Does anyone have children in the Highland Park ISD? Would you recommend? I hear the school structures are old, but are they updated? And more specifically, is the cost of living worth it for the schools??
they are really good. i would say they are worth the cost of living.
You have to consider your taxes on top of a 2 million dollar home so that might be food for thought for you. I think you evaluate schools by their number of Nation Merit Scholars. HP has some but Plano has many more. Diversity is scarce in the HP community. Maby people are comfortable growing up with folks that look and act just like themselves. You just have to ask yourself what is right for your family. Also, HP is very urban except for a few streets that have larger lots and 10 million doallar homes. The front yard is out of bounds for little kids. There is a lot of traffic.
L.
www.lizzyzinn.com
According to recent ranking by D Magazine, Highland Park Highschool is one of the top 5 of all Dallas public high schools.
There are other good school districts in the area where your child can get a quality education without the price of living in HP, and these schooldistricts probrably offer more diversity than HP schools, which I think is good.
I'm not sure if I would buy into HPISD even if I could afford to. The schools rank better, but we're talking maybe 2% better schools for 150% higher home prices.
Even the best schools won't get your kids into a top notch university if they aren't motivated and hard working. And they can work hard, take AP classes, and have extracurriculars just about anywhere.
We recently contemplated buying a home in the HPISD area but decided against it for the following reasons:
1. Lack of diversity - we felt a diverse environment is important for our children so that they know what the real world is and are better adjusted. This was the biggest factor for us.
2. I have heard that the schools are over crowded
3. You get very little home for the money. The prices are inflated.
We ended up buying a home in Far North Dallas that comes under Plano ISD (75252 zip code). The West Plano Senior High school was ranked 5th by the D magazine and the elementary and middle schools are very good.
I have 2 children who attend armstrong elementary. The school system is recognized in Texas as one of the best school districts in the state. It is worth the cost of living.
The school system is EXCELLENT, but you may wish to also consider some of the "up and coming" districts. The town of Fairview is being called "Highland Park North" and is serviced by the highly desirable Lovejoy ISD, which is ranked "EXEMPLARY" and is almost like a private school setting.
I have heard people rave about the district, so I am beginning to investigate, myself. It is considered a "best kept secret" for now, so the homes are not too terribly overpriced, but I am sure that will not last for long. People are moving from all over, just to get their kids in the district, so I would make a move on it fast! Go to http://www.lovejoyisd.net/ for more info.
I went through this same decision last summer. They are top rated but the home prices are more than I wanted to spend. There are other issues that come along with raising your children in that atmosphere. There are a lot of other good school districts if you look further north. You might want to check out www.greatschools.net . Good Luck.
