I don't know the area. Looking for advice on good communities, Southern Baptist churches and schools. Got an 8 year old and the other 2 stay at home with mom.

Belton

In regards to distances to Fort Hood; Copperas Cove is to the west, just outside the gate. Good community. Harker Heights is to the east about 12 minutes out. Look around, you'll find some nice homes to rent/buy. Nolanville and Belton are further out east. It is about a 20 plus minute drive, but nice communities.

For schools, academy or salado as long as you're ok with small schools. Troy and Rogers are good, but might be too far a commute for you. Lampasas might be ok. Don't know much about it. For baptist churches, pick one. There's one on every corner.

"Southern Baptist churches" - Hail Mary full of grace, protestants are second place....

Use the move to become a part of the original Christian church.....go Catholic!

crusader41: Well I grew up Catholic and even spent 2 years in the seminary. Still have nothing but love for the Catholic church. Just more at home with being Southern Baptist.

This laughter is not aimed at your church choice.

I don't care for Salado, but I think their school
is OK. It's affluent and they're pretty snotty and superior when it comes to their school stuff.

If you choose big school, belton or temple I guess. if your kids are very high achievers, Temple is where you probably want to be. Their GT and IB programs are top notch, as is their fine arts department. If your kids are in the other 80%, Belton is supposedly the way to go. At least that's what the locals say.

There are two teachers here - janag and 3rd generation. They'll know more than anybody else around here. I will say that belton high will soon be pushing 3000 students, if that concerns you.

Not a fan of cove. Could be a nice place - hills, creeks, etc. But it's a military town - So you get tatoo parlors and pawn shops. There is a damn good Thai restaurant in cove. Don't know the name.

Same with Killeen. Military town all the way. But damn good restaurants and decent retail.

Not sure about the cove and Killeen schools. My gut says no.





[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 1/15/2011 8:09p).]

I would live in either Lampasas, Belton, or Salado if it were me, all around 20-30 min drives give or take. Honestly, you don't hear many good things about Killeen, HH, CC on the news. Lampasas is is a large 3A so not too big, but not too small either. I agree somewhat with CP that Salado can be kind of snooty, but the school is good. Belton has good schools, but then you get to the high school and it's huge.

First Baptist Belton is a great place with great people. We decided not to attend there but i'd recommend it to anybody.

We attend Temple Bible Church (as well as a few other people here if I remember correctly.) I think that you could attend there as well and feel at home. As a "former" southern baptist, I love it.


As for schools, I think we have plenty of great schools in the area. Belton is the biggest school, but has a more "rural" feel to it. Temple has some great IB and AP programs. If i were going for a smaller school I'd take Academy or Salado.

quote:

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Belton is supposedly the way to go. At least that's what the locals say.

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It's because of their dominant technology.

I lived in Harker Heights when I was stationed at Hood 98-02.

I retired and live just NW of Lampasas.

If you are a Texan, and want to feel like you live in Texas, and don't mind a 35-40 minute commute, then I wholeheartedly recommend Lampasas.

Especially if you have high school age kids. My kids went to grade school in Killeen and I have very little issue with the elementary schools there.

I would not put a dog in a KISD high school and Cove, from what I hear, is not much better.

My wife formerly taught at Killeen Shoemaker and has been at Lampasas High School now for 5 yrs. She loves it. Good principal, good superintendent, it is a TEA Recognized campus. She laughs her rear end off when she hears teacher gripe about disciplinary problems. Compared to the gang issues in KISD, her biggest disciplinary problems consist of kids sending text messages and the occasional FFA boy trying to dip Copenhagen in class.

I'm not sure if you have ever seen any of the "Tuna" plays.....Greater Tuna, a Tuna Christmas, or Red, White, and Tuna. Well, living in Lampasas is a lot like living in Tuna.

Storm's greasy hamburgers, a WalMart SuperCenter where you can get in and out for a loaf of bread faster than you could at a 7-11, a stock show, and a semi rural lifestyle.

