Lamar High School (Houston)

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Lamar High School
Lamar High School
Lamar High School
Principal Administrator James McSwain
Grade levels 9 - 12
Founded 1936
School type Public school (U.S.)
Religious affiliation None
Location Houston, Texas, United States
Enrollment 3,549 students (2005-2006 school year)
Campus surroundings Urban
Mascot Redskins
School colors Red, Blue
Motto "Reach For The Stars"
Magnet Partial: Business management, IB Diploma Programme
School Hours 8:30 AM to 3:42 PM
Average Class Size 30
School Newspaper Lancer, Lamar Life
Yearbook Ordena

Mirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3325 Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas, United States, with a zip code of 77098. Lamar High School, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of the Houston Independent School District.

Lamar High School, which is located in the Upper Kirby district, is denoted as having a business magnet program offering a wide array of business management courses, as well as cooperation with the Houston business community to provide internships and university scholarships. It also has the International Baccalaureate program. Lamar High School consistently has the most students who graduate with the IB Diploma in Texas [1] [2]. Lamar primarily serves the Houston neighborhood of River Oaks and the incorporated city of West University Place (for an exhaustive list of neighborhoods, see "Neighborhoods served by Lamar".)

The school is named after Mirabeau B. Lamar. Lamar has one of two high school-level IB Diploma programs in the Houston Independent School District and is an IB World School.[3]Lamar High School has the largest International Baccalaureate Program in North America. Lamar offers many IB Diploma classes, including several foreign languages: Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish, and Russian. In 2006, 86 students were awarded the IB Diploma, and one third of the school population consisted of candidates for the IB Diploma. Lamar is recognized as the most successful IB school in Texas. Lamar also hosts summer school for HISD.

The school handles grades nine through twelve. Lamar High School has neighborhood, Advanced Placement, and IB Diploma Programme (International Baccalaureate) programs. Lamar is annually one of the top schools in Texas and the United States, with some of the highest numbers of National Merit Scholars and Semifinalists. Lamar was ranked as 675th [4] in Newsweek's 2005 list of the top high schools in the United States. It was ranked 973rd [5] during the following year. Many students in other parts of Houston ISD transfer to Lamar to escape home schools that do not have a good academic performance, causing the attendance figures of those schools to suffer. [6]

The school's mascot for its sports teams is the "Redskins" (see "Sports" section).

There is a joke in the River Oaks community that states that River Oaks Boulevard is the only street with a country club at both ends. One is the River Oaks Country Club, and the "other" is Lamar High School. [7] [8]

The school is seen in the movie Rushmore. In Rushmore the campus is used as the setting for the public school.

The school was also featured in the Chuck Norris film: Sidekicks.

Contents

[edit] History

The entrance to the Lamar High School auditorium is decorated with a map of the state of Texas.
The entrance to the Lamar High School auditorium is decorated with a map of the state of Texas.

Lamar High School was established in 1936. Earlier the Southampton Civic Club attempted to persuade Houston ISD to build Lamar at a lot along Kirby and West Alabama; the attempt failed and Lamar was built across from River Oaks. [9]

Construction began in 1933 and was complete in 1936. Lamar was the end of Westheimer Road. On its first day of operation, Lamar had an enrollment of 1,341 students and a teaching staff of 58. The first graduating class of Lamar was the Class of 1936. The school only went up to the eleventh grade and opened as an all-white high school. Lamar was the first high school ever to have an intercom system. There where only eight other high schools in the Houston area at the time - Austin, San Jacinto, Davis, Milby, Reagan, Sam Houston, Yates, and Washington.

Lamar grew rapidly to the point where Robert E. Lee High School was built in 1962 to relieve Lamar.

Lamar was desegregated in 1967 before Houston ISD was ordered to desegregate in 1970. Unlike many other Houston ISD schools, Lamar's student body has remained mostly middle and upper class.

Lamar became an IB school in 1982 [10].

