Heights High School, formerly John H. Reagan High School, is a senior high school located in the

Houston Heights Houston Heights (often referred to simply as "The Heights") is a community in northwest-central Houston, Texas, United States. "The Heights" is often referred to colloquially to describe a larger collection of neighborhoods next to and including ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. It serves students in grades nine through twelve and is a part of the

Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the largest public school system in Texas, and the eighth-largest in the United States. Houston ISD serves as a community school district for most of the city of Houston and several nearby and ...

. Heights High School is HISD's Magnet School of Computer Technology and offers the

International Baccalaureate Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

(IB) Middle Years Program (till 10th grade) and twenty Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Students join one of the following academies: Computer Magnet Academy, Health Science Academy, Business Academy, Engineering Academy, or Transportation Academy. The principal of Heights High School is Wendy Hampton.

History

Houston Heights High School was first established for Heights residents in 1904, as an elementary through high school. Its initial site was lots 8-17 of Houston Heights Block 185, on what is now Milroy Park. When the Heights joined the City of Houston in 1918, the building at the end of Heights Boulevard and 20th known today as Hamilton Middle School became the Senior High School, and the old location became a Junior High School. When the original building on Yale and 12th burned in 1924, a new location for the high school was picked in the block between Oxford and Arlington, 13th and 14th. The new school was named John H. Reagan High School and opened in 1926 with the student body and teachers marching down Heights Blvd from the old school building to the new high school on 13th Street. Reagan was built on the entirety of blocks 166 and 167. The campus was designed by

John Staub John Fanz Staub (September 12, 1892 – April 13, 1981) was a residential architect who designed numerous traditionally-styled homes and mansions, mostly in Houston, Texas, from the 1920s to 1960s. Early life John F. Staub was born on September ...

and William Ward Watkin, who were designers of the original campus of Rice University. Reagan was first established as an all-white high school. Overcrowding at Reagan was relieved by

Waltrip High School Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a public high school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018. Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Waltrip has Hou ...

when Waltrip opened in 1959. Reagan High was previously reserved for white children (Hispanics being categorized as white prior to 1970Kellar, William Henry. '' Make Haste Slowly: Moderates, Conservatives, and School Desegregation in Houston''.

Texas A&M University Press Texas A&M University Press (also known informally as TAMU Press) is a scholarly publishing house associated with Texas A&M University. It was founded in 1974 and is located in College Station, Texas, in the United States. Overview The Texas A& ...

, 1999. , 9781603447188. // p
33
(Google Books PT14).) but it

desegregated Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...

by 1970. Its student body started to become increasingly Hispanic; by 1988 Reagan was mostly Hispanic. In 1997 a portion of the Reagan boundary was rezoned to Waltrip.1996-1997 HISD ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES
(). ''

''. June 30, 1997. Retrieved on December 13, 2010. "Redirect students residing in a geographic "arm" west of Shepherd from Reagan to Waltrip" In 2006 Reagan began a renovation project. Set to end in the summer of 2007, the renovations to Reagan included the building of a new cafeteria, a new gymnasium complex, an additional academic building, a new vocational building, and a

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

.School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names
." ''

''. Accessed September 24, 2008. Circa 2006 Connie Berger became the principal of Reagan. In 2009 Berger expected around 100 former private school students to enroll because the economic conditions persuaded families to send their children to public school instead of private school. Around 2012, each year a total of 400 students transfer from Booker T. Washington High School to Reagan and

.Radcliffe, Jennifer.
Effort to save historic Booker T. High gains steam
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

''. Thursday February 2, 2012. Retrieved on February 2, 2012. The HISD board voted to rename the school to Heights High School in 2016.Clemons, Tracy.
HISD approves name changes for seven schools

Archive
. ''

KTRK-TV KTRK-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, airing programming from the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios on Bissonnet Stre ...

''. Thursday May 12, 2016. Retrieved on May 21, 2016. In June 2016 a group of eight Houston area residents, including alumni and parents, sued HISD to get an injunction to prevent the name changes; they did so after HISD did not accept their ultimatum to stop the name changes. Wayne Dolcefino serves as their spokesperson. The case was rejected in court with prejudice.

Campus

In 2006 Reagan began a renovation project that included the building of a new cafeteria, a new gymnasium complex, an additional academic building, a new vocational building, and a library. The school now also has an auditorium, a teaching theater, dance rooms, technology rooms, a piano lab, a choir/band hall, and a library with computers where the students can do research. It also has a two-story parking garage, an auto shop, and large track and field. In 2012 Richard Connelly of the ''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely by advertising ...

'' ranked Reagan as the sixth most architecturally beautiful high school campus in

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Co ...

. Connelly said that a coworker told him that Reagan looked like Rydell High School in '' Grease''.Connelly, Richard. "The 7 Best-Looking High Schools in Houston." ''

''. Tuesday May 22, 2012
1
Retrieved on May 27, 2012.

