Lanier Junior High School was founded in 1926 as one of the first junior high schools in HISD and was named after southern poet Sidney Lanier.  Lanier occupies its original building, although it has undergone many renovations to upgrade its existing facilities. Lanier’s mission is to “provide a relevant rigorousRead More

Houston Christian High School split off from Northwest Academy in 1997.  It remained on the same campus for two years, and then moved in 1999 to its current location.  The school was founded by a group of pastors from several Houston-area evangelical churches.  They wanted to create a school, whichRead More

In 1859, a school for local children opened at what, in 1936, would become Lamar High School.  Forty-six years later, Lamar added its IB program, and seven years after that, it added its Business Magnet Program.   Lamar serves River Oaks, the incorporated city of West University Place, and other HoustonRead More

Founded in 1906, The Kinkaid School purports to be the “oldest independent coeducational school in Houston.”  A public school teacher, Margaret Hunter Kinkaid founded the school when she learned that married women were not allowed to be teachers in her school district.  Since its inception, Kinkaid has been based outRead More

Bellaire High School started in 1955 and was the first International Baccalaureate School in Texas.  With its IB program and its World Languages magnet program,.  Bellaire’s goal is to create “…active learners, well-rounded individuals, and engaged citizens, who gain the practical experience of being part of an international community.”  TheRead More

In 1972, DeBakey opened at Baylor College of Medicine.  Now on its own campus, DeBakey keeps close ties to the Texas Medical Center, giving students the opportunity to experience the Medical Center’s healthcare and research facilities while still in high school.  Debakey’s mission is “to provide a challenging, well-balanced collegeRead More

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart was founded in 1960 as part of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.  The school derives its name from Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, a Catholic nun, French saint, and founder of the first houses of the Society of the Sacred Heart in America.  DuchesneRead More

Horn Academy, named after educator Paul W. Horn, is an elementary school in HISD with a magnet program and Vanguard Neighborhood Program. Horn is a total school magnet for art, communications, computers, life sports, and science. The magnet program, which “emphasizes the academic and social development of the ‘whole child,’”Read More

In 1967, Yvonne and Dave Streit founded The Briarwood School after their search for an institution capable of educating their severely handicapped daughter proved futile.  Ms. Streit sampled special needs programs across the country, including Purdue and UCLA, and compiled her own program based on the information she had researched. Read More

Second Baptist School (SBS) was founded in 1946 through Second Baptist Church.  Located in what is now Midtown Houston, it welcomed its first class of 14 kindergarten students in 1947.  By 1955, the school had expanded to a full elementary school with the addition of a sixth grade.  In 1957,Read More

The British School of Houston (BSH) offers an academic program based on the International Primary Curriculum, the National Curriculum for England and Wales, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.  Additionally, it is in the process of offering British A-Level courses by September 2014, which would make it one of theRead More

Are you or someone you know in the market for a school for your child? General Academic teams up with Rice University for the second year in a row to help parents better navigate the maze of choices and requirements as they select a private or application-based school for theirRead More

HSPVA started in 1971 as a way for young artists and performers to study their disciplines and to prepare for the challenges of competitive arts programs at universities and colleges.  As one of the first magnet schools in HISD, HSPVA paved the way for other non-comprehensive high schools to emergeRead More

Annunciation Orthodox School (AOS) was established in the educational building of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral for early childhood children in 1970.  AOS now serves Delphi Class (age 3) through the Eighth Grade, with a student body averaging 670 students.  AOS provides curriculum guided by the Greek Orthodox faith, with anRead More

The Awty International School (AIS) was originally founded as the Awty School in 1956 as a preschool, eventually adding an Upper School by 1975.  In 1984, the Awty School merged with the French School of Houston and became the Awty International School. With more than 1500 students, AIS proclaims toRead More

Carnegie Vanguard High School (CVHS) started as a school-within-a-school Vanguard program at Jesse H. Jones Senior High School in 1977.  In 2002, CVHS became an independent high school.   CVHS’s mission is “to provide a unique and challenging learning environment to prepare the diverse gifted & talented population of Houston IndependentRead More