My wife & I currently live in Belton & our oldest is getting ready to start school. We are on the fence on where we would like our children (we have 2 & do not plan on any more). to attend. Our three choices are: 1) Sparta Elementary in Belton, 2) CTCS or 3) move to a smaller district (Salado has been discussed).

Both my wife & I went to a small school which we would prefer but that would require moving or spending a small fortune on private (CTCS). We like Belton & think the district has the most to offer but it seems so large compared to what we are used to.

If you guys have kids what choice did you make for them? Have you been happy with your choice? Any regrets? Pros/cons...I would really appreciate any input.

I've already given you my opinion but I'll share again. All three of my kids have gone thru Belton. But there's a big age gap between my boys and my daughter, as you know. If I could go back to the past, we would have bought land and built in Salado.
Sparta is a great school and still has a small town feel to it but the district is about to go thru massive changes with the split of the south schools and north schools. BISD has put more money into north schools vs south and I'm not talking about bonds and voter wishes. That will continue because the pressure from developers will continue because they want their side of town to be more appealing to buyers and a shiny new school is what parents need for their egos.
I also believe Dr Mueller or whatever his name is will take over as superintendent once kincannon retires. He was a super for KISD for 1 year then worked for TAMU in the education dept. I'm sorry, but I don't pay thousands of dollars per year in school taxes to hire KISD cast offs.
I don't like that BISD forces all middle school transfers, mostly from TISD and KISD, to go to South Belton middle school. That's why Dunns Canyon parents were so supportive of this bond, it will convert the 9 back to a middle school and their kids won't have to go to school with those kids.
BISD is becoming what they project their not, TISD and KISD.

After spewing my verbal vomit about BISD I will share what I know about SISD. They need to build another school ASAP. I think they've closed the doors to transfers and they have an intermediate school which screams over crowded. I have a classmate that sent her kids to ctcs for elementary then they moved to Salado. The son went to a small private college for one semester. Now is going to blinn with the hopes of tamu in the fall. The daughter is a senior and has participated in all sports while being a cheerleader all four years and will go to a small private school in Lubbock on a soccer scholarship, that's due to club play, not hs.
My friend's husband went to TISD and that was a not an option for their kids. They are proud eagle parents and have enjoyed being part of a small district.
The drive isn't bad and you could always transfer to the south office.
Edit to add, two more of my classmates had their boys go to the catholic school for elementary and middle and recently sold their west temple home and bought in Salado. They love it but he drives way south for work and she's works in west temple.
Check out Salado off of royal street on a Friday night.
Restaurants, wine bar and the barrow brewing company are all right there and packed.

Thanks for the response. We are leaning toward building in Salado but that will likely be a few years off. Financially & convenience wise it would best to stick with our current home but we want to do what will be best for our kids and for ourselves long term.

What are your thoughts on the custom builders in the area? Any to avoid? Any that you would recommend?

Salado no longer accepts transfer students; you have to live within the school district, now. Lots of homes being built on both sides of the interstate.

Taxes are low. Crime is almost non-existent. Schools are great academically. Still has the small town feel.

But the hipsters are invading and Barrow is getting crowded. You're not a hipster, are you? Do you have a beard and gel in your hair? If so, Salado is awful. Stay away.

Custom builders I'd recommend, Jim Volney, Derrick Hunt, Steve wright, Brandon Whatley . Track custom builder, Stillwater, Carothers do fine. I do not recommend eagle ridge builders.
Do hipsters really live in Salado or just hang out at the brewery? It's so expensive to live there.

Hipsters are here. I don't know where they park their vans.

It's not expensive to live in Salado.

Sure, compared to Bartlett, Holland, Rogers, Florence, Academy, etc., real estate might be more expensive. But who wants to live there?

Patrick Johnson is also an Aggie Home builder and a good dude. Not detracting from the others.

My wife really loves Brandon Whatley's Homes. He keeps building in Troy though so we've never gotten serious about anything.

I like Brandon Whatley and Tim Kasberg a lot. Lee Armstrong does custom homebuilding occasionally as his commercial construction business allows.

What are your reasons behind wanting a smaller school? Athletics? Access? That will help us narrow down. You have three great choices for schools.

I'm sure that y'all get tired of me talking up our school, Providence Preparatory School (meets at FBC Belton), but it sounds like it could be a great option to consider. A small school (300 kids K-12), Christian classical pedagogy, and, most importantly, small class sizes (a much bigger factor to consider IMO). It is a collaborative model, meaning that most parents homeschool MWF and they go to school TTh. The school combines the best elements of traditional schooling with the best of homeschooling. The school does offer professional "homeschooling" at school on Mondays and Wednesdays on a limited basis, but you would need to find a private option for Fridays (sometimes other parents will homeschool kids in their child's grade as a way to supplement their income). Would be happy to talk with you if that interests you at all. It has been a wonderful experience for our family.

There's a reason classical education is on a huge upswing! Learning how to learn is so much more important than learning how to take STAAR tests. http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/21/classical-schools-put-plato-over-ipad/

edit: the last sentence may have come across snarky, it was not at all a slam on our friends in public schools, but on the government testing culture. your kids will do great at any school because they have active and involved parents.

I've heard great things about providence. I came back to add Tim. He's a good one too.
Cjags, Brandon builds in Morgan's point as well. He has a small development on sobrante. It's off of MP road on the right. He's also building in the new development off of hartricks bluff.

c-jags said:

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Patrick Johnson is also an Aggie Home builder and a good dude. Not detracting from the others.

