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moving to Greatwood - schools?

2,719 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Photog
Photog
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We are thinking seriously about moving from First Colony to Greatwood. We want more interior space / different house configuration (we need a study!) and are interested in LCISD. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on specific subdivisions and which schools serve them. We'll want to stay there for 10+ years (hopefully longer). My children are currently going into grades 2 and 3. One is on the autism spectrum and requires an IEP. Any feedback specific to that type of need is greatly appreciated! FBISD has really ticked me off in that regard. I had to consult with a lawyer and get the district involved to set up a decent IEP. I know it's a widespread problem and this IS Texas, but curious if LCISD might be any better.
AggieChemE09
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AG
LCISD HS Map

District Map (2 Elementary schools in GW)

LCISD Demographic Overview (For a more indepth look)

I live in the neighborhood just north of GW and I was raised in the neighborhood just south of GW.
Tabasco
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Schools are good since George Ranch HS got built. We were in New Territory, but moved to GW 10 years ago. Daughters are entering 8th and 11th, so they both went through the elementary schools. They are attentive with special education and my sense is they want to please the parents. GW split between two elementary schools (one half Dickenson, one half Campbell... mine both went to Campbell and they are very good). All sixth graders go to Poly Rion 6th grade campus, then Reading Jr High, then George Ranch HS, and they are all set up right next to each other on Crabb River Road. The secondary schools pull from a wider area, so there are significantly more economically disadvantaged students compared to almost none in the GW elementary schools.
Photog
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Thank you both!
malenurse
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I'm a product of LCISD, so take that for what it's worth.
clw04
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Photog said:

We are thinking seriously about moving from First Colony to Greatwood. We want more interior space / different house configuration (we need a study!) and are interested in LCISD. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on specific subdivisions and which schools serve them. We'll want to stay there for 10+ years (hopefully longer). My children are currently going into grades 2 and 3. One is on the autism spectrum and requires an IEP. Any feedback specific to that type of need is greatly appreciated! FBISD has really ticked me off in that regard. I had to consult with a lawyer and get the district involved to set up a decent IEP. I know it's a widespread problem and this IS Texas, but curious if LCISD might be any better.
I have a son with Autism and live in LCISD. When we were looking at private schools, we were told to avoid FBISD and LCISD is much better for special needs. You likely will still need to advocate for your child more than you should need to. There is a special needs advocate (costs money) that we were going to use if we did LCISD.

I have a niece that goes to Campbell (going into 2nd grade) and they love it. I would highly recommend the elementary schools in Greatwood.
Photog
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clw04 said:

Photog said:

We are thinking seriously about moving from First Colony to Greatwood. We want more interior space / different house configuration (we need a study!) and are interested in LCISD. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on specific subdivisions and which schools serve them. We'll want to stay there for 10+ years (hopefully longer). My children are currently going into grades 2 and 3. One is on the autism spectrum and requires an IEP. Any feedback specific to that type of need is greatly appreciated! FBISD has really ticked me off in that regard. I had to consult with a lawyer and get the district involved to set up a decent IEP. I know it's a widespread problem and this IS Texas, but curious if LCISD might be any better.
I have a son with Autism and live in LCISD. When we were looking at private schools, we were told to avoid FBISD and LCISD is much better for special needs. You likely will still need to advocate for your child more than you should need to. There is a special needs advocate (costs money) that we were going to use if we did LCISD.

I have a niece that goes to Campbell (going into 2nd grade) and they love it. I would highly recommend the elementary schools in Greatwood.
This is exactly what I hoped to hear. Thank you! I'm sure I will always need to advocate. I'm ready to do it again. But it doesn't have to be as difficult as we've had it.
clw04
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If you need an advocate for reference let me know and I can provide the person we were going to use. She is well known in LCISD (her children went there) and in the autism community in Southwest Houston.
OnlyForNow
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The Greatwood elementary's are typically very high performing and rated really well. Pretty sure, they only pull Greatwood kids into them.

Not sure if Valsquez gets any GW kids though, it's on the edge of GW and Tara.
Tabasco
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OnlyForNow said:

The Greatwood elementary's are typically very high performing and rated really well. Pretty sure, they only pull Greatwood kids into them.

Not sure if Valsquez gets any GW kids though, it's on the edge of GW and Tara.
All of GW goes to either Campbell or Dickenson. Valasquez gets Tara and surrounding areas, but no GW kids go there.
OnlyForNow
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That's what I thought I remembered from living there, but couldn't say it with certainty.
ATM9000
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Photog said:

We are thinking seriously about moving from First Colony to Greatwood. We want more interior space / different house configuration (we need a study!) and are interested in LCISD. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on specific subdivisions and which schools serve them. We'll want to stay there for 10+ years (hopefully longer). My children are currently going into grades 2 and 3. One is on the autism spectrum and requires an IEP. Any feedback specific to that type of need is greatly appreciated! FBISD has really ticked me off in that regard. I had to consult with a lawyer and get the district involved to set up a decent IEP. I know it's a widespread problem and this IS Texas, but curious if LCISD might be any better.


I'm not gonna pretend to be an expert between schools and hate to be the be bearer of bad news. My son is on the spectrum and, as we've met folks, we've met a ton of people who have left Lamar because of bad experiences and not that many who have left Fort Bend, Katy or Spring Branch because of their kids' not being met.

Haven't experienced it first hand though... just saying... do your research... I've heard a lot more bad stories than good out of Lamar in that space.