Lampasas seems to have more diehard Aggies and fewer t-shirt sips than other places.

Another option which ought to be very attractive to the Fort Hood person is Kempner. Kempner used to be a wide spot in the road between Copperas Cove and Lampasas. There has been some nice residential construction in what I would call semi-rural neighborhoods (homes in the 100-200K range on 1 to 2 acre lots) and it is in Lampasas County. Kids go to Lampasas ISD schools. It would reduce drive time to Hood down to maybe 25 minutes or so.

I guess it all depends on what your psyche is like as a soldier. Some officers......they are all Army. I was something of an anomaly - the Army was what I did, not who I was. Thus when I retired, my transition time to civilian was about 3 seconds. That might also explain why I have been back on post maybe 3 or 4 times in the last 4 yrs. If, in the evenings after you get off work.....you want to forget the Army and concentrate on being husband, dad, and person, then Lampasas is a great place to do it. If being surrounded by folks exactly like you who look like you, think like you, and behave like you, then Harker Heights, Nolanville, or Belton are probably a better solution.

There are plenty of soldiers in the Lampasas area, and the town is plenty conservative and plenty patriotic. It is just that the town was there long before Fort Hood was established, and nobody dwells on the fact that you are a Captain or Major or LTC.

If you decide Lampasas is worth looking at I can hook you up with a couple of Aggies who do real estate who I think can be trusted (as much as any real estate guy can be) to make sure you don't get bent over and violated.

To sum it all up.....Lampasas acts and feels like a small Texas town where half the kids in school run around in letter jackets or FFA jackets, even in a down year the entire town fills Badger Stadium to watch the local boys fight for the town's honor, and there are a few families who have been around for 100+ yrs who are referred to (behind their backs) as Lampasas Royalty. Fortunately, most of them are good folks.

If you choose to look at this part of the are, holler at me on my cell at 915-309-7539.

Best Regards

Gary Franklin '78
dba TxAgKuwait

So, where are you going to end up? I'm looking now. Can't decide where...TXAgKuwait makes a good argument for Lampasas.

Lampasas is great, but I thought you wanted to be closer to Austin. Lampasas would certainly NOT meet that criteria. So, I didn't mention it.

Also, are you single or married? Lampasas, Temple, Belton, and Killeen aren't a single guy's paradise. If married, Temple, Belton, or Lampasas would be fine.

TxAgKW makes great points about Lampasas. My story is dated but I'll add this to the Lampasas column.

Summer between my fish & 'Head year at A&M, me and some MHS buddies drove from Wacko down to Lake Buchanan for a 4th of July weekend party at a HS buddies t.u. roomate's parents place. (you still trackin'?) Anyway, just south of Lampasas, the right rear wheel of my awesome '75 K5 Blazer came off.

This was about 8 pm on the Friday night of the 4th weekend. By the time we got a wrecker out there and got towed back to town it was probably 10 pm I'd say. Keep in mind there weren't any cell phones in 1989 so we were hitchin' rides and using CB radios, etc.

Anyway, the wrecker driver knew the sister of the guy who owned the autoparts store in Lampasas. He made some calls, and the owner fo the Part Plus in Lampasas came down and opened up the store so we could buy the $40 or so of parts that we needed to get back on the road (keep in mind this was 1989 dollars).

That was amazing. Certainly woulnd't happen in a big town. Because of that experience, whenever I would drive from Austin to Brownwood for Guard Drill, I would always make it a point to stop in Lampasas and drop a couple bucks in that town. Damn fine people.

BTW - I'm planning on retiring around Lake Belton so DON'T move there. I want to keep the prices low until I can buy a place there.

I've been in Heights since last summer. I've been pretty happy here. Tons of Army folks, but not the trouble making types. I feel like my neighborhood is as safe as any I've ever lived in, and that includes on post. I made a longer post on the Military board. Check it out.

I've not been to Lampasas, but I might move there soon based on the replies here.

Good luck.

two weekends ago the cheapest gas between Waco and Fredericksburg was in Lampasas!