High Schools

  • AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL
    1700 Dumble

    Stephen F. Austin was a frontiersman, statesman, and politician. Known as the “Father of Texas,” he was a key figure in the early settlement of the state. Both the state capital and Austin High School are named for him. Austin High School was built in 1936.

    BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL
    5100 Maple, Bellaire

    This school is named for the community in which it was built. Bellaire was at that time a well-established suburb of Houston. When Bellaire High School opened in 1955, the citizens of the community were delighted to have a high school in the heart of their city.

    CARNEGIE VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL
    1501 Taft

    Originally part of Jones High School, the Vanguard program moved into facilities of its own in the autumn of 2002. It is named for Andrew Carnegie, the famous Scottish immigrant who rose to become a steel tycoon and philanthropist.

    CHALLENGE EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
    5601 West Loop South

    Opened in 2003, this school serves students who wish to obtain high-school diplomas while simultaneously earning college credits. Located on the campus of Houston Community College–Southwest at 5601 West Loop South in Bellaire, CECHS serves a student body of roughly 400 students. Its name indicates what awaits students bold enough to pursue an education within its walls: a challenge.

    CHÁVEZ HIGH SCHOOL
    8510 Howard

    César Estrada Chávez (1927–1993) was the founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America, a union for migrant farm workers. The school named after him opened in August 2000.

    COTTAGE GROVE HIGH SCHOOL—RENAMED 1927. See Stevenson ES

    DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL: RENAMED 2016. See Northside HS.
     
    DEBAKEY HIGH SCHOOL FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS
    3100 Shenandoah

    Named for the legendary heart surgeon Michael Ellis DeBakey, this school was the nation’s first high school for students interested in medical and allied health careers. It was founded in 1972 and is operated jointly by Baylor College of Medicine and HISD.

    EAST EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
    220 N. Milby

    Opened in August 2006 on Houston Community College’s Southeast Campus, this high school is one of several in HISD that offer students the opportunity to earn both high-school and college credit simultaneously. A brand new stand-alone facility was built and opened in the fall of 2009.

    EASTWOOD ACADEMY
    1315 Dumble

    The Eastwood Academy opened on the campus of Andrew Jackson Middle School in 1997 as the Academy for Academic Excellence. In 1998, it moved to its current location and changed its name in honor of the surrounding community. The school serves grades 9–12.

    EMPOWERMENT COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL—CLOSED MAY 2013-See South Early College HS
    7414 St. Lo

    Opened in August 2005 at 5655 Selinsky Road, this high school is one of several in HISD that offer students the opportunity to earn both high-school and college credits simultaneously. Formerly known as Empowerment College Preparatory High School, in 2010, this campus merged with South Early College High School and moved to a new location at 7414 St. Lo.

    ENERGY INSTITUTE
    1808 Sampson

    When the Energy Institute opened in the fall of 2013, it was the first high school of its kind in the nation. Students focus on one of three pathways: geosciences, alternative energy, and offshore technology. It was developed through a revolutionary partnership among local industry leaders and HISD staff designed to ensure that students receive the skills necessary to compete in today’s 21st-century workforce.

    FURR HIGH SCHOOL
    520 Mercury

    Ebbert L. Furr was a long time rancher who once owned the land where Furr High School is located. The area was originally identified as Oates Prairie. Furr’s land holdings also included the property now known as the Songwood Homes subdivision, which is adjacent to Furr High. Furr High School was built in 1961.

    HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL
    413 East 13th Street

    Formerly named for John H. Reagan, the school was renamed on May 16, 2016. The Houston Heights neighborhood in which the campus is located was established in 1896 by Oscar Martin Carter. Carter set out to create a planned community where successful entrepreneurs and working people alike could live and work in health and safety as neighbors. In 2013, the Heights was fourth on CNN Money’s list of Top 10 Big City Neighborhoods.

    HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
    4701 Dickson

    This program began in 1978 on three different campuses as a cooperative effort between HISD, the Mayor’s Office, and the Houston Police Department. In 1980, the program was consolidated as a vocational Magnet high school and relocated to the present campus.

    HIGH SCHOOL FOR PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS
    4001 Stanford

    The creation of HSPVA in 1971 was the first attempt by any public high school in the nation to correlate an academic program with concentrated training in the arts. It was one of only three public schools in the country to offer programs in both the visual and performing arts.

    HOUSTON ACADEMY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
    1810 Stuart

    This school was named for its focus. Opened in August 2006, HAIS was created through a joint effort between HISD, the Houston A+ Challenge, the Asia Society, and Houston Community College (HCC). Originally located at the HCC campus at 1300 Holman, the school was designed to serve students who wish to acquire a comprehensive understanding of and appreciation for different cultures around the world. It moved to the former J. Will Jones Elementary School campus in 2009.

    HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL—CLOSED MAY 2008. See Ninth-Grade College Preparatory Academy & Sam Houston MSTC
    9400 Irvington

    One of the oldest public high schools in Texas, Sam Houston High School was originally called the Houston Academy when it opened in 1878. It underwent five subsequent name changes, the last being in 1955, when it was renamed for one of the most colorful figures in Texas history, General Sam Houston, and moved to its current location on Irvington. Houston served both as president of the Republic of Texas and as governor. The school was closed at the end of the 2007–2008 school year and replaced by two new schools: the Ninth-Grade College Preparatory Academy (which serves only freshmen) and the Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center (which serves grades 10 through 12).

    INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL AT SHARPSTOWN—See Sharpstown International under Middle-High School Combinations

    JONES HIGH SCHOOL, NOW JONES FUTURES ACADEMY
    7414 St. Lo

    In August 2014, Jones High School transitioned into Jones Futures Academy, a specialized high school that enables students to fulfill high school graduation requirements while simultaneously earning industry certifications, college credits, or an associate of applied science degree. The school is named for Jesse Holman Jones, who was born in Tennessee in 1874. He moved to Houston in 1898 to enter the lumber business. Before long, Jones became a civic leader and a founder of the Depression era Reconstruction Finance Corporation. One year after his death in 1956, Jones High School was built in his honor.

    JORDAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR CAREERS
    5800 Eastex Freeway

    Barbara Jordan (1936–1996) was well known in Texas as an attorney, a state senator, United States Representative, and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Her remarkable public-speaking abilities inspired untold numbers of young people to enter public life. The school named in her honor opened in January of 1980.

    KASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL
    6900 Wileyvale

    Kashmere High School was named for its surrounding community, Kashmere Gardens. The original Kashmere Gardens Junior–Senior High School opened in 1957. That site became Key Middle School in 1968, when the new Kashmere High School opened.

    LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL
    3325 Westheimer

    This school is named after Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Texas’ “Father of Education.” He was also the second president of the Republic of Texas. When Lamar High School opened in 1937, Westheimer was not yet a paved road.

    LEE HIGH SCHOOL: RENAMED 2016. See Wisdom HS. 

    MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
    13719 Whiteheather

    This school was named for James Madison, the fourth President of the United States and the father of the U.S. Constitution. One principal of Madison, Carrie McAfee, was the first black woman named principal of a high school in HISD. Madison High School opened in 1965.

    MIDDLE COLLEGE FOR TECHNOLOGY CAREERS AT TSU—CLOSED SUMMER 2006
    5655 Selinsky

    The Middle College for Technology Careers High School (MCTC) was opened in 1994 on the campus of Houston Community College. In 1998, HISD entered into an agreement with Texas Southern University to house MCTC in TSU’s School of Technology Building. It was subsequently housed in the George Allen Building on that campus and also on the second floor of HISD’s Albert Thomas Middle School (5655 Selinsky). MCTC closed in 2006.

    MILBY HIGH SCHOOL
    1601 Broadway

    Charles Henry Milby was the descendant of a well known pioneering family in Harrisburg, a town that included the east end of Houston. Milby was active in the city’s civic, educational, and charitable affairs. He was also instrumental in building the Houston Ship Channel. Milby High School opened in 1926.

    NEWCOMER CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL—See Liberty High School

    NINTH-GRADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY
    1303 Tidwell

    This was one of two new campuses created after Sam Houston High School was closed and restructured in the spring of 2008 (the other is the Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center). Serving only freshman students, this school opened in the fall of 2008.
     
    NORTH FOREST HIGH SCHOOL
    10725 Mesa Dr.

    North Forest High School is one of seven campuses annexed by HISD in the summer of 2013, after North Forest ISD was dissolved by theTexas Education Agency. Originally known as M. B. Smiley High School when it opened in 1953, it was merged with Forest Brook High School in 2008 and renamed North Forest High School.

    NORTH HOUSTON EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
    99 Lyerly

    This school opened in the fall of 2008 to give low-income youth, first-generation college students, English language learners, students of color, and other young people traditionally underrepresented in higher education the opportunity to earn a high-school diploma and an associate’s degree or up to two years of credit toward a bachelor’s degree simultaneously. As the name indicates, it is located on the city's north side.

    NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
    1101 Quitman

    Formerly known as Jefferson Davis, the school was renamed on May 16, 2014. The Northside neighborhood in which the campus is located is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Houston and is known for its rich cultural history. Development of the neighborhood began in the 1880s, when Augustus Chapman Allen, one of the original setters of the Houston area, began building on the first plat in the neighborhood. The neighborhood was near Hardy Railway, which was also developed during that period. In the late 1800s, the Northside was settled primarily by immigrant rail workers from Europe. Staring in the 1940s, a large Mexican and Mexican-American immigrant population settled in the area, and many families who settled in the Northside neighborhood during that time have a continued presence in the area. In 2011, the Northside neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

    REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL: RENAMED 2016. See Heights HS. 

