| The Chinquapin School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 2615 E Wallisville Rd Highlands, Texas, 77562 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Nonprofit private college-preparatory school |
| Established | 1969 |
| Founder | Robert and Maxine Moore |
| Director | Dr. Ray Griffin |
| Faculty | 21 |
| Key people | Bill and Kathy Heinzerling |
| Grades | 6-12 |
| Enrollment | 164[1] |
| Campus type | Rural |
| Color(s) | Black and white |
| Athletics | Baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball |
| Athletics conference | Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools |
| Mascot | Burr |
| Accreditation(s) | Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools |
| Newspaper | The Burr |
| Website | www.chinquapin.org |
The Chinquapin School is a nonprofit private college-preparatory school, grades six through twelve, which serves low-income youth, particularly minorities, from the Greater Houston area. The school, accredited by the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools, is located in Highlands in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, USA, near Baytown.[2]
Chinquapin, along with Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston and Yellowstone Academy, is one of the few Greater Houston private schools that caters to low income students.[3]
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The Chinquapin School was founded by Robert P. Moore — formerly head of the English Department at St. John's School in Houston — and his wife Maxine. Incorporated in March 1969 as a school for boys, it was funded with an initial five-year grant of $250,000 from The Brown Foundation of Houston.
The Moores had planned to locate the school on their property near Palestine, Texas — where a branch of Chinquapin Creek and several Chinquapin trees can be found — but were convinced they needed to be closer to Houston. Inner-city students — the school's target prospects — were located there, as was the donor base who were more plentiful in Houston and who would want to see the impact they were making in their city.
Chinquapin was originally located in the city of Baytown on Tri City Beach Road. Board members soon discovered nearby the current Highlands location (a former egg farm); doors opened there in August 1973. The school became coeducational in 1978, letting in its first female student on a trial basis.
The school's name comes from the Algonquian word meaning "large". The school motto is Quid pro Quo (Latin: Something for Something). It's been the school's motto since its founding, and its simple message pervades almost every aspect of the school.
All students who attend Chinquapin are on scholarship and pay a fraction of the $10,500 per student operating cost — $8,500–$10,000+ a month, based on family income. To fulfill the school's motto of Quid pro Quo, students give back by performing daily chores and helping in the community.
Girls and sixth grade boys are bussed to the school daily. Boys in seventh through twelfth grades stay Monday through Friday on campus dormitories.
In 2010, Chinquapin added the Urban Teaching Fellows Program, an initiative that allows recent college graduates to gain exposure to all aspects of life at a boarding school including teaching, coaching and residential life.
Chinquapin is grouped in TAPPS Division 2A and competes in baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Chinquapin holds one state championship, that of the 1982 basketball team coached by Bill Heinzerling.
Chinquapin's soccer team has been in the TAPPS State Final Four four of the past five years. For the 2004-05 season the Burrs lost to Carrollton Prince of Peace 2-0, placing second in state. In the semifinals of the 2005-06 season they lost to Austin Concordia 3-0, placing third in state. In the 2006-07 season they lost to Dallas Fairhill 1-0, placing fourth in state. In 2008-09 they lost to Universal City First Baptist 3-0, placing fourth in state.
Chinquapin's 2006-07 junior varsity soccer team ended with a 14–0 record in their district.