Looks like somebody has had a better experience in Lamar which is good. Part of me thinks it is a TX thing. My son was in Spring Branch the last 2 years. Generally the teachers were good but understaffed and, while we didn't ever have to hire an advocate, that was probably because my wife just did a ton of research, record keeping and preparation for all of those meetings. Texas makes the IEP process and communication so overly difficult and it is really sad when you think about it.
clw04
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ATM9000 said:

Photog said:

We are thinking seriously about moving from First Colony to Greatwood. We want more interior space / different house configuration (we need a study!) and are interested in LCISD. I would appreciate any advice or feedback on specific subdivisions and which schools serve them. We'll want to stay there for 10+ years (hopefully longer). My children are currently going into grades 2 and 3. One is on the autism spectrum and requires an IEP. Any feedback specific to that type of need is greatly appreciated! FBISD has really ticked me off in that regard. I had to consult with a lawyer and get the district involved to set up a decent IEP. I know it's a widespread problem and this IS Texas, but curious if LCISD might be any better.


I'm not gonna pretend to be an expert between schools and hate to be the be bearer of bad news. My son is on the spectrum and, as we've met folks, we've met a ton of people who have left Lamar because of bad experiences and not that many who have left Fort Bend, Katy or Spring Branch because of their kids' not being met.

Haven't experienced it first hand though... just saying... do your research... I've heard a lot more bad stories than good out of Lamar in that space.

Looks like somebody has had a better experience in Lamar which is good. Part of me thinks it is a TX thing. My son was in Spring Branch the last 2 years. Generally the teachers were good but understaffed and, while we didn't ever have to hire an advocate, that was probably because my wife just did a ton of research, record keeping and preparation for all of those meetings. Texas makes the IEP process and communication so overly difficult and it is really sad when you think about it.
Unfortunately, I believe that the success of the special education at each school depends on the principal. Unless you get into a special program (there are only 2-3 of these programs depending on the services that are required and they are spread across the district and moved across the district. We were told that the Greatwood schools are good ones for special needs and were recommended Williams Elementary, but the principal moved to another school south of there.

I think you will likely see a difference in special education throughout the district and it likely follows socio-economic demographic status of the schools more often than not.
Photog
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Bummer. :-/ Thank you for letting me know. I'm sorry for the difficulties you've experienced. It *is* really sad. I will do some more research.


Photog
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I am NOT a fan of the principal at our elementary school. She is simply a b****. At the first IEP of the last series, she constantly interjected in the meeting, questioning everything I asked for. she even interjected in the very few times when the other staff started to barely move the direction I wanted. At the 2nd meeting, she was very quiet. Someone from the special education team at the district level was there, because I had complained. That shut her down pretty well. The compliance officer is a b****, too.
Photog
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Thanks for offering the info. I will get my husband to PM you for it later today (I cannot do PMs).
Tabasco
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Photog said:

Bummer. :-/ Thank you for letting me know. I'm sorry for the difficulties you've experienced. It *is* really sad. I will do some more research.



To be clear, he did not experience any problems, he said he heard them from others. It would not shock me if people had bad experiences in a significant number of schools in LCISD, particularly in the low SES areas. I would be shocked to hear something like that in the GW schools, and would be inclined to not believe them to be honest.
ATM9000
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Tabasco said:

Photog said:

Bummer. :-/ Thank you for letting me know. I'm sorry for the difficulties you've experienced. It *is* really sad. I will do some more research.



To be clear, he did not experience any problems, he said he heard them from others. It would not shock me if people had bad experiences in a significant number of schools in LCISD, particularly in the low SES areas. I would be shocked to hear something like that in the GW schools, and would be inclined to not believe them to be honest.


Yes... I've only heard gripes second hand and couldn't name exact schools. I'm just saying make sure you do a lot of due diligence is all.

If you want a better set up for special needs, the unfortunate answer is you probably aren't finding it with consistency or probability without leaving Texas or going private. We are about to leave the state again due to a job opportunity. If/when we return, we are on the fence on going back to public schools for my son. It isn't really the personnel that is the problem, it's the regulation and lack of transparency that's made advocacy way harder than it needs to or should be. We also came from another state to Texas and had none of the same struggles there.
clw04
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I agree.

Unfortunately most states aren't much better in public schools. There seem to be a few that are really good and then a bunch of them that are meh.

Arizona has an interesting experiment going on with their proliferation of charter schools. There are now charter schools set up specifically for special needs students.

My son went to Westview School for the last 2.5 years since we moved to Texas and will be going to Logos Prep (another private school - but not for autism) this upcoming year. I was ok with my son going to the LCISD elementary school we are zoned for, but didn't want him going a middle or high school as big as the LCISD schools.

When we were looking through the decision of where to have our son go this year after being at a school specifically for autism, we asked around at the school (Westview), through some contacts at a support group (Hope for Three), and at a special needs mom's/parents group at our church.

Its a very hard decision when trying to make the best decision for your child and I'm not sure that there is ever a solution that is fool proof with autism.
Photog
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Westview would be awesome. We can't manage it due to distance and both parents working full-time. It certainly comes highly recommended, though.

I know someone who lives in Greatwood and is sending all 3 of their children to Logos this school year. I have wondered if this might be an option for my son when he is a little older. We have behavioral issues with him not wanting to do his work. We are not at all religious, though.

I sent you a PM regarding the advocate's info. Thanks!
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