I feel a bit compelled to reply to this thread and I don't even know where to begin….
I when to Allen right before the "Dave Bliss" era. I joined Allen my junior year after moving to College Station from Colorado where I was one of those "poors". My Allen tuition was paid for by a DINK uncle & aunt who wanted to see the only nephew/offspring of their immediate family do better and I really can't thank them enough but that's a story that goes way deeper and is for another time.
I can't tell you the difference having an Allen Education made on my life. I got a chance to be a focal part of the school (hard to not be with 26 kids in a graduating class), but I also got a chance to experience things I'd never have in a public school setting.
My time at Allen included several local Bryan students who had decided to move from Bryan High to Allen and had their educations paid for by "donations" from the better off families. One of these kids ended up as a successful drummer, one ended up as the owner of an music production company and one as a director/executive of a national shoe company.
This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the generous love and outpouring from the parents of Allen kids. These same parents provided their own RV coach to take us to State Football Playoffs (we got blown out). Provided tons of resources to the school to make stuff happen. They helped set up a haunted house, bought all the candy and paid for the supplies to make the haunted house. These same parents willingly coached the cross country teams, tennis teams, robotics teams. Funded the golf team. Provided meals for the entire girl and boy basketball teams every time we drove 5 hours to play.
Seriously it was a blessing because everyone was invested in everyone. I can't tell you how thankful I am to Mr & Mrs. Torres, the Ventos (RIP Mama Vento), the Pullens, Ms. Horton, Mr & Mrs. Walton, The Dales, The Harper's, Vandaores, Big Gary (RIP), Mr and Mrs. Ferreira, so many others.
This helped mold me into coming out of my shell, embracing who I am and helping recognize my potential. Not to mention the others who had guidance counselors who tirelessly worked and saw kids accepted to Harvard or Duke or other strong caliber schools. The kid who grew up to stay local and help start a local insurance agency for farmers and their crops. The kid who saw his father pass away freshman year of collage and continue to run his father's O&G business up until the teeth of the oil crash in late '14.
Look, there is going to be bad apples in any school. No I'm not going to go into detail about the non-Allen PKs getting involved into the drugs and alcohol and bringing Allen kids into it. But you need to focus on the bigger picture. The faculty, staff and parents of any of these schools usually care about the students first and upmost. They want what's best for the kids.
This isn't a knock on any posters questioning the school or its current state (I have no idea what it looks like), but I think you have to step back and judge a group by the intentions of their heart. Which is what any of these schools, public or private, try to provide to the next generations. Think about those teachers and employees of your school that made an impact on you and your life. Try to capture and embrace that.
I can confidently say that my 3.5 year old will be enrolled in the Allen Academy preschool in the fall though.
Edit: forgot to mention the same Allen parents who donated to help cover the cost of the chemo therapy for the husband and wife duo who ran the school cafeteria while I was a student.