Hello fellow Bears!

I've been living in California for the past 30 years and I'm looking to get back to Waco. My daughter (15) and I are looking for a great place to live, and I'm looking for a job that will support us.

I graduated Baylor in 1984 with a degree in Journalism and have since had a great career in public relations/advertising and sales/customer service. Unfortunately, California has very little to offer anymore. Between the cost of living and the job market, it's just crazy.

My eldest daughter and her Army Captain husband just moved to Georgetown (he's stationed at Ft. Hood), so the idea of getting back to the Heart of Texas feels amazing.

It's been a long time since I've been to Waco, but I loved it then and I'm sure I'll love it now. Would really like recommendations on realtors (looking to rent a condo or house) and any job opportunities in marketing communications/sales/customer service. I have a very impressive resume I would be happy to send to anyone who might know of opportunities.

I know Jpolitiski. Hard worker and smart! Hope some of you local Waco folks can help a fellow Baylor Bear out!

With a 15 year old, then you probably want to live in the Midway ISD, Hewitt, Woodway, Badger Ranch, and points further out (Twin Rivers, Hidden Valley, Stone Creek Ranch, etc). Second place would be China Spring ISD. Third place Robinson. Avoid Bosqueville ISD and especially Waco ISD. If you want to live downtown or near town you'll need to budget for private school.

CorsicanaBear said:

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Avoid...and especially Waco ISD.

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Why? There's a lot of bad things said about Waco and most of them are myths perpetuated by morons who don't actually know what they are talking about.

I live in Waco, have for several years and pay attention to what is going on. WISD has several elementary schools on the verge of losing accreditation. I also know that schooldigger.com posts rankings for schools across the US. Midway ranks 288 out of 1777 Texas High Schools. Waco High is 1430 out of 1777 and University High ranks 1252 out of 1777.

Numbers, Schumbers. Waco doesn't have nearly all the bad things happening that haters like to claim and Midway isn't the utopia that those same people would try to make you believe it is. Plenty of bad things going on at Midway, here's just a sample over the past 3-4 years:

* MISD employee charged with 2 felony counts of injury to a child for repeatedly thumping 2 autistic kids on the head and spraying them with water
* Midway student attacks & stabs another student with a knife in the cafeteria
* MISD teacher sexually abused a student several times over a 6 year period
* Midway teacher had sexual relationship with a student under 17 years old
* Midway student arrested at school charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault

If your are going to "especially avoid Waco ISD" for a poor ranking from a website most people don't even know exists, then i think it would be wise to at least be cautious about Midway ISD for the real world things that are happening, over & over, on their campuses.

USNews says 49% of Waco High students have unsatisfactory Math proficiency and 59% have unsatisfactory reading proficiency. These numbers are better than WISD as a whole but the MISD unsatisfactory number is 12% in both math and reading while its advanced proficiency number is 20% math and 18% reading, WHS is 1% and 2% respectively. 5 schools in WISD (3 elementary and 2 middle schools) started the 2017-18 year under warning of closure. TEA was also threatening to replace the board https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/five-waco-isd-schools-face-closure-after-failing-to-meet-state-testing-standards/483839797

If you're asking people to believe that the crime rate at MISD schools is higher than WISD schools that's laughable. WISD is an inner city system with 79% of its students classified as economically disadvantaged (per USNews) and all of the problems that arise therefrom. Just like DISD and others it is a serious problem that I believe cannot be solved under the way we currently do education in this country.

CorsicanaBear said:

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USNews says 49% of Waco High students have unsatisfactory Math proficiency and 59% have unsatisfactory reading proficiency.

If you're asking people to believe that the crime rate at MISD schools is higher than WISD schools that's laughable. WISD is an inner city system with 79% of its students classified as economically disadvantaged

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So Waco has some students that are not top notch, all schools have some. I'm not asking you to believe anything, the fact that you are totally dismissing all the crime at Midway is what is laughable. And your point about "inner city" and "economically disadvantaged" is what? Waco is made up of minorities that are poor? Really, you're going there?

CorsicanaBear said:

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With a 15 year old, then you probably want to live in the Midway ISD, Hewitt, Woodway, Badger Ranch, and points further out (Twin Rivers, Hidden Valley, Stone Creek Ranch, etc). Second place would be China Spring ISD. Third place Robinson. Avoid Bosqueville ISD and especially Waco ISD. If you want to live downtown or near town you'll need to budget for private school.

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Thank you for these suggestions. I will definitely put these on my list. I'm due to visit my daughter and son-in-law June 14-20, so I will focus on those areas.

BellCountyBear said:

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Belton has a great high school too and will put you closer to Georgetown.

And don't bring any crazy/liberal ways with you! ;-)

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Wow! That was harsh. But thank you for the advice. I don't think I'm too crazy or too liberal for Texas...but nice to have a head's up. FYI I lived in Texas for 8 years and graduated from Baylor and managed not to upset too many people.

Any job ideas for Jpolitiski?

https://jobs.baylor.edu/postings/3692

https://jobs.baylor.edu/postings/3593

Both of these look like they are a lower level than what you seek, though.

It is completely logically consistent to say each of these two things:

• The Midway ISD is far from perfect.
• Midway High School is a much better choice than Waco High School or University High School for college-bound students.

Over the past decade, I have seen high-performing students from both Midway and Waco High (along with most other highly regarded high schools in the state). The best Midway students are much better prepared for college than the best Waco High students. The AP classes at Midway are solid, and you will get a good education there. The lack of academic competition at Waco High seems to foster a complacency among their top students, and they generally do not have the same study skills as comparably-ranked Midway graduates.

Of course, Midway has some ground to cover to catch up to the better schools in the Houston and DFW areas in these regards.

Pablo is correct.

Pablo Fanque said:

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• The Midway ISD is far from perfect.

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I agree, Pablo is correct

jpolitiski - Welcome back to Texas! I will echo Pablo's statement.

My two cents ...

The best school/area for you depends on what you want. As a Midway grad (30 years and two weeks ago), I can say that is an outstanding school for the area in most regards.

Having said that, other schools in the area offer similar amenities without the 600 kids per grade of 6A Midway.

If your child is an elite academic performer that wants to take as many AP classes as possible, then Midway would be best. The neighborhoods/areas mentioned earlier are good places to live.

As mentioned, Midway does have some of the same issues (drugs, crime, etc.) that Waco ISD has with respect to population. Midway opened the doors to transfers several years ago and attracted a more diverse segment of Waco. This is good, to an extent. It brought in a rougher element. Midway has shut the doors on transfers; however, the school district has considerably more "affordable" housing that attracts some of that rougher element.

If you feel that your child would thrive in a smaller school where academics are good and athletics are possible for average student, then schools like Lorena, Robinson, and China Spring are good alternatives. Each of these area offer nice, safe places to raise kids.

If you describe what your want in a school, I'm sure that you will receive a dozen opinions on the best area for your family.

PS. The realtors will take you straight to the Midway (Woodway) area (without a thought or mention of the other areas) because the want to sell those higher-priced homes. I can't blame them.

Welcome Back!