Westbury High School (Houston)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Westbury High School
Westbury High School

Westbury High School is a secondary school located at 11911 Chimney Rock in the Westbury neighborhood of southwest Houston, Texas.

Westbury High School, which handles grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. The current principal is Eric Coleman.

Westbury has Houston ISD's "Coalition of Essential Schools" magnet program.

Westbury High School is known for its automotive technology program.

Charles Rotramel, the owner of the nonprofit program Youth Advocates, stated in a Houston Chronicle article that Lee High School, Westbury High School, and Sharpstown High School have suffered from the actions of youth criminal gangs [1].

Contents

[edit] History

Westbury, which was established in September, 1961, was originally a suburban-style high school. The population base changed as Westbury became an area within Houston. Westbury High School has declined in enrollment due to reconstruction [2] of the main educational wing of the school and was grouped with Yates, Wheatley, Worthing, and other declining enrollment high schools in Houston. Recently it has collaborated (as have many other schools) with Brown University to set up a magnet program Coalition of Essential Schools, which has made Westbury attain an acceptable rating. Reduced enrollment in 2003 caused its UIL ranking to drop from 5A to 4A. A new campus for Westbury was completed in the fall of 2004. Its UIL ranking returned to 5A in 2006.

On December 7, 2005, a brawl ensued on school grounds involving many students. Twenty-seven students were arrested after the fighting started in the cafeteria then later moved its way outdoors. Apparently, the fight was a result of growing heightened tensions between local students and Hurricane Katrina refugee students that now attend the school. On February 9, 2006, a girl was sexually assaulted in a school restroom. The suspect escaped detection and left the campus before administrators realized that a sexual assault had happened. [3] When the suspect was identified, it was revealed that he was already incarcerated for an unrelated incident.

On November 28, 2006, a 16-year old 9th grade boy named Julian Ruiz [4] died from two gunshot wounds in the torso while walking to Westbury; he died at the 5400 block of Dryad as a result of a drive-by shooting [5]. A tan or gold 1990s Mercury Cougar used as a getaway car for the shooters was discovered in Stafford on November 30 [6]. The two 17-year old suspects in the shooting were identified as Augustin Miguel Marquez and Aldo Aguilar Ramirez [7]. Some area residents wish to replace Westbury's rebel mascot as of January 2007 [8].

According to the October 2006 "For Your Information" newsletter, Westbury was one of four high schools that took the most Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

[edit] Neighborhoods served by Westbury

Westbury High School
Westbury High School

Many neighborhoods in southwest Houston, including almost all of Westbury, Post Oak Manor, Marilyn Estates, Willowbend, most of Willow Meadows, Glenshire, Parkwest, Maplewood South, about half of Westwood, and parts of Fondren Southwest, are zoned to Westbury High School. The Harris County portion of the city of Missouri City is also zoned to Westbury High School.

Many middle and upper class residents of the Westbury attendance zone do not send their children to Westbury; usually they send their kids to Bellaire High School, Lamar High School, or private schools [9].

[edit] School uniforms

All Westbury students, since fall 2006, and as of 2006 are required to wear a school uniform consisting of a grey, black, white, or navy blue polo or oxford shirt and a pair of khaki, navy, black, or denim trousers. Only female students with religious objections to wearing trousers may wear skirts; the skirts may be khaki, black, or navy. [10]

Westbury has had its uniform abolished and then reinstated at least once. Uniforms were first established when Ivy Levingston became principal [11]. Uniforms were later abolished. Uniforms returned in fall 2005.

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 [12]; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

[edit] Feeder patterns

Elementary schools that feed into Westbury include:

  • Anderson
  • Elrod
  • Foerster
  • Gross
  • Parker

(partial)

  • Bell
  • Kolter
  • Milne
  • Red
  • Shearn
  • Valley West

Middle schools that feed into Westbury include parts of Fondren, Johnston, Pershing, and Welch. All pupils zoned to Johnston, Pershing, and Long Middle Schools may attend Pin Oak Middle School; therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Westbury High School.

[edit] Notable alumni

[13]

[edit] External links

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
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../w/e/s/Westbury_High_School_%28Houston%29_d3c5.html"