[edit] LHS' Capital Campaign to Improve the School

A simulated image of Lamar's front lawn after the Capital Campaign is completed
A simulated image of Lamar's front lawn after the Capital Campaign is completed
Horticulture Center to be build after Capital Campaign
Horticulture Center to be build after Capital Campaign

As the school is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, the Lamar Alumni Association started a campaign to improve the school. The campaign is called "Reach For The Stars". The Alumni asked the Lamar HS parents to donate money for this campaign to run. The goal is to raise $3 million United States dollars. As of March 2007, $1.8 Million has been raised.

The historic auditorium is the main focus of the project. It is where Tommy Tune, Jaclyn Smith, Paula Prentiss and Robert Foxworth got their start in stardom. The auditorium currently consists of the 1936-style wooden seats, dated sound and lighting systems, and a dated stage.

The campaign also includes improvements to and additions of the horticulture Center, theater, campus fence, library, south courtyard, electronic message boards along Westheimer Road and West Alabama Road, Grand plaza, main office, college corner, JROTC center, orchestra room, choir room, Broadcast Journalism Studio/ Production Room, dance studio, FFA Classroom, furniture shop, parents' office, the principal's office, art classrooms, registrar office, piano lab, teacher's lounge, Business Magnet Office, nurse's station, counselor's office, science and computer labs, and endowment.

[edit] Location

Lamar is located in the Upper Kirby district of Houston. Lamar is next door to the neighborhood of River Oaks. As River Oaks is the wealthiest neighborhood in Houston, Lamar High School is across the street from many mansions. A small shopping center, the Lamar River Oaks Plaza, is across the street from Lamar. The Lamar Tower, a condominium complex, was named after the school and built in 1965 [11]. Many Lamar students cross Westheimer Road before or after school so they can eat at Subway [12], Baskin Robbins [13], or Crescent City Beignets (a restaurant that serves New Orleans-style food such as beignets and red beans and rice) [14]. Many other trendy restaurants and shops are in close proximity to Lamar High School. Lamar High School is also next door to the St. John's School, a K-12 private school, and the Bethany Christian Church.

The Upper Kirby district plans to establish a "teen center" at Richmond at Wake Forest geared towards students at Lamar, Lanier Middle School, St. John's, and other Upper Kirby schools and schools near Upper Kirby. Funding issues have delayed establishment of the center. [15]

[edit] Lamar High School Campus

Courtyard of Lamar High School
Courtyard of Lamar High School
Entrance to the Lamar JROTC Bldg
Entrance to the Lamar JROTC Bldg

The Lamar High School campus consists of four buildings, a baseball field, a football field, and tennis courts.

The North Building is a four-story building (including the basement level) which was the original building built in 1936. Its consists of many classrooms, the main office, attendance office, magnet office, IB office, special ed office, band room, cooking room, and the choir room.

The West Building is a two-story building that was built in 1987. It consists of science laboratories and computer laboratories. Both practice and performance gymnasiums are also found in the west building.

The East Building is a two-story building that was built at the same time as the West Building. It consists of senior classrooms, the cafeteria, art rooms, the news broadcast lab, the Lamar library, the Lamar theatre, bookroom, and JROTC rivalry rooms.

The fourth building is the natatorium. The natatorium was built in 1991 to replace the previous pool in the basement of the north building. Bailey Architects built the last three buildings.

[edit] Lamar High School's New Addition

November 29th 2006, Wednesday morning at 11:00am, groundbreaking for construction of a new $150,000 athletic building was held at the rear of the school complex and was attended by the donating Lamar Alumni Board, the Alumni Executive Director, Contributors, HISD officials, Lamar Principal James McSwain, staff, and many students and parents. This is the first new building on the Lamar campus in 20 years.

[edit] Neighborhoods served by Lamar

The communities that Lamar serves are predominantly made up of middle and upper class professionals with jobs in Houston. Houston ISD's school choice policies allow for the school to serve many working class families who live outside of the Lamar attendance boundary.

