When you’re responsible for a family unit, there are plenty of other people that are dependent on the life decisions you make. Your living arrangements, your parenting style, and even your career and finance plans affect everyone else in your family. Perhaps one of the biggest decisions you’ll make for others in your family is selecting a good place for education. There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re relocating a family to a new place like the Lone Star State. Read on to learn more about how to find the best school district in Texas for your family.
Consider your family’s needs. For this process, it’s important to decide what matters most to your family. Whether you prefer strong academics, a focus on STEM, lots of extracurricular opportunities, or an award-winning school, you will want to prioritize which things are most essential for your family, especially for your student. This set list of needs and priorities can help to guide your search for the best school district.
Location matters. Are you seeking a downtown experience, country living, or life in the suburbs? There are school districts all over Texas, and there are so many different living situations to choose from. You may want to factor in commute times and amenities in the community when you’re choosing the location for your family’s new school district.
Check the data. There is so much information available online; you can check out the stats on school districts before you even visit them in person. Visit different district websites to see information about what each school offers. Often there will be photo galleries to accompany the write-ups, which will offer a feel for the school. You can also get a feel for a school by following social media or other online accounts. Modern-day data collection sites like Niche and Great Schools can help you to assess different ratings on things such as academics, test scores, graduation rates, and extracurricular offerings.
Make a visit. While it’s great to collect data online, there is nothing like visiting a school in person. Will any of the school districts you’re considering offer open houses or tours? Plan ahead to make a visit so that you can experience school culture, meet faculty and staff, and see the campus in person when students are in attendance.
Ask around. Social media pages are a great resource for parents who want to know more about the nitty gritty details of school and community life. You can also reach out to principals or teachers with your questions. Asking questions either in person to parents in the community or online can help you to get some insights into specific details you want to know about your prospective school districts.
Check with your student. A school district and school is only a good fit if it’s a good fit for your student as well. Ensure that there are opportunities available for your student. Intangibles like social needs, personality, and learning style all are major factors in decision making for the right school district.
Consider Lovejoy. Founded in 1917, the Lovejoy Independent School District currently serves more than 4000 pre-K through 12th graders. This district is located 3 miles east of Allen and about 25 miles north of Dallas in Collin County.
- A selection of schools: The Lovejoy ISD features The Carrie L. Lovejoy Child Development Center has Early Learning and Pre-Kindergarten for students from 18-months-old to 4-years-old. Hart Elementary and Puster Elementary are the district’s 2 elementary schools. Sloan Creek Intermediate School is for 5th and 6th graders, and Willow Springs Middle School is for 7th and 8th graders. Lovejoy High School is the district’s top-rated public high school.
- Extended care is available. For families who may need after school care options, Lovejoy ISD offers Extended Day Leopard Academy; this option features enrichment activities for students.
- A+ rankings. Niche.com ranks Lovejoy ISD with an A+ in the areas of academics, teachers, and college prep. The district has A grades for clubs and activities, and an A- for administration. Many of the Lovejoy schools have earned awards and recognition for academics in the Lone Star State.
- Special education specialists. Lovejoy ISD knows that all children of all different abilities deserve a great education. The district offers programs for children who have different learning abilities—from ages 3 to 21. With the help of a comprehensive education team, individualized education plans (IEPs) can be developed for students who receive services through the special education department.
- Stay active and involved. Lovejoy ISD has a great Art and Music program fro students in Pre-K through 5th grade. For older students, there are programs in fine arts, visual arts, band, color guard, orchestra, choir, theatre, dance, journalism, computer science, robotics, speech and debate, as well as a number of different sports.
Are you ready to register your child for school in a new school district? The Fairview Economic Development Corporation has a number of resources to help families who are developing their businesses, finding a place to live, or settling into life in Texas. Learn more about living in Fairview here.