Allen High School - 2021 (Houston, Dallas: transplants, homes, middle school)

[texstout]

I'm curious from current residents - what is Allen High School like? The few residents that I know are passionate about the ISD and big supporters of the school. It seems to be a giant high school with good academics and multiple pathways for career interests. The band is bigger than most schools! A huge school can fund more variety of classes.

That said, what is the vibe? Do you have to be basically D-1 caliber to play on a sports team or a professional artist to be in a school play? I went to a huge high school in Houston that was very competitive to be on a sports team (just due to the size). Meanwhile, my husband went to a tiny private school and played varsity sports on every team.

I'm not a sburbanites (anymore at least), but often provide advice to co-workers moving to Dallas. How would you categorize pro/con the Allen ISD high school option?

Thanks!

[Peter5457]

Probably one of the most competitive public schools for all-around sports in the country. So, if the transplant kids can't beat out some very good athletes they will struggle to get any playtime. Plenty of talented local area kids and their families will move to football isd because they know they will get college scouts eyeballs whether its football, volleyball, baseball, whatever.

Plenty of other options if they just want johnny to play hs football. Frisco is another good football isd and they'll have a much better chance to play. And even get to play in the cowboy practice field. yay

Oh, they built that huge stadium so they could finally fit the whole band on the field at the same time. LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Y7o0JEgU4&t=85s

[TheOverdog]

Completely anecdotal of course, but a huge percentage of the kids I knew in college who came from Allen moved back post graduation, and some have kids at Allen high now. I compare to Plano and other DFW cities, where the percentages are way lower. I personally know more people who went to Allen ISD and their kids do too, even though I live in Plano and my kids go to school there. Comparatively I don't know anyone who both went to DISD and have their kids in school there too.


As for sports, they are able to play and do various activities at the high school and club level. None of the ones I know play football, but soccer, cross country, baseball, band, drill team, etc.

[Katana49]

"Completely anecdotal", "the percentages are way lower"...


Uh, so you don't actually know that. I grew up in Plano and I know plenty of people who grew up with me there and either never left or moved back to raise their own kids there. I know one family who took it a step further and wanted their kids to go to the exact same schools they did, their kids have gone to the same elementary and now same middle school as their mom did.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Katana49

"Completely anecdotal", "the percentages are way lower"...


Uh, so you don't actually know that. I grew up in Plano and I know plenty of people who grew up with me there and either never left or moved back to raise their own kids there. I know one family who took it a step further and wanted their kids to go to the exact same schools they did, their kids have gone to the same elementary and now same middle school as their mom did.

Same. I have tons of friends from college who grew up in Plano & are raising families there. And friends from Plano who now live in Frisco, Fairview, Coppell, Preston Hollow, Lakewood, Houston, NYC, etc. For that matter I know quite a few friends from HP whose kids are in DISD schools.

No one person is going to have the complete data set on where the current residents grew up. It’s all anecdotal,

[texstout]

Allen has grown from 45K in 2000 to over 100K in 2020. I don't recall ever hearing of Allen before 2000 - although I am sure many people lived there. I'm surprised that there are enough people who grew up in there in the 1990s (etc) that are now back raising there families there to make a significant difference compared to other nearby suburbs. Most people I know that live in Allen moved here from out-of-state...but thats just anecdotal feedback.

I grew up in a suburb of Houston that is very similar to Plano. Based upon that experience, I have never wanted to live in a suburb again. But that is pretty uncommon. Judging from facebook, many of my old classmates moved back there (or similar locations).

I hated going to a huge HS with over 1K in a grade - but I've also heard that Allen HS can be great. A few folks have told me that it feel different from within. I guess thats what I was interested in. It definitely seems to have a lot of school/city spirit...even though there is still the same number of kids eligible for each sports team.

[TheOverdog]

I'm surprised that there are enough people who grew up in there in the 1990s (etc) that are now back raising there families there to make a significant difference compared to other nearby suburbs.

The mega high school opened in 1999, and had been in the planning stage for many years before that.


I believe that makes it the same age as Plano West, split from Plano Senior around 1999.

[75214Dad]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Comparatively I don't know anyone who both went to DISD and have their kids in school there too.

FWIW I know like 40, including a 4th gen Woodrow family.

[jgn2013]

Allen HS could easily be split up into 2 or 3 high schools. If you have an athletic kid (D1 scholarship; pro athlete potential), Allen is a great place for them to shine. If your kid is the type that would be lucky to get looks from a D2 school or just wants to do sports as an extracurricular.....I think there might be better schools for it.

This isn't the place where you find that random freak athlete that picks up a sport at 14 and then goes from there. It seems like the kids there play their chosen sports/sports from pee-wee all the way up. They're polished more so than just a gang of super-athletes. Lots of training and money spent by parents to get Johnny in the starting lineup.

[20Hope20]

I personally know or know of too many families who are second or third generation in Plano or Richardson ISD.

Allen was smaller way back then so not enough numbers coming back for ISD as it’s a different ball game now (school size,majority of transplants, athletic competition et) but there are many who stayed or came back.

Lots of DISD graduates keeping their kids there because they are okay with it or this is what they can afford. Lots of HPISD graduates aren’t able to afford homes there now so sending kids to wherever they can. Ones who can afford, come back or go to private route.

Bottom line is, it doesn’t work out for everyone to send kids to legacy schools because of affordability, spousal objection, children’s need, personal preferences, commute issues etc.