[edit] Within Lamar attendance boundary

Many parts of Houston west of Downtown that are inside the 610 Loop are zoned to Lamar. The upscale neighborhood of River Oaks is zoned to Lamar. The neighborhoods of Afton Oaks, Upper Kirby, Avalon Place, Avondale, Southgate, Morningside Place, Highland Village, West Lane Place, Lynn Park, Oak Estates, Royden Oaks, Richwood, Lancaster Place, Castle Court, Old Braeswood, Boulevard Oaks, Southampton Place, Broad Acres, Ranch Estates, Rice Village, Rice Military, Crestwood, Weslayan Plaza, the portions of Braeswood Place east of Stella Link and north of South Braeswood (including Braes Heights and Braes Oaks), most of Midtown, a small portion of Riverside Terrace, Neartown (Montrose), Hyde Park, and North Montrose are also zoned to Lamar.

In addition, all pupils in the "island" city of West University Place and the majority of pupils in the "island" city of Southside Place (areas east of Stella Link Road) are zoned to Lamar.

The Greenway Condominiums in Houston are also zoned to Lamar.

Residents of the Texas Medical Center's Laurence H. Favrot Tower Apartments are zoned to Lamar.

A Houston public housing complex, the Ewing Apartments, is zoned to Lamar.

[edit] Within Lee High School attendance boundary with Lamar as an option

Students residing in the Lee attendance zone, including the Uptown district and the neighborhoods of Briar Meadow, Briargrove, Briarcroft, Gulfton, Lamar Terrace, Larchmont, Tanglewilde, St. George Place, Shenandoah, Tanglewood, Woodlake Forest, Sharpstown Country Club Estates, and small portions of Westchase east of Gessner, may go to Lamar, Lee High, or Westside High. Small portions of the cities of Hunters Creek Village and Piney Point Village are also zoned to Lee, Lamar, and Westside.

Wealthier pupils who live in Uptown Houston who remain in the public education system often choose to go to Lamar.

[edit] Student body

During the 2005-2006 school year, Lamar High School was Houston ISD's largest high school with 3,539 students. The school is one of the largest high schools in Texas. Lamar was 33% Hispanic, 34% White, 28% African-American, 5% Asian, and less than 1% Native American. The amount of students on free or reduced lunch programs was 37%. [16].

In May 2006 the administration announced plans to cut the student body by 200 students for each school year for four years. This would be accomplished by cutting 200 magnet student slots per year. The target population is around 2,800 pupils. Students who are zoned to Lamar will not be affected by this move.

In the beginning of the 2006 - 2007 school year, 18 Houston ISD high schools failed to meet "No Child Left Behind" requirements, including Bellaire High School and Westside High School, necessitating student transfers to other schools that met all requirements. Lamar High School, as one such passing school, was the planned destination for a large number of transferring students. The school became extremely overcrowded and many planned transfers could not be fulfilled.

[edit] Transportation

Houston ISD provides school buses for students who live more than two miles away from the school or who have major obstacles between their houses and the school. Students are eligible if they are zoned to Lamar or are in the Lamar magnet program.

A METRO bus stop (Westheimer Road @ River Oaks Boulevard) is located at the school's entrance. Bus line 82 (Westheimer) stops at Westheimer @ River Oaks.

[edit] School uniforms

In recent years, Lamar maintained a considerably loose dress code, which, in the 2005-2006 school year, was modified to allow students to wear cargo shorts, which was the most common offense. Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, the school requires school uniforms [17]. Uniforms will consist of monogrammed navy or white Lamar polo shirts and khaki bottoms [18]. All shoe types are permitted, including flip-flops; female students are allowed to wear plaid skirts. The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform [19]; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

The newly-created policy was criticized in the May 16, 2006 Houston Chronicle by Alice Davidson in her "Screaming in the Halls" column in the "Yo! Houston" section of the newspaper [20]. Alice Davidson is, as of 2006, a student columnist who attends Lamar. The Houston Chronicle printed a feature about the Lamar uniform policy in the August 22, 2006 edition of the Yo! section [21] [22]; the feature was written by Jessica Silverman, a student at Lamar as of 2006.

[edit] Lamar sports

Lamar High School's sports' mascot is the "Lamar Redskins".

