Booker T. Washington High School (Houston) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Booker T. Washington High School |
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| Location | |
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4204 Yale Street
, Texas
77018
United States
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| Coordinates | 29°49′19″N 95°23′56″W / 29.821837°N 95.398854°W |
| Information | |
| Established | 1893 |
| Principal | Carlos Phillips II |
| Staff | 87.87 (FTE) |
| Enrollment | 837 (2023–2024) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 9.53 |
| Color(s) | |
| Mascot | Golden Eagle |
Booker T. Washington High School, often called "Booker T.", is a high school in the Independence Heights area of Houston, Texas. It teaches students from 9th to 12th grade. The school is part of the Houston Independent School District. It serves students from nearby areas like Independence Heights, Highland Heights, and most of Acres Homes. The school is named after Booker T. Washington, a famous leader in education.
The High School For Engineering Professions is also located on the same campus.
Contents
School History
Booker T. Washington High School started in 1893. It was first located in Houston's Fourth Ward. Back then, it was called "Colored High." It was the only high school for Black students in the city. At that time, schools were separated by race.
In 1923, a newspaper called the Houston Informer said the school building was in bad shape. They even called it a "rat trap."
By 1925, the school board decided to build a new high school for Black students. This was because the Black population was growing. The Houston Informer suggested naming new schools after important Black people. The original "Colored High" school was renamed after Booker T. Washington in 1928. He was a well-known Black educator. Other high schools, like Yates and Wheatley, opened in the 1920s. This helped ease the number of students at Washington.
The school moved to its current spot in Independence Heights in 1959. By 1970, the school became desegregated, meaning students of all races could attend.
In 2007, Franklyn Wesley, who had been the principal for over 40 years, retired. Some people in the community wanted Victor Keys, an assistant principal and a former student, to become the new principal. However, the school district chose Mark Bedell. The current principal of Washington High School is Carlos Phillips II.
In February 2012, the school had fewer students than before. Community leaders, including Sylvester Turner, a state representative, asked for more support for the school. They wanted Washington to be as good as other local high schools. They felt the school had not received enough attention. Turner and school officials started a fundraising campaign. They raised $135,000, with Kroger donating $10,000.
Around 2012, about 400 students each year chose to transfer from Booker T. Washington to other high schools.
Using money from a 2012 school district plan, a new building for the school was built. It opened for students at the start of the 2018–2019 school year.
School Learning
In 2011, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rated the school as "unacceptable." Only 51% of the 9th-grade students passed the math part of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test.
In 2012, Houston Community College started an auto mechanic program at Booker T. Washington. This program helped students learn how to fix cars. The school district spent $300,000 to fix up the auto shop for this program.
Also in 2012, Texas A&M University partnered with Booker T. Washington. They offered university scholarships to some engineering students from the school.
In 2019, the TEA gave the school an overall rating of 'C'. This rating showed how well students were learning and how the school was improving.
School Campus
Sylvester Turner helped get the gymnasium floors replaced in the fall of 2011. In 2012, Turner said the campus needed even more improvements than the money the district had set aside.
Student Life
Washington High School had 1,520 students in 1995. By February 2012, the number of students was 823. This was the lowest number of students the school had seen.
As of 2020, Washington High School has a school uniform policy. Students are expected to dress in a way that is suitable for the school environment.
Parents can ask for an exception to the uniform policy if they have important reasons, like religious beliefs.
School Transportation
The Houston Independent School District provides school bus service. This is for students who live more than two miles away from the school. Students who live in the school's area or are in the magnet program can use the bus.
The METRO city bus also has a route, the 66 Yale bus line, that stops near the school.
Feeder Schools
Students from several elementary and middle schools go on to attend Washington High School.
- Elementary schools that feed into Washington High School include:
- Burrus
- Hohl
- Kennedy
- Wesley
- Garden Oaks (some students)
- Highland Heights (some students)
- Osborne (some students)
- Roosevelt (some students)
Most students from M.C. Williams Middle School attend Booker T. Washington. Some students from Black Middle School and Alexander Hamilton Middle School also go there.
Famous Former Students
- J. V. Cain (class of 1969), played professional football for the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Samuel A. Countee (class of 1928), a talented painter and sculptor.
- Eldridge Dickey (class of 1964), was the first African-American Quarterback chosen in the first round of a professional football draft in 1968.
- Nate Hawkins, played professional football for the Houston Oilers.
- Mercury Hayes (class of 1992), played professional football for teams like the New Orleans Saints.
- Jennifer Holliday (class of 1978), a singer and actress who won a Grammy award.
- Lawrence Marshall (class of 1951), served on the Houston Independent School District board.
- Leonard Mitchell (class of 1977), played professional football as a defensive end.
- Speedy Thomas (class of 1965), played professional football for the Cincinnati Bengals.
See also
- History of the African-Americans in Houston
- List of things named after Booker T. Washington
