Small Town School System Has Big City Appeal

For all of Glen Rose's rustic appeal and small town charm, one significant factor that is luring families from the cities to a this friendly community is the school system.

It is no secret that Glen Rose's proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, multitude of events and attractions and its peaceful rural setting are key driving factors as to why many urban families are making the move to this community 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. However, one selling point often overlooked is the quality of the school system and the desire for parents or guardians to see their children in a safe, peaceful and nurturing environment.

The Glen Rose Independent School District includes one high school, one junior high school, one intermediate school and one elementary school. Glen Rose schools have a low 14:1 student to teacher ratio and the district is one of the most property wealthy districts in the state. Property values are more than 5 times greater than the state average. Residence also enjoy taxes which are among the lowest in the state thanks to Texas Utilities, which operates Comanche Peak Steam Station and supplies more than 90% GRISD taxes.

"I feel Glen Rose schools are exceptional. The new science labs are state of the art and the computer lab and libraries are equally impressive. Our buildings are so well maintained that they look much newer than they are. But more importantly than the facilities, is the staff. We have some very talented teachers and staff that really care about our students. I think the combination of the exceptional facilities, programs and the staff makes the difference.

In our high school 85% of our students are involved in extracurricular activities. There is pretty well something for everyone that wants to be involved," states Marilyn Phillips of Sunrise Properties.

Glen Rose Junior High and Glen Rose High School were each given a "Recognized" campus rating based on their students high test scores and minimal drop out rate and have set goals to achieve "Exemplary" status which is the highest campus rating given.

The Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) has also identified "best practices" with in the Glen Rose school system, which it encourages other school districts to review and attempt to implement where necessary. One such "best practice" is the active volunteer program at Glen Rose schools that is headed by the Parent Teacher Association. The PTA screens volunteers based on needs and assigns them to teachers based on that teacher's specific request. In 2002-2003 volunteers provided more than 1 million hours of service to the different schools.

Another program identified by TSPR is the Glen Rose ISD Virtual Desktop concept. The Virtual Desktop concept allows students and staff to securely log in at a computer anywhere in the district and have access to their assigned applications. The network was recently extended to the public library so that students can access their files during the summer as well.

Although Glen Rose ISD has a lot going for it, it is not content with the recognition it has achieved and the progress the schools have made. The schools have set aggressive goals aimed at continuously improving the educational opportunities for its students and providing peace of mind to the parents who have chosen Glen Rose as a home and left the worries of the big city school system behind, adding yet another reason why Glen Rose, TX is an American Dream Town USA award winner.

For more information about the Glen Rose school system, visit Glen Rose, Texas schools.