There were plans to phase out the "Redskins" into the "Rangers" as "Redskins" is considered derogatory to the Native American population. So far, the girls' dancing squad, the "Arrowettes", has been permanently given a new name (the "Rangerettes").

The Lamar Life Magazine, announced that the traditional use of the "Redskin" mascot will continue; any new groups, awards, or other items will be called simply Lamar or may pick another name, such as the Rangerettes drill team.

Lamar Redskins' arch rival is the Bellaire Cardinals from Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas. Their main competition are football and baseball. Lamar has record of outscoring Bellaire at football. Bellaire has records of outscoring Lamar in baseball.

Lamar has a tradition that when Lamar has a football game, students gather in the middle of the school between the North, West, and East Buildings to have a pep rally. "Big Red" which is a redskin ceramic figure, weights 250 pounds and is carried onto the field by the Lamar Warriors

Sports at the school include:

  • Baseball
  • Basketball (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Cross-Country (Girls)
  • Cross-Country (Boys)
  • Field Hockey
  • Football
  • Golf (Girls)
  • Golf (Boys)
  • Ice Hockey (Boys)
  • Lacrosse (Boys)
  • Lacrosse (Girls)
  • Soccer (Boys)
  • Soccer (Girls)
  • Softball
  • Swimming (Boys)
  • Swimming (Girls)
  • Tennis
  • Track & Field (Girls)
  • Track & Field (Boys)
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo
  • Wrestling

[edit] Lamar organizations and clubs

Lamar FFA Show & Auction at LHS Front Lawn
Lamar FFA Show & Auction at LHS Front Lawn

Lamar High School has about 85 different organizations and clubs.

Special Interest American Field Service, Amnesty International, Army Junior ROTC, Art History Club, Asian Culture Exchange, Business Professional of America, Chess Club, Christian Student Union, Computer Science Club, Cycling Club, Debate, DECA (Marketing Club), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, French Club, Future Farmers of America, Family, Career, Community, Leaders of America, German Club, Hebrew Club, Hispanic Cultural Club, Huayucaltia Meso-American Cultural Club, Industrial Technology Club, Japanese Club, Junior Achievement, Junior Classical Society, Junior State of America, Lamar Swing Society, Model United Nations, National Beta Club, Philosophy Club, Photography Club, Redskin Rollers (Bowling Club), Russian Club, SCALE (Mock Congress), Sign Language Club, Sociology Club, Spanish Club, Texas Association of Future Educators, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Young Entrepreneurs, Gay-Straight Alliance, Association of Asian Cultures Club.

Performing Arts Art Club, Chorale, Choraliers, Color Guard, Concert Band, Dance / Dance Theatre, International Thespians, Jazz Studio, Kachina, Madrigals, Marching Band, Orchestra, Prep Choir (Boys/Girls), Wind Ensemble.

Academics and Honors Academic Decathlon, Arrowhead (4.0 + GPA), French National Honor Society, German National Honor Society, IB Diploma Candidates, Junior Engineering Technology Society, Junior Classical League, Latin Honor Society, Math National Honor Society, Math Club (Mu Alpha Theta), National Honor Society, Quill and Srcoll, Quiz Bowl, Spanish National Honor Society.

Service and Spirit Cheerleaders, Diamonds, Drill Ream, Gents, Interacts, Key Club, Keywanettes, Mirabeau, R.E.A.C.H., Recycling Club, Senior Class, Students for Social Responsibility, Students to End Prejudice, Wakonda (Freshmen Club), Warriors, Wichaka.

News Lancer (Student Newspaper), Orenda (Yearbook).

Leadership Lamar Leadership League, Lamar Student Council, Lamar Senate,

[edit] Lamar Cable Television (LCT)

Lamar High School has its own news broadcast called Lamar Cable Television [23]. In LCT, students are the reporters and they provide information about events at school and in the outside world. LCT is only seen in the Lamar campus. LCT is also used as an emergency contact from the principal to the students regarding events that are happening or have happened.

Lamar Cable Television was established in 2002 when a major project was taking in place to build the news broadcasting lab. LCT is an opportunity to students who want to work in news reporting or filming as previous graduates did.

