Milby High School

Milby High School

Milby High School

Charles H. Milby High School is a public secondary school located at 1601 Broadway in the East End, Houston, Texas with a ZIP code of 77012.^[1] Milby, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District.

Milby is located inside the 610 Loop in southeast Houston. Milby contains Houston ISD's Science Institute Magnet Program. As of 2011, the school's principal administrator is Roy de la Garza.

History

Milby began its life in March 1926, replacing the former Harrisburg High School, which was located several blocks south of Milby. Thirteen teachers and 212 students formed Milby's initial population. The $180,000 United States dollar campus had and still has a Romanesque exterior. Since its opening, Milby had various expansions and renovations. Originally a predominately non-Hispanic White school, Milby became mostly Hispanic as the population of the East End area increased.^[2]

In September 1991, Milby was one of 32 HISD schools that had capped enrollments; in other words, the school was filled to capacity and excess students had to attend other schools.^[3]

On November 14, 1991, 18-year old Francisco Contreras received four gunshot wounds in his feet and leg outside of the cafeteria at Milby. Police arrested a 16-year-old described by HISD officials as a "disturbed freshman."^[4]

In December 1991 Milby was one of the largest high schools in Texas, with 3,617 students. Due to the overcrowding, by that month Houston ISD trustees approved a plan to open a new high school in September 1995 instead of in 1997.^[5] By 1997 the new high school had not yet been constructed; area community leaders and parents anticipated the construction of César Chávez High School, as Austin and Milby were still overcrowded.^[6] Prior to 1997 residents zoned to Furr also had the option to attend Austin and Milby high schools; in 1997 the school district canceled the option.^[7]

In the fall of 2000, Chávez opened and took most of Milby's traditional neighborhoods. In turn Milby absorbed some students from Austin.^[8] Areas that were zoned to Milby in 1998 were rezoned to Chávez.^[9][10][11] In turn Milby absorbed attendance areas from Austin and Furr high schools.^{[9][10][12][13]}

In 2007 Johns Hopkins University referred to Milby as a "dropout factory," where at least 40 percent of the entering freshman class does not make it to their senior year.^[14] During that year, 20 percent of high schoolers zoned to Milby chose to attend a different Houston ISD school.^[15]

A petroleum academy opened in Milby in fall 2008.^[16][17]

Milby High School was one of the locations where the movie My Best Friend Is a Vampire was filmed in 1986. The school was renamed "Milton High School" in the movie. Many interior scenes, including scenes of the main character in his bedroom, were filmed inside the school and the school's exterior was used in the movie as well. Students at Milby were extras in many scenes, as the filming took place during school hours. After the movie was completed, the sign on the exterior of the school that had been in disrepair was replaced with a new one by the production company.^[18]

Demographics

For the 2011-12 school year:^[19]

• African American: 3.1%
• Hispanic: 95.6%
• White: 0.7%
• American Indian: 0.3%
• Asian: 0.2%
• Pacific Islander: 0.0%
• Two or More Races: 0.1%
• Economically Disadvantaged: 81.3%
• Enrollment: 1,999 students (2011-2012)

Campus

In 2012 Richard Connelly of the Houston Press ranked Milby as the fourth most architecturally beautiful high school campus in Greater Houston.^[20]

Academics

Students from Milby and Austin High School who are taking computer-related courses that qualify them for an A+ certification in computer troubleshooting or an N+ certification in networking go to the Rudy C. Vara Center for Technology every other day.^[21]

School uniform

As of 1999, Milby High School has a school uniform policy.^[22]

For the school year 2010-2011 the shirts must be collared and only white, same rule applies for undershirt.

Pants may only be khaki, no shorts.

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;^[23] parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

Neighborhoods served by Milby

Several neighborhoods inside and outside the 610 Loop, including Harrisburg, Pecan Park, Pecan Park Place, Mason Park, Manchester, Pineview Place and most of Magnolia Park are located in Milby's attendance zone.^[10]

Prior to the opening of Chávez, Milby served the communities of Park Place and Glenbrook Valley.^[9]

Feeder patterns

The following elementary schools feed into Milby:^[10] All of the attendance zone:

• Crespo^[24]
• J.R. Harris^[25]

Some of the attendance zone

• Briscoe^[26]
• Dávila^[27]
• De Zavala^[28]
• Gallegos^[29]
• Sanchez^[30]
• Southmayd^[31]

Portions of the attendance zones of Deady,^[32] Edison,^[33] and Stevenson^[34] Middle Schools feed into Milby.

Notable alumni

• Carol Alvarado - State Representative, District 145 (Texas) ^[35][36]
• Miguel "Mike" Barajas - KRIV (TV) Fox news reporter^[35]
• Michael Berryhill - Freelance writer who worked for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Press^[35][37]
• Fentress Bracewell - Founder of law firm who served as port commissioner and chairman of the Port of Houston^[35]
• Hannah L. Chow - Retired Harris County Criminal Court judge^[35]
• Carlos Coy aka 'South Park Mexican, rapper^[38]
• Diana Dávila - Member of the Houston ISD board of education^[35]
• Donald Driver - NFL player for the Green Bay Packers^[39]
• Mario V. Gallegos, Jr. - Texas State Senator and retired captain of the Houston Fire Department^[35]
• Robert "Bob" Alton Gammage - Texas State Supreme Court Justice and U.S. Representative^[35]
• Bill Keese - Former Texas State Representative
• Frank O. Mancuso - Retired City Councilman (served from 1963–1993),^[35] and former major league catcher, and member of the World Series bound 1944 St. Louis Browns. Mancuso also played for the Washington Senators, as well as the Cardinals' farm club, The Houston Buffaloes. There is a Houston Public Library branch and a Harris County baseball complex named after Mancuso.^[40]
• K.T. Oslin - A country western singer.^[35]
• Gordon Quan - Houston Council member-at-Large and former Houston Mayor pro tempore^[35]
• James Rodriguez - Houston City Councilman, District I
• George Wagner a.k.a. Gorgeous George - Early television wrestler.^[35]
• Andrea Yates - killer of her five children due to post-partum psychosis.^[41]
• Charles Swindoll, Christian pastor. ^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• Milby High School
• Class of 1960