Academic programs

Health and Science Academy: classes and shadowing at health care facilities; seniors can work entry level health positions in partnership with Ben Taub Hospital. Business Academy: classes and hands-on experience. Magnet Academy for Computer Technology: options include audio/video production, computer programming and digital media/web technology. The school’s A/V program is the only authorized Apple training center in the Houston area, giving students the opportunity to earn certification in Apple Final Cut Pro video editing software. Engineering and Design Academy – Students participate in VEX and

FIRST Robotics For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (''FIRST'') is an international youth organization that operates the ''FIRST'' Robotics Competition, ''FIRST'' LEGO League Challenge, ''FIRST'' LEGO League Explore, ''FIRST'' LEGO Leagu ...

, and have access to a NAO Humanoid Robot for programming, Markerbots 3D printers and an Arduino electronics lab. Transportation Academy – Students study in specialized labs designed for automotive mechanics and repair. The program is certified by NATEF and students compete in SkillsUSA competitions. International Baccalaureate – (IB) – In 2013, Reagan became an official IB World School offering the Middle Years Programme (from 6th to 10th grade) in partnership with Hogg Middle School.

Student body

In 2006 the school had 1,600 students. In 2016 it had 2,340 students.

Athletics

2014 was Heights High’s first year in the 6A Conference. The football team is cheered on by Bulldog Cheerleaders, the “redcoats”, and a marching band composed of about 140 students.

Neighborhoods served by the school

Heights High School takes students from most of the

neighborhood, a small portion of

Downtown Houston Downtown is the largest central business district in the city of Houston and the largest in the state of Texas, located near the geographic center of the metropolitan area at the confluence of Interstate 10, Interstate 45, and Interstate 69. The ...

, the Fourth Ward, East Norhill, Woodland Heights, Brooke Smith, Magnolia Grove, Stude the Old Sixth Ward, The Historic 1st Ward, and a small portion of Midtown. Other parts of Houston northwest of downtown within the

610 Loop Interstate 610 (I-610) is a freeway that forms a loop around the inner city sector of the city of Houston, Texas. I-610, colloquially known as The Loop, Loop 610, The Inner Loop, or just 610, traditionally marks the border between the ...

are zoned to Heights High as well. Originally, all of the Houston Heights was zoned to the school. In 1997, a small portion was rezoned to Waltrip. The following

Houston Housing Authority Houston Housing Authority (HHA), formerly Housing Authority of the City of Houston (HACH), is the public housing authority in Houston, Texas. The Mayor of Houston appoints the board of directors of the HHA, but it itself is not a department of th ...

public housing complexes, all in the Fourth Ward, are zoned to Heights High:

Historic Oaks of Allen Parkway Village Historic Oaks of Allen Parkway Village, formerly Allen Parkway Village (APV) and San Felipe Courts Apartments, is a public housing complex in the northern Fourth Ward, Houston, Texas,Snyder, Mike.With its rich history, Fourth Ward is strong in sy ...

, Historical Rental Initiative (30 single-family houses), and Victory Place.

Feeder patterns

Middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s feeding into Heights High School include Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, Alexander Hamilton, and Hogg, Elementary schools that feed indirectly into Heights through the above middle schools include Browning Field Harvard (partial) Crockett Gregory-Lincoln Education Center Helms Jefferson Ketelsen (partial) Love Memorial (partial), and Travis (partial). Magnet students must follow the HISD Magnet application process and may apply from all HISD areas.

Notable alumni

Red Adair Paul Neal "Red" Adair (June 18, 1915 – August 7, 2004)Obituary: Red Adair

Distinguished HISD Alumni
." ''

''. *

Mary Kay Ash Mary Kay Ash (born Mary Kathlyn Wagner; May 12, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. At her death, she had a fortune of $98 million, and her company had more than $1.2 billion in sa ...

(Class of 1934), founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics * Val Belcher (Class of 1972), former CFL All-Star * Dr. Denton Cooley (Class of 1937), heart surgeon *

Wayne Graham Wayne may refer to: People with the given name and surname * Wayne (given name) * Wayne (surname) Geographical Places with name ''Wayne'' may take their name from a person with that surname; the most famous such person was Gen. "Mad" Antho ...

(Class of 1954), professional baseball player Philadelphia Phillies, and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

. Head Baseball Coach of the Rice University Owls * Richard Haynes (lawyer) (Class of 1945), criminal defense attorney * Larry Hovis (Class of 1954), actor, notably in long running TV sitcom, "Hogans' Heroes" * Raymond Knight (Class of 1940), U.S. Army Air Corps

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient *

Dan Rather Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. Rather began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hur ...

(Class of 1950), journalist * Craig Reynolds (Class of 1971), professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates,

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

, and Houston Astros *

Martha Wong Dr. Martha Jee Wong, born Martha Jee,(1939–) *

Gwendolyn Zepeda Gwendolyn Zepeda (born December 27, 1971 in Houston, Texas) is an American author. Zepeda is Houston's first Poet Laureate, serving a two-year term from 2013 to 2015. She was succeeded by Leslie Contreras Schwartz. History Her father was Mexica ...

(Class of 1990), authorReagan HS grad becomes Houston’s first poet laureate
"

. May 9, 2013. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.

References

External links

Heights High School
** ** {{authority control 1927 establishments in Texas Educational institutions established in 1927 Houston Independent School District high schools Public high schools in Houston Magnet schools in Houston Houston Heights