Where in Central Texas to start looking? (Austin, Waco: crime, credit)

[Jvillemom]

My husband, I and three children (ages 13,9 and 3) will be relocated for work to Temple Texas. Just wanted to have an idea of where to narrow down areas. We are fine with a sleepy town (left south florida for a slower lifestyle). But still would love the comfort of every day close by. Shopping, places to take the kids, restaurants...etc.. My main concern is school of course. My oldest is in gifted courses (currently taking 10th grade math in 8th grade and needs to be challenged) so I'm hopefully of a school that would be accommodating to his needs and will push him forward instead of holding him back.

Our budget for a home would be around 175-225K depends on neighborhood amenties..etc..
A community that is active would be good too!
My husband prefers new construction, I like older homes with character (that possibly have already been renovated..ha!).

We don't mind a commute from a city at least 30 miles or less if it will make a difference.

Newbie to Texas and have no idea where to start!

TIA!

[texasdiver]

Based on your criteria your best bet is probably to move to Belton. It is basically a sister city to Temple but a bit smaller and perhaps a bit more upscale. Of all the school districts within 30 minutes of Temple the Belton school district is probably the most highly rated so if schools are your main concern then Belton should be on the top of your list. If you are looking for GT programs then you definitely want a larger more suburban district like Belton that is large enough to have that sort of thing. Belton HS is about 2500 students and growing whereas I believe Temple HS is losing students as people with means seem to be relocating to the Belton area.

You will probably want to stay away from the Killeen area as the schools in Killeen tend to be very transient due to proximity to Fort Hood. All the other school districts near Temple are going to be small town rural districts that will be much more insular and unlikely to have the sort of GT programs you are looking for.

Other than Belton your only other choice would be to move north to the southern suburbs of Waco. The Midway school district in the southern suburbs of Waco is rather similar to Belton in size and demographics. A bit closer to Temple is the Lorena school district that is much smaller but still well thought of. Commute times from the Midway or Lorena area to Temple would be about 25-35 minutes depending on exactly from where to where you are going.

[CptnRn]

Salado is a nice small community in IH-35 only 16 miles south of downtown Temple. Georgetown is nice too, but more like 40 miles south.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Salado is a nice small community in IH-35 only 16 miles south of downtown Temple. Georgetown is nice too, but more like 40 miles south.

Salado is indeed a nice small community with lots of shops. But Salado HS is a 2A high school with only about 450 students. The OP is looking for a school with advanced course options for her gifted son. That will be much much easier at a larger HS where the full range of AP or IB courses will be offered compared to a tiny 2A school where only the minimum required courses may be available.

[TXStrat]

Belton ISD would meet your needs. One of the best in the area. Lived in the Temple/Belton area on three separate occasions and was happiest with Belton schools. Not knocking Temple ISD, just saying as parents, we found Belton ISD had more to offer, and the kids were happier there compared to Temple. Temple and Belton share a border, so they are essentially one "metro" area. They have separate downtown areas, but it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Nice areas to live in both areas. I preferred being out by the lake, but that was just a personal preference.

There is plenty of new construction in the area, and there are also a large number of older homes, including everything from mid-century bungalows to stately Victorian homes and many in between. Plenty of everyday shopping/dining/entertainment in the area. You may need to travel to Austin for specialized stuff.

[ImOnFiya]

Georgetown, largest home selection in your price range. Most 'suburban' community - exploding leaps and bounds as an northern edge city to the Austin metro. Groomed to be the 'next Round Rock' (also, GT is less than 30 miles to Temple) with access to Williamson County and Austin's plethora of shopping and restaurants.

[Jvillemom]

Thanks everyone for your help! It seems what most of you are saying is in line with what I have read about Belton so far.
My husband will be making his first trip in February so I guess we will see how it goes!

[StealthRabbit]

If you have an advanced student in later grades of Public EDU... Check into living near a community college and putting him there in a couple years. I think TX has a program like WA, where if the kid can pass an entrance exam, then can go to College (Tuition PAID!! til they graduate from HS (College diploma 2 or 4 yr by age 18.).

Works great for many kids. Mine were both tutors when they went to college at age 15, Saved them 2 yrs of college $$ that they didn't have to cough up the dough for, and got them traveling / working internationally and earning money a few yrs early.


Here is a program in Temple (But I certainly wouldn't limit my kid to 60 Credit hours... They can take MORE, you might need to pay...no crime in getting early college degrees) Temple College - Early College

Students that do this have a very high success in College, as they are no longer 'waiting for instructions' / playing follow the leader in K-12.
YMMV

[RomaniGypsy]

Originally Posted by Jvillemom

My husband, I and three children (ages 13,9 and 3) will be relocated for work to Temple Texas. Just wanted to have an idea of where to narrow down areas. We are fine with a sleepy town (left south florida for a slower lifestyle). But still would love the comfort of every day close by. Shopping, places to take the kids, restaurants...etc.. My main concern is school of course. My oldest is in gifted courses (currently taking 10th grade math in 8th grade and needs to be challenged) so I'm hopefully of a school that would be accommodating to his needs and will push him forward instead of holding him back.

Our budget for a home would be around 175-225K depends on neighborhood amenties..etc..
A community that is active would be good too!
My husband prefers new construction, I like older homes with character (that possibly have already been renovated..ha!).

We don't mind a commute from a city at least 30 miles or less if it will make a difference.

Newbie to Texas and have no idea where to start!

TIA!

Temple is a "small city" which contains pretty much any services you would want, so I have no problem steering you toward smaller towns.

You'll have to check out the schools, but I can tell you that if all schools were the same, I would live in a town like Moody, Rosebud, Troy, Heidenheimer, etc. There are plenty of small towns surrounding Temple which give you what you seek.

However, if you're willing to tolerate a 20-30 mile one-way commute (mostly on I-35) and you don't mind paying a substantial premium for your house over what it'd cost elsewhere, you may want to examine Salado. That is widely known as the nicest town in the region... of course it is also the most expensive, but if you like old architecture, you'll find it there. Salado is an "artsy" town with lots of old (but well-maintained) buildings... however, there is plenty of new construction as well. If you can afford it, you may want to go for it.