Anyone is Dallas area? I need schools info!!

[Movingaga]

Hi, we're moving to Dallas at the end of the month. We're pretty set on Allen but we only want a short term rental. So it's looking like an apartment is the way forward for now. The problem is the two nearest elementary schools are not rated as good as some of the further ones. There's a good one just under a mile from the apartment complex. School is a high priority for our choice of rental, so does anyone know the rules about local schools? Do you have to go to the local one or is there some flexibility? Any other advice and experience really welcome too!

*in, obviously...not is!

I'm pretty sure you have to go to the school that's dictated by your address. It should be easy to find out if they can go to the good one.

www.allenisd.org/domain/67

But it begs the question, why choose Allen if schools are a high priority but they're not highly rated. Have you considered Plano?

It’s based on address unless there is a school with ‘open campus’ meaning they’re taking students from out of area.

www.greatschools.org is a helpful site

namechanger0001
The schools in Allen are good, of 18 elementary schools only 2 are rated low, it just happened that the apartment complex was in the boundary of one of them. We looked at Plano as DH is working there but it's a bit more expensive, plus DH lived in Allen before so he knows it well. We've gone off the apartment idea, for only a $200 more we can rent a house next to good schools, so it seems silly.

I would definitely go for the house for an extra $200. What's your budget? We're in a 4 bed in Plano for $2150.

We've budgeted $1800, which seems to be about the price of a higher end 3/4 bed house. So we'll certainly find something good for that price. I would prefer a house.

By the way are there quite a few Brits in Dallas? I have an old friend from way back in Erving but she's from Ohio. DH said all his colleagues are Korean or Indian, but that's the nature of his field and he's not British either. We're in a non-English speaking country at the moment, so the kids speak English with my accent and I worry they might stick out a bit at first. Is Dallas very open to outsiders and what are schools like about new kids coming in?

We don't personally know any Brits but we hear an accent or two when we're out and about. There's a British fish and chip restaurant that's just opened up in Richardson and there are always Brits in there! The DFW area has been expanding at a huge pace in the past few years and there are many big corporations that moved in and brought thousands of staff with them so there are implants from all over. That's also causing pressure on the housing market. People on the whole are extremely friendly. I can't speak about the schools, we don't have kids but it's very diverse in terms of nationalities represented, everyone has an accent of some sort! My favourite line when someone clearly from Texas says "oh my God you've got an accent" is to say "oh my God so do you!". PM me if you want any more help (on non school stuff!).

Wow, thanks. Fish and chips sound great, haven't had those in over 5 years! We've lived in the USA before. Salt lake city was really friendly and open and a smaller town in Florida that was very insular. So I'm hoping Dallas will be more like Salt Lake, which sounds likely. Plus DH has done previous contracts in Dallas and he loved it as a place to live. The housing pressure is a bit worrying, but good for further work prospect. I've been trawling zillow and it seems hopeful. Thanks for all the info.