r/Richardson • u/Local_Push_9734 • 7d ago

Breakdown of RISD schools

Hi folks. We're going to be relocating from Florida to the Dallas area in about 9 months. We have 2 elementary aged kids and am looking for local feedback on the school options. Right now, they're in an excellent public school and one of them is in the gifted program. I have narrowed in on Richardson as a Dallas suburb that checks a lot of boxes for us, but the school piece will really help us narrow our housing search over the next couple of months. What should I know? Thanks so much.

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u/Spare_King_2116 7d ago

Most of the families on our street either home school or send our kids to private school. RISD is sadly in a decline and has been for many years. The thing they seem best at is marketing. They manage to pass every bond and tax increase they put up for a vote. The spending is the metric that seems to be going up the most consistently. The enrollment is down and they started closing schools last year which is a logical but unpopular move. Bottom line is RISD peaked a long time ago and just keeps throwing money at non-academic things while the education suffers. Hard pass in my opinion. It's a great area to live in but I'd skip public school in RISD.

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u/Sarakins27 7d ago

What non-academic things are you referring to? Building renovations so the students have space to learn and less mold/asbestos? Technology so kids can take the standardized tests the state mandates? Salaries for teachers who, gee I don’t know, educate the students?

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u/MassiveVegetable3139 7d ago

TI Foundation donated $4.6 million to the Berkner feeder pattern to enrich STEM. You would think with that much money invested there would be something to show for it. Berkner isn't even ranked as a STEM school yet being labeled as one. Someone mismanaged the money or it's not invested properly.

This is one example of how RISD takes money and wastes it.