Moving to Dallas

Here is a site by the state that gives the rating levels of the schools. It is groups by the city then the schools within it:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/account/2006/statel...

The link will take you to the 2006 ratings but you can go to other years as well from the home page. The ratings from low to high are Academically Acceptable, Recognized, and Exemplary.

Hi A.. I actually live just north of Addison in Carrollton, literally across the street from Castle Hills. My husband was working in Addison when we chose this house, and I work there PT now. It is about a 15 minute drive for us, and we NEVER use the tollway - much quicker to use the back streets! We looked at Castle Hills, and it really is a beautiful neighborhood. However, we also looked at The Homestead (corner of Josey and Hebron), and fell in love. The Homestead is still pretty upper class, but most home prices are a little cheaper here, and HOA dues are significantly lower. You might also check out Moore Farm, which is right in between CH and The Homestead. There are some gorgeous new homes there! If you are interested in these areas, go ahead and message me and I'll list some of the streets for you so you can check out the homes on Realtor.com The Homestead, Moore Farm, and Castle Hills are all in the same school district, which does have a great reputation. West Plano is a different district (higher taxes) but is also an excellent place for schools. Whichever one you choose, we have a great moms group in the area. You are more than welcome to join us. Let me know if you would like details on that too.

NOT Richardson. I would also consider north Carrollton and Allen. Allen is little bit of a commute but traffic during rush hour on 75 and George Bush are not bad...and after they finish widening it I can't imagine there being hardly any traffic. Avoid any commute in which you would need to take I-35 or 635 during rush hour. If you have kids that are really into soccer, The Colony is the place to be...their ladies team won 2007 4A state championship!

Hi A., WELCOME to Texas...soon! We have lived here in Plano for 17 years and LOVE IT. I don't think you can have a better school district than Plano's. Our Son is only 4 so he goes to our Church Preschool but my husband is a full-time youth minister and we are very involved with our community and the schools. I think you are going to have a very similar commute whether you live in Castle Hills or West Plano. The newer part of Richardson is East of 75 but with the addition of The GWB tollway, it makes going EAst to West pretty fast! The poeple here are very warm and I think you and your family will enjoy it. Where are you moving from? Blessings, J.

Richardson (where I live right now) is very close to Addison. I love it here. We have a couple big Art Festivals (WildFlower & Cottonwood), & we're close to October Fest & Taste of Addison. There's a great library here with lots of nice programs for families and a fantastic story time program. The Park District offers a wide variety of wonderful classes for you & your daughter. You have a wide range of home prices & ages. The grammar school near my house (Northrich) has been ranked Exemplary. You can go to www.greatschools.net to check out any school you're interested in looking into. We live close to shopping, including Valley View, Gallaria, and Collin Creek Malls--all three with wonderful play areas for the kids.
I highly recommend keeping your search to the west side of 75...parts of the other side are not as nice.
I think you'll be very happy in Richardson...we have been!

Check out Coppell too. I live in Coppell. We are fairly close to Addison. I love this community and the kids here seem great!

Jodi

Here is what I know. Castle Hills and West Plano is approx about 20-30 drive to Addison depending on traffic and probably about the same from Richardson. I don't know much about Richardson homes and schools but I do know that Castle Hills is definitely Upper Class and they have their own community and It's a Great area and they are close to a lot of different areas (Lewisville, Carrollton, The Colony, Plano)
I know West Plano is an nice area as well and the schools are good as well.

I know Frisco is very nice and good schools as well as parts of The Colony but not sure how much you want to commute.

Good Luck and Welcome to Dallas.
M.

I have heard Plano school should be avoided due to overcrowding...however, your child is only 2 and this may not be an issue when you are ready for school. We chose Mckinney and the schools are the best.

There is a small section of North Dallas that is in Collin county and hence gets to be in the Plano ISD. So, you are still south of George Bush. We love it here. Addison should be 10 to 15 mins max. Try these zip codes when you search for homes: 75252 and 75287. You get good schools and good location. Good luck!

Just moved from Richardson to McKinney...My advice is NOT Richardson. I love McKinney (sooooo about the family) Good Luck! I've heard good things about Plano and Castle Hills.