Booker T. Washington High School (Houston)

History

The school was established in 1893 in Houston's Fourth Ward as "Colored High." The first location for the school, 303 West Dallas, is considered to be within Downtown Houston as of 2007. Originally it was the only secondary school for black people in the city. In 1925 the school board stated that it would build a new black high school due to the increasing black population. The Houston Informer stated that the schools need to be named after prominent black people from the city and/or other successful black persons. The original colored high school was renamed after Booker T. Washington, a famous black educator who became the namesake of many black schools in the Southern United States. The school was given its current name in 1928. Washington was relieved by the construction and opening of Jack Yates High School and Wheatley High School in the 1920s.

It moved to its present-day location in Independence Heights in 1959. Lockett Junior High School, which closed in June 1968, was established in the former Washington campus.

After Franklyn Wesley retired as principal, Houston ISD chose Mark Bedell, formerly an assistant principal at Worthing High School, as the principal. Victor Keys, an assistant principal and an alumna of Washington, will remain as an assistant principal. Some alumni of Washington High School and members of the community around the school protested the decision to hire Bedell because they wished for the district to hire Keys instead of Bedell. The current principal is LaShonda Bilbo-Ervin.

Wesley died September 11, 2007, at age 88. Wesley served as the principal of the campus for more than 40 years. He worked as an educator for more than 65 years, spending all of the years except for 10 in HISD.

In 2007, a Johns Hopkins University study commissioned by the Associated Press cited Washington as a "dropout factory" where at least 40% of the entering freshman class does not make it to their senior year.

In February 2012, because the school population was at a historic low of 823, several members of the Independence Heights community, led by Sylvester Turner, a Texas Legislature representative, advocated for reinvestment in the school. They advocated for making Washington competitive with Reagan High School and Waltrip High School. The leaders argue that HISD had neglected the school. Turner and Washington High School officials established a donation campaign. As of January 19, 2012, the campaign raised $135,000. Kroger donated $10,000 of the funds.

Around 2012, each year 400 students from Booker T. Washington transfer to Reagan and Waltrip.

By 2015 the district purchase several houses around the high school as part of its program to rebuild the high school. After criminals began taking parts from the houses residents argued that the way the houses were acquired could attract criminality.

Academics

In 2011 the Texas Education Agency gave the overall school an "unacceptable" rating. 51% of the school's 9th grade students passed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills mathematics portion.

In 2012 Houston Community College established an auto mechanic program at Booker T. Washington. The previous auto mechanic program closed around 1997. Before 2012 the auto shop had been filled with waste. The Houston Independent School District paid $300,000 to restore the auto shop.

Around 2012 Texas A&M University and Booker T. Washington partnered to give university scholarships to some engineering students.

Campus

Sylvester Turner advocated for the replacement of the gymnasium floors; they were replaced in the northern hemisphere fall of 2011. Turner said in February 2012 that the campus needed an overhaul greater than the $3.8 million that the district allotted to the school as a result of the previous bond election.

Transportation

Houston ISD provides school bus transportation to students who live more than two miles away from the school. Students zoned to the school and students who are enrolled in the magnet program are eligible for bus transportation.

The METRO city bus line also operates the 66 Yale bus line, which stops at the intersection of Yale Street and Cockerel Street.

Student body

In 1995 the school had 1,520 students. In 2010 the school had about 900 students. In February 2012 it had 823 students, a historic low in the population statistics.

In the 2011-2012 school year, the magnet school, with a capacity of 400 students, had 226 students.

School uniforms

Washington requires its students to wear white, gold, or royal blue polo shirts, and khaki pants, navy blue pants, black pants. students are allowed to were jeans without holes, skin should not show.

The Texas Education Agency specified that the parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with school uniforms (the definition includes dress codes which limit colors) may apply for a waiver to opt out of the uniform policy so their children do not have to wear the uniform; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

Feeder patterns

The following elementary schools feed into Washington High School:

Most of M.C. Williams Middle School and small parts of Black Middle School and Alexander Hamilton Middle School feed into Booker T. Washington.

Notable alumni