Help Moving to Houston - Never Been There! (The Woodlands, Conroe: house, top school)

[AustinTraveler]

Jim, it's fine to leave an email address but you should always scramble it in some way. For instance, see how I changed yours in the post above. If you don't scramble your email, you could start receiving spam, which you definitely do not want.

[Willys]

we are coming from Colorado

Just remember Colorado's state motto:

"If god had meant Texans to ski, he'd have made B... S... white"

Welcome home.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by houstoner

Whatever to all this "avoid HISD at all costs" business. HISD has some excellent magnets and some of the best school districts mentioned here have some low-performing schools. Even so, there are a lot of intangibles to consider beyond the ratings and rankings. Children don't attend districts, they attend individual schools. Aim for the best wherever you are, be involved in her education, and your kid will be fine.

Exactly.

In the end, you have a public school system that revolves around standardized testing and enormous study for tests that go over what a kid should already know at that point. This is mandated at the state level. So choosing one school further away from another is ultimately little different than driving to a McDonald's across town to get a Big Mac when you could have received the same thing just by going around the corner. Everything's cookie-cutter and one-size-fits-all. If you don't like that, private school or homeschooling might be for you.

The difference in school performance are likely more a function of which schools' students have the most involved parents, or whose parents are content to let the public school system be solely responsible for educatiing their kids and not participating. Don't be one of those and you should do fine.

[houguy1087]

Love the city and hate the 'burbs (because they're a big waste of time, as a young person) honestly, but even as a product of an HISD (which ranks in the top 200 schools for that old US News Public HS Report), sometimes I resent my HISD education because I am a private university student now. However, HISD does have SOME good programs, at all levels of education, but if specifically HS--Bellaire, Lamar, DeBakey and HSPVA just to name a few, but if you're talking overall school district I would definitely choose something outside of HISD, but know you can find the same, in Houston city limits with more diversity. It's just sometimes have to pay a bit more (for housing.)

And houstoner and jfre81 do have a point, its always more about how willing the child is to learn in the first place and that usually falls on the responsibility of a parent (when the child is of a young age.) Aptitude and willingness play a big role, I think.

[Bike4Life]

Hey, I'm a product of public school in HISD and did just fine blending into a professional career. My kids now go to some of the best schools in HISD. Disciplined education starts at home.

Don't be afraid to look in and around the Inner Loop.

[azuniga]

I live in the woodlands/ spring and it is great out here!Spring has a really good school district and I think if u were going to move out here that u would love it..

Originally Posted by loubre

I'm new to Houston, TX and I'm thinking about living in lexingon estate in Spring texas. Are the schools good in spring and is Spring a good area to live in?

[carolineb]

Groens -- My apartment was in zip code 77019 and my son was zoned to Gregory Lincoln elementary - so even within the more prestigious zip codes, you still can end up being zoned to a less than desirable school.

[texasgrl16]

I think all district is good if they are willing to make it work. Just stay away from the ones that's been in the news. Private school is good and bad but they keep their information private.. hint hint . Once in awhile you get news coming out of there if the newscaster wants too.

[Bily Lovec]

rice military, certain areas of the memorial area. ANYWHERE but cinco/katy/cy fair.

have hubby leave katy/cinco/cy fair ANY weekday morning between 6:00am and 7:30am and try to get to the galleria area... then do reverse, katy's great of you dont mond the two commute in the evening...

odds are you get a much better private school in rice than anything mentioned so far.

anyone telling you the commute from katy area to the galleria isnt bad, i would question their sanity... and motives.

good luck but do your own research.

[texas7]

There are several good areas on all sides of town and all with excellent schools. Sugarland, Cy-Fair, Clear Lake, Friendswood, Pearland, League City, Kingwood, Woodlands. If you aren't opposed to a bit of a commute then it is just a matter of what side of town you like the best and what your outside interests are.