You can get the comparison data on any school or school district in Texas. Here is the link:

http:// www. tea.state.tx.us/ perfreport/src/2006/campus.srch.html

As a further note - I don't know if your kids are currently of HS age or if they are still in elementary/middle school, but Leander will likely be building a new HS on the 2222 between the 360 and 620. If you are looking at areas in the far west part of the Leander ISD (Steiner Ranch, River Place, Jester, Westminster Glen, Glenlake) these communities will likely feed the new H.S. once it is built (down the road) so that is an additional consideration for you if your kids are younger!

Your best research, though, will be a visit!

[orionid]

Thanks so much Gigi and Steve. I agree that an education mainly depends on the student more than the school, but out here in CA the standards are so low (due to accomodating the English as Second Language (ESL) kids that we are shocked as to what is not being taught. I just want to make sure we wouldn't be stepping into a situation similar to this, or something else (like higher crime or unacceptable environment or entitlements).

We are planning a trip out to Austin in late March, so I'm looking for any info to narrow down what we need to do when there. This forum is the best!

On a related subject, what would you recommend as must-do's when we're there to experience real life in Austin? Not the tourist-y things, but to see a good cross-section of the people, the community, etc.? What would you recommend to "sell" our kids to the area?

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by gigi927

The ratings are "exemplary", "recognized", "academically acceptable" and "academically unacceptable".

Someone more informed can post what these ratings mean but I do know that "acceptable" means only 40% pass the TAKS (or whatever it is now) test. My idea of it before I heard that fact would have been that acceptable meant 70% passed it.