[edit] School songs

[edit] Alma mater

The Lamar alma mater is as follows [24]:

" Hail to Lamar, Alma Mater dear
Sing her joyful praise
Sound it far and near
Rally around her banner,
We will never fail
So to Lamar, Alma Mater
Sing, Hail...Hail...Hail"

[edit] Fight song

The Lamar fight song is as follows [25]:

" Fight Lamar forever, we will see you through
We'll defend your honor all brave and so true
Fight! Fight! Fight
Hail, Hail, the gang's all here
Sound your colors true
We'll fight forever for the crimson and the blue
L-, L-, L-, A-, M;
M-, M-, M-, A-, R-,
L-, A-, M-,
M-, A-, R.
GOOOOO LAMAR!
Fight! Fight! Fight!"

[edit] Sister school

Dalian No. 24 High School [26] in Dalian, People's Republic of China has been Lamar's sister school since 2000 [27].

Dalian is one of Houston's sister cities.

[edit] Feeder patterns

[edit] Schools that feed into Lamar

Elementary schools that feed into Lamar include:

(partial)

Middle schools that feed into Lamar include all of Lanier and portions of Cullen, Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, Hogg, Pershing, and Ryan. All pupils zoned to Pershing Middle School may attend Pin Oak Middle School; therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Lamar High School.

[edit] Schools that feed into Lee with Lamar and Westside as options

More schools feed into Lamar as all students zoned to Lee High School may instead choose to go to Lamar High School or Westside High School.

Elementary schools that feed into Lee (and therefore also feed into Lamar) include:

  • Briargrove
  • Benavidez
  • Emerson
  • Pilgrim
  • Piney Point
  • Rodriguez

(partial)

  • Braeburn
  • Condit
  • Cunningham
  • Neff
  • St. George Place (the rest directly feeds into Lamar)
  • Sutton
  • Walnut Bend
  • White

Middle schools that feed into Lee (and therefore also feed into Lamar) include all of Grady, and parts of Long, Pershing, Revere, and Sharpstown. All pupils zoned to Long and Pershing Middle Schools may attend Pin Oak Middle School; therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Lee High School and Lamar High School.

[edit] Private schools that matriculate some students into Lamar

Some students who are enrolled in private schools in the 8th grade choose to go to Lamar for high school [28] [29] [30].

[edit] Notable alumni

[31]

[edit] External links

[edit] Official websites

[edit] Class alumni pages

[edit] Academic and athletic associations

[edit] Miscellaneous

2006 Texas Education Agency Accountability Rating
Exemplary | Recognized | Academically Acceptable | Academically Unacceptable | Not Rated: Other
v • d • e
Houston Independent School District
Alternative and magnet K-12 schools T. H. Rogers
Alternative 7-12 schools C.L.C.
High schools Austin | Bellaire | Chávez | Davis | Furr | Sam Houston | Jones | Kashmere | Lamar | Lee | Madison | Milby
Reagan | Scarborough | Sharpstown | Sterling | Waltrip | Washington | Westbury | Westside | Wheatley | Worthing | Yates
Magnet-Only High schools Carnegie Vanguard | Challenge Early College | DeBakey | H.S.P.V.A. | Barbara Jordan | H.S.L.E.C.J.
K-8 schools Gregory-Lincoln | Woodson
K-8 magnet schools Briarmeadow | Kandy Stripe | Rice
1-8 schools E.O. Smith
Middle schools Attucks | Black | Burbank MS | Clifton | Cullen | Deady | Dowling | Edison | Fleming | Fondren MS | Fonville | Grady
Hamilton | Hartman | Henry | Hogg | Holland | Jackson | Johnston | Key | Long | Lanier | Marshall | McReynolds
Ortíz | Pershing | Pin Oak | Revere | Ryan | Sharpstown | Stevenson | Thomas | Welch | West Briar
Elementary schools Briargrove | Longfellow | Neff | Poe | River Oaks | Roberts | Twain | West University | Others
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