Westbury High School (Houston)

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Westbury High School

Westbury High School is a secondary school located at 11911 Chimney Rock in the Westbury neighborhood of southwest Houston, Texas.

Westbury High School, which handles grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. As of 2008 the principal is Eric Coleman.

Westbury has Houston ISD's "Coalition of Essential Schools" magnet program.

Westbury High School is known for its automotive technology program.

In 2006 Charles Rotramel, the owner of the nonprofit program Youth Advocates, stated in a Houston Chronicle article that Lee High School, Westbury High School, and Sharpstown High School have suffered from the actions of youth criminal gangs ^[1].

[edit] History

Westbury, which was established in September, 1961, was originally a suburban-style high school. The population base changed as Westbury became an area within Houston.

On May 18, 2001 the main educational building was declared unsafe; renovation crews discovered that the concrete, intended to measure at 3,000 pounds per square inch, instead measured at 1,400 to 2,000 pounds per square inch. The district did not permit students to retrieve their belongings. The district tested the other schools built between 1956 and 1965 and did not discover structural problems.^[2] A new campus for Westbury was completed in the fall of 2004. Westbury collaborated (as have many other schools) with Brown University to set up a magnet program Coalition of Essential Schools.

On December 7, 2005, a brawl ensued on school grounds involving many students. Twenty-seven students were arrested after the fighting started in the cafeteria then later moved its way outdoors. Apparently, the fight was a result of growing heightened tensions between local students and Hurricane Katrina evacuee students attended the school.^[3] On February 9, 2006, a 15-year old girl was sexually assaulted in a second floor school toilet facility. The suspect escaped detection and left the campus before administrators realized that a sexual assault had happened. ^[4] When the suspect was identified, it was revealed that he was already incarcerated for an unrelated incident. Ronald Walker pled guilty.

On November 28, 2006, a 16-year old 9th grade boy named Julian Ruiz ^[5] died from two gunshot wounds in the torso while walking to Westbury; he died at the 5400 block of Dryad as a result of a drive-by shooting. A tan or gold 1990s Mercury Cougar used as a getaway car for the shooters was discovered in Stafford on November 30 ^[6]. The two 17-year old suspects in the shooting were identified as Augustin Miguel Marquez and Aldo Aguilar Ramirez.^[7]

Some area residents wish to replace Westbury's rebel mascot as of January 2007.^[8]

According to the October 2006 "For Your Information" newsletter, Westbury was one of four high schools that took the most Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

In fall 2007, Westbury admitted Burundian refugees who were resettled in Houston ^[9].

In 2007 Johns Hopkins University referred to Westbury as a "dropout factory" where at least 40 percent of the entering freshman class does not make it to their senior year.^[10].

In 2007 Westbury HS uploaded a full Spanish version of its website.

The district named the Rita Woodward Environmental Nature Park on February 14, 2008.^[11]

[edit] Neighborhoods served by Westbury

Westbury High School

^[12] Many neighborhoods in southwest Houston, including almost all of Westbury, Post Oak Manor, Marilyn Estates, Willowbend, most of Willow Meadows, Glenshire, Parkwest, Maplewood South, about half of Westwood, and parts of Fondren Southwest, are zoned to Westbury High School. The Harris County portion of the city of Missouri City is also zoned to Westbury High School.

As of 2006 many middle and upper class residents of the Westbury attendance zone do not send their children to Westbury; usually they send their children to Bellaire High School, Lamar High School, or private schools.^[13][14]

[edit] School uniforms

Returning Westbury students, as of 2008 are required to wear a school uniform consisting of a grey, black, or white polo or oxford shirt and a pair of khaki, navy, black, or denim trousers. Only female students with religious objections to wearing trousers may wear skirts; the skirts may be khaki, black, or navy. New students are required to wear white polo shorts. ^[15]

Westbury has had its uniform abolished and then reinstated at least once. Uniforms were first established when Ivy Levingston became principal. ^[14] Uniforms were later abolished. Uniforms returned in fall 2005.

In a February 12, 2008 Houston Chronicle article stated that the dress code intends to prevent "gang-affiliated colors" from being a presence in the school.^[16]

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 ^[17]; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

[edit] Feeder patterns

Elementary schools that feed into Westbury ^[12] include:

• Anderson ^[18]
• Elrod ^[19]
• Foerster ^[20]
• Gross ^[21]
• Parker ^[22]
• Bell (partial) ^[23]
• Kolter (partial) ^[24]
• Milne (partial) ^[25]
• Red (partial) ^[26]
• Shearn (partial) ^[27]
• Valley West (partial) ^[28]

Middle schools that feed into Westbury include:

• Fondren (partial) ^[29]
• Johnston (partial) ^[30]
• Pershing (partial) ^[31]
• Welch (partial) ^[32]

All pupils zoned to Johnston, Pershing, and Long Middle Schools may apply to attend Pin Oak Middle School; therefore Pin Oak also feeds into Westbury High School.^[33]

[edit] Notable alumni

• Bob Allen - (news reporter for ABC-13) ^[34]
• Bennie Brazell - 2004 Olympic Games finalist in the 400 meter hurdles, and former NFL Wide Receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. ^[34]
• Dave Elmendorf - Former NFL football player for the Los Angeles Rams.^[34]
• Bayano Kamani - Olympian and Panamanian hurdler.^[34]
• Allan Moser (co-founder and the vice president of technology for Cira Discovery Sciences) ^[34]
• Brodney Pool - Current NFL Safety for the Cleveland Browns.^[35]
• Joan Severance - American actress and former fashion model.^[34]
• Michael Strahan - Current NFL Defensive End for the New York Giants. (Strahan graduated from another school) ^[34]
• Ayana Walker [1] - Current WNBA basketball player for the Detroit Shock. ^[34]
• Shannon Walker - American Scientist and NASA Astronaut. ^[34]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Westbury High School website
• Westbury High School website in Spanish
• Westbury Times website
• Friends of Westbury High School
• Westbury High School Class Of 1984
• Westbury High School PTO
• Westbury High School class of 1977
• Westbury Athletics
• Westbury High School Baseball
• "Stepchild" - A Houston Press article about Westbury High School's problems in the early 2000s
  • [2] - A reader response to the Press article