Waltrip High School

Founded in 1959, S. P. Waltrip High School is a public, magnet school named after Steven Pool Waltrip, who was Houston’s superintendent of schools in 1910. The school served newly-developed post-World War II subdivisions and relieved Reagan High School of many students. Waltrip’s boundaries joined those of Reagan, Scarborough, Williams and Washington high schools.

Waltrip High School

1900 West 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018                                                    Ms. Linda Lazenby, Principal

(713) 957-7743                                                                                         Ms. Kristi Honore, Magnet Coordinator

www.HoustonISD.org/Waltrip

Religious Affiliation

As a public school, Waltrip High School has no religious affiliation.  According to Houston Independent School District’s policy, every school has a moment of silence each day during which students can pray silently to themselves if they so choose.  Also, absences because of religious holidays do not count toward the student’s total number of absences.  However, the student is still responsible for the makeup work.

Location and Facilities

Waltrip High School, built in 1959, is located on the northwest side of Loop 610 near T.C. Jester Park and surrounded mostly by small businesses. The school is a three-story, 90 classroom building equipped with laboratories, common areas, pool and auditorium. Later additions included air-conditioning, academic wing, library, counseling center and technology. The school has outdoor fields and courts for athletics.

Admissions

Waltrip uses the general Houston high school magnet application, which can be found on the home page of the school’s website; it is due in January. Application for Waltrip’s magnet program requires: 1) Previous year’s final Report Card 2) First grading period of current Report Card 3) Test Record Card 4) Proof of HISD Residency.

Academic Tracks and Curriculum

Waltrip’s Magnet program focuses on research and technology and is based on the idea that discovery teaches “the individual how to learn rather than simply what to learn.” The academic tracks offered at Waltrip include Regular, Honors, Advanced Placement and Magnet. Seniors must indicate that they have applied to at least one 4-year or 2-year college or technical school in order to graduate.

Special Needs

Standard HISD policies.

Foreign Languages

Waltrip High School offers French and Spanish. Two credits of a foreign language are required for graduation. Students can participate in foreign language exchange programs, honor societies, clubs and competitions.

Arts

The fine arts offered at Waltrip include: Basic and Advanced Art, Design, Band, Dance and Theater. Students are required to use “a variety of media to create artwork through problem-solving projects.”

Technology

Waltrip follows HISD policies.

Extracurricular Activities

Waltrip High School offers more than 30 student clubs, some of which include: Decathlon, Robotics, Chess, Foreign Language, Speech and Debate, Teen Court, and Theatre.

Athletics

The school fields teams across eleven sports: football and baseball for boys; softball and volleyball for girls; cross country, swim, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, and track and field for both boys and girls.  Students may also participate in cheer and dance.

Parent Involvement

Parents at Waltrip High School can join the PTA. HISD offers an online portal, Parent Student Connect (PSC), for parents to stay abreast with students and teachers.

Waltrip High School Fast Facts

Overview
School Type	Public, Magnet
Religious Affiliation	Nonsectarian
Uniforms	Yes
Date Founded	1959
Endowment	N/A
Grades Served	9-12
Enrollment	1762
Grade 12	418
Grade 11	402
Grade 10	410
Grade 9	532
Student to Teacher Ratio	17:1
Faculty with Advanced Degrees (#/%)	41/39%
Minorities in Student Body	88%
Curriculum
Academic Tracks Offered	On Track, Honors, AP, Magnet
Advanced Placement Courses Offered	N/A
Languages Offered	Spanish, French
Calendar (Semester / Trimester / Other)	Semester
Interscholastic Sports Programs	11
Graduating Seniors
National Merit Semi-Finalists (#/%)	N/A
Average SAT Scores	1343
Mathematics	466
Critical Reading	448
Writing	429
% Students Admitted to 4 Year University	N/A
Public School Stats (Public Schools)
Gifted and Talented Students	15%
Free and Reduced Lunch	50%
AYP (2007-2010)	Met AYP
AYP (2010-2012)	Missed AYP
TEA Accountability (2007-2008)	Academically Acceptable
TEA Accountability (2008-2010)	Recognized
TEA Accountability (2010-2011)	Academically Acceptable

 

Excerpted from General Academic’s publication, “Houston Private & Select Public Schools: Survey, Analysis, and Research, 3rd Edition.”