    SAN JACINTO HIGH SCHOOL—CLOSED 1971
    1300 Holman

    Opened in 1925 on what is now the central campus of Houston Community College at 1300 Holman, this school was named for the battle that established Texas’ independence as a republic on April 21, 1836. It closed in 1971.

    SAM HOUSTON MATH, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CENTER
    9400 Irvington

    This was one of two new campuses created after Sam Houston High School was closed and restructured in the spring of 2008 (the other is the Ninth-Grade College Preparatory Academy). Serving students in grades 10 through 12, this school opened in the fall of 2008. Its name is a tribute to both General Sam Houston and the old facility, which was one of the oldest public high schools in Texas.

    SCARBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
    4141 Costa Rica

    George Cameron Scarborough was born in Frankston, Texas. After moving to Houston, he taught and served as assistant principal of Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson and Thomas Edison Junior High Schools and as principal of Sidney Lanier Middle School. He was named acting superintendent of HISD in 1957 and served as superintendent of Northeast ISD from 1958 to 1965. Scarborough High School was built in 1968. Another school was named for his brother.

    SHARPSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
    7504 Bissonnet

    Sharpstown High School originally opened in 1968 as Sharpstown Junior–Senior High School on the present site of Sharpstown Middle School. The high school split apart from the middle school and moved to its present location the following year. Sharpstown was named for Frank Sharp, a major developer in southwest Houston.
     
    SOUTH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
    7414 St. Lo

    Opened in August 2005 at 5655 Selinsky Road, this high school is one of several in HISD that offer students the opportunity to earn both high-school and college credits simultaneously. Formerly known as Empowerment College Preparatory High School, in 2010, this campus merged with South Early College High School and moved to a new location at 7414 St. Lo.

     STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
    11625 Martindale

    Ross Shaw Sterling was one of the men who shaped Houston’s destiny in the early part of this century. He served as president of the Humble Oil Company, developed real estate, and became chairman of the Houston National Bank and the Houston–Harris County Channel Navigation Board. Sterling High School was built in 1965.

    WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL
    1900 West 34th

    Stephen Pool Waltrip was born in Missouri in 1878 and began teaching school in Texas at the age of 16. In 1910, he moved to Houston, where he served as superintendent of schools in Harrisburg, Gruenen (West End), and the Houston Heights, all of which were later annexed by the City of Houston. He was named principal of John Reagan High School in 1918. Waltrip High School was built in 1959.

    BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
    119 East 39th

    Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an educator, author, orator, and advisor to U.S. presidents. Born a slave in Virginia, he worked his way through what is now known as Hampton University and was the first leader of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He wrote five books, including “Up from Slavery.” The school named for him was originally known as Colored High School and located at 303 West Dallas when it opened in 1893. It was renamed Booker T. Washington Junior–Senior High School in 1927 and moved to its present location at 119 East 39th St. in 1959. It became a high school in 1978.

    WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL
    11911 Chimney Rock

    Westbury High School takes its name from the community that surrounds it. The community was named by its developer, who moved to Houston from Westbury, New York. It opened in 1961.

    WESTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL
    14201 Briar Forest

    Like several other schools in HISD, Westside High School is named for the part of town in which it resides. It opened in August 2000.

    WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL
    4801 Providence

    This school was named for Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784), who was born in West Africa and sold into slavery as a young girl. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her how to read and write. In 1773, Wheatley published “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” which made her famous in both the American colonies and England. Wheatley High School was originally located at 3415 Lyons, in what was formerly McGowan Elementary School. In 1927, that school was renamed after Wheatley, and two years later, the school moved to a new facility at 1700 Gregg. New Wheatley campuses were built in 1949 at 4900 Market Street and in 2006 at 4801 Providence, its current location.

    WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL
    6529 Beverly Hill

    Formerly named for Robert E. Lee, the school was renamed on May 16, 2016. Margaret Long Wisdom was a lifelong Houston resident and a life-changing educator. She taught history, government, and journalism for 38 years at HISD's Lanier Middle School, Milby High School, Lamar High School, and Lee High School. She received many honors, including Teacher of the Year and the National Right to Work Committee Award; she was appointed to the Texas Close Up Board by Gov. Bill Clements; and she was recognized by Houston Magazine as one of Houston’s most interesting people in 1984. Wisdom ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 1964, and she helped organize the Congress of Houston Teachers, serving as president of that organization.

    WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL
    9215 Scott

    Evan Edward Worthing was a Houston real-estate developer who set up a scholarship trust for African-American HISD students. A native of Michigan, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from Texas A&M University, where he was captain of the football team. Worthing High School was built in 1958.

    JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL
    3703 Sampson

    Yates was named in honor of the Reverend John Henry “Jack” Yates (1828-1897), pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, the first African-American Baptist church in Houston. He was born a slave in Virginia, and his family moved to Houston in 1865, where he became an influential leader in the community. Yates was considered a pioneer in education and the ministry. The school named after him was built in 1926 on Elgin Avenue and moved to its present location in 1958.