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Oh dang I didn't realize Patrick didn't work for Bobby Arnold anymore. Collins Gregory is building on his own now as well. He's an Aggie. I think him and Patrick went to temple together. Nice guys. Young. Probably OP's age. Both worked for Steve wright out of college. Patrick first then Collins. Then they've worked for Drew's, Arnold and Stillwater, combined not both for all 3.

Homes and land in Salado cost more than comparable property in the area. And I'm guessing that folks do want to live in Holland, Academy, Florence and Bartlett. I have former hs class mates that live in the first 3 and have happily raised their kids in those ISD's.
Affordable living for a single person not making much is hard to find in Salado. I'm guessing their vans are hidden from site.

Keep the information coming. Thanks for all the replies.

I am definitely not a hipster. More of a red neck than anything.

Our main reason for considering a move is Belton ISD is getting so large that we don't want our kids "lost in the shuffle". We want them to get a good education first & foremost but also have the opportunity to compete in any extracurricular activities that they want to.

ag0207 said:

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Keep the information coming. Thanks for all the replies.

I am definitely not a hipster. More of a red neck than anything.

Our main reason for considering a move is Belton ISD is getting so large that we don't want our kids "lost in the shuffle". We want them to get a good education first & foremost but also have the opportunity to compete in any extracurricular activities that they want to.

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Why does it matter that the ISD is Big? They're building a 2d high school, and a 3rd is in the works as well... campuses won't be unreasonably big

It's not great, but Belton is the best district in the area... Salado is OK

I wouldn't even consider any of the others

Good grief you really believe that crap about a 3rd high school?

Please read the article. It discusses the city of Belton's lack of vision for sewage. Meanwhile the city of temple has a huge trunk line project from bucees to Berger rd and beyond. Which TISD is that area? Troy or temple? No matter, one will benefit financially in the future. You can't build where you can't flush.

http://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_ce9fbe70-fe43-11e7-bde5-eb2c4cc41dab.html

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Belton ISD's plan for the Loop 121 site, which was annexed in December, is unclear.

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I'm not saying Belton is a bad district but my wife and I have a personal preference for a smaller school. Academically I feel my children will be fine as I will see to that. I would like them to participate in as many extracurricular activities as they like which I feel is easier at a smaller school.

It matters that they're too big because they don't have the staff to handle it especially at the high school level and I don't mean student to teacher ratio. Susan promised more staff at the high school for this year at a board meeting this summer. I found out she actually let go of a lot of important positions. So that work load is piled on to folks that have their own stuff to do and now are doing something else they've never done before. That's so the district could afford 2 high school principals this year at BHS.
When these new schools open, as a poster said in another thread, we can't afford to operate and maintain them but we will open them at the expense of other schools and programs.

mazzag said:

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Good grief you really believe that crap about a 3rd high school?

Please read the article. It discusses the city of Belton's lack of vision for sewage. Meanwhile the city of temple has a huge trunk line project from bucees to Berger rd and beyond. Which TISD is that area? Troy or temple? No matter, one will benefit financially in the future. You can't build where you can't flush.

http://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_ce9fbe70-fe43-11e7-bde5-eb2c4cc41dab.html

Quote:

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Belton ISD's plan for the Loop 121 site, which was annexed in December, is unclear.

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Of course there will be a third high school. Probably around 2030 when the 2 existing schools are at 5000 combined

It will be at 121 and Shanklin

You have stars, so I tried to PM you. Won't work, though.

Unfortunately I gave up my subscription. Surprised they haven't taken my stars yet.

I'm glad you're confident in bisd's ability to pass another bond of that size in 10 years, much less have the room to raise the I&S rate, which is almost maxed. The whispers are about building another middle school on 317 before the river and of course another elementary somewhere in the south where sewage hook ups don't cost an arm and a leg.

ag0207 said:

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I would like them to participate in as many extracurricular activities as they like which I feel is easier at a smaller school.

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well i don't really know how i could predict how my kids will compare athletically, academically, theatrically with their peers ten years in advance. you'd just to have to go smaller and guess how small. even at my 1a high school not every boy made the basketball team.

At a smaller school the opportunity is there. I know I can't predict what my children will be interested in but they have more of an opportunity to do multiple things IF they want to at a smaller school.

I went to a 2a high school growing up (now a 3a based upon the new classifications) & started on varsity as a freshman in the big three sports. I am/was pretty athletic but I know at a larger school like Belton I would not have had the same opportunities (I probably wouldn't have even made any of the varsity teams).

Going to a small school for me was like having a larger family. You knew everyone & everyone knew you. I loved A&M & want my children to go there one day but you kind of get lost in a sea of other students. I would like my children to experience both like I did.

Wow! Salado needs another school but the cost on the backs of property tax payers is high. Higher than the one BISD just passed for a $150million bond at an extra .22 per $100.
Salado needs $50million and that will raise property taxes .32 per $100.
And the average home in Salado is valued at just over $200k. BISD homes value at just over $136k.
Folks, Texas Has more than a school funding/property tax problem. Temple ISD passed a $200million+ bond over a year ago with taxpayers seeing a minuscule increase in what they were paying, vs value.
The value is in the eye of the parents but damn. Would I rather live where my home value is more or where my property taxes can build more schools...
This will almost max out SISD's tax rate, much like BISD's already is. What happens when we need more in the future?

http://sisdbond.org/tax-information.html

Edit to add, TISD is far from maxing their I&S rate.