<p>^^^^It really depends. The Dallas North Tollway (if you are traveling from Frisco) is a bear at rush hour. You are probably looking at 45 mins to an hour each way unless you are early to work like I am or leaving around 9:00 am. Allen and McKinney, you would be taking I-75, which is a nightmare in its own right. I don’t think the commute would be any easier than from Frisco. In any case, you are looking at a much better commute than you are used to in LA, so it may seem like a breeze to you! :)</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Allen or McKinney schools. Those areas are aesthetically very lovely, and as Xiggi has pointed out, very into providing state of the art facilities for sports. Compared to LA values, you can buy a virtual mansion in Allen or McKinney for what you would pay for an average house in LA. That’s actually the case also for Frisco. I would encourage you to go to the Frisco ISD web site and look at the specs. Do the same for Allen and Mckinney. You may get a better idea of fit for your daughter.</p>
<p>It should not be two hours each way! I think Dallas places a limit at 60 minutes.</p>
<p>For the sport, I mentioned the two days because there are restrictions imposed on many sports. Soccer is such an example with the most competitive club level activities playing around the UIL demands and staggering the competitions. Ymmv.</p>
<p>Is the rental market horrible because of high prices? Or poor availability?</p>
<p>Okay, you want a small environment. Check out Argyle. Absolutely beautiful area with a very good small school system. Your commute would again be problematic, and it’s farther to Plano for her sport, but if you are looking for a small, mainstream yet high achieving school, this one qualifies.</p>
<p>@xiggi Both. With the recent uptick in home values, those upsidedown who had been renting are now selling. So rentals are at a premium, some 2 to 3 times what a mortgage payment would be. Better value to buy before prices get even higher.</p>
<p>@nrdsb4 I’ll take a look now, thank you. </p>
<p>No traffic scares me. I’m from LosAngeles! (Grin) </p>
<p>We are coming in 2 weeks, but I want to have as much research done as possible so we can hit the ground running.</p>
<p>Commute to Dallas off 75 from Argyle will be a killer and route to Plano would be FM’s (farm to market) rather than HWY’s. Also, it is very rural.</p>
<p>Have you looked off 35W rather than North 75? Going down 35W to the George Bush to hit 75 is a lot easier than coming from McKinney/Allen. Take a look at Flower Mound (FM HS or Marcus HS) or Carrolton. Another option is The Colony. The Colony has a 4A rather than 5A school (smaller) and is close to Plano without being in the Plano district, and you could commute via 75 from there as well. </p>
<p>Allen HS is HUGE, I would stay away at all cost, unless you have a premier football player.</p>
<p>You wouldn’t get to downtown from Argyle by going near or by 75.</p>
<p>It is “rural,” but my friend who lives there calls it “faux rural.” Lots of affluent families who just want large yards (.5 acre up to 10 acres, it just depends on neighborhood).</p>
<p>The commute would be long, but the OP says she’s used to 2 hour commutes each way, so…</p>
<p>I think John Paul II is a possibility for your daughter. I know kids who had graduated from there. The school accepts students who did not get acceptance to St Mark’s or Jesuit. I also dont think John Paul is as competitive as Highland Park or Plano HS. </p>
<p>I agree with the other poster that I dont think you will find a small public school within 20 minutes drive from Plano. Besides the private schools others have mentioned, here are two private schools located in Plano:</p>
<p>[Spring</a> Creek Academy, The Academy for Gifted and Talented](<a href=“http://springcreekacademy.com/]Spring”>http://springcreekacademy.com/)-It is a very tiny school. Not sure how competitive the admission process is. I took my younger son there for tutoring a long time ago. It gives flexibility of a shorter academic day to accommodate out of school sports. ( Nastia Lukin went there)</p>
<p>It sounds as though the OP would be well served to look at Frisco. She might even consider Prosper, which is just north and still accessible to the tollway. Of course, there’s that commute, but still well shy of what she’s been used to in L.A.</p>
<p>I hope the OP comes back and updates us with her impressions after visiting the area.</p>
<p>Also, my apologies if “she” is actually a “he.” :o</p>
<p>The map above is actually a good one for getting some perspective re: the various suburbs near Dallas.</p>
<p>Continued thanks. “He” is a “she,” and I am the one doing the commute. My lucky husband gets to work from home. Love the map! Please keep any and all info coming. It’s so important to me that my daughter is in the best situation academically for her needs. I maybe the only mom on CC looking for an average experience for my child! Haha!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t look to Spring Creek Academy for a normal HS experience. As I understand it, it’s full of elite (and wanna be elite) athletes who need the shortest school day possible. I’ve heard stories of students transferring from Spring Creek top good public HSs and being adademically unprepared (but can’t verify stories.)</p>
<p>What does everyone think about J.J. Pearce HS? The location is between downtown Dallas and Plano. It’s not quite as small as you want, but not huge. I know quite a few folks whose kids are there, who like the school.</p>
<p>I agree Spring Creek Academy does not provide normal HS experience. A son of an acquaintance transferred from a large public school to Spring Creek and graduated. He was not in any athletic program then. He and his family seemed happy with the small school setting. He is now attending Texas A&M.</p>
<p>Canyon Creek Christian Academy in Richardson is near the borderline of Plano and Richardson with an easy access to George Bush toll road. Its environment perhaps is more nurturing than John Paul II.</p>
<p>Richardson is an area that might answer several of the requirements to commute between downtown and Plano. This even makes using the DART a lot more feasible than from way upnorth with stations in Richardson and the downtown Pearl/Bryan/St Paul. Might get rid of the 75 bottleneck – partially. </p>
<p>Pearce might be a good option for you. Richardson ISD has a long-standing history of being a good school district. Several years ago, we had friends there who were very satisfied with the support their daughter received from the District (different HS/same district). She wasn’t exactly ‘special needs’ but required good support. They credited the district with much of her success…Nice neighborhoods are readily available in this area as well. Lots of families who have similar goals/concerns for their children. Good place for you to research!</p>
<p>I would also caution you about not getting caught up on enrollment numbers. In my experience some really large high schools in Texas do a really good job of meeting needs, offering supportive teachers/counselors even though the numbers are way up there. I’d ask questions about counselor: student ratio, student involvement in activities/clubs and other areas that may indicate the seriousness of the school to make students feel at home and supported. Many who went through systems that graduate a thousand students (or more) in a class will tell you their kids were welcomed, supported and successful. I’ve always thought the number of students involved in extracurricular activities–including (but not exclusively!) athletics–indicates the philosophy of giving students ‘ownership’ in their schools. There are many in those large districts who value personal relationships with the student!</p>
<p>I live in Richardson. My kids go/went to Richardson High. In my opinion, Richardson is the best of both worlds - good schools, lots of diversity, nice homes (many of the homes in the district are technically in North Dallas). </p>
<p>J.J. Pearce is an excellent HS - 4A athletics (around 2000 attendance). Richardson is slightly bigger (5A athletics) and more diverse. We like RHS because it is the magnet school for the district with Theater, Fine Art, Culinary, Robotics, Law, Health Careers, etc. Both schools also offer excellent resources for special ed. I have one son with Aspergers issues and they have been great.</p>
<p>If you like the Richardson high schools, I would look at homes in North Dallas (north of Belt Line) and West Richardson (West of 75). In fact, I’ve got a nice 4 BR for sale!!! </p>
<p>And the commute to downtown is reasonable - 30 minutes in rush hour or you can take the DART train. And we’re about 20 minutes from anywhere in Plano.</p>