Considering moving inside the loop, possibly the Rice/Military area. Only have experience with KISD schools, so I’m wanting to learn from those of you inner loopers and your knowledge and experience navigating the magnet and lottery process for your high school kids. Most of the homes we are looking at are districted to Lamar but I’m reading differing things on how Lamar is. Apparently there are different tracks, IB, etc you need to apply to that can completely change the experience. Then there all of the magnets like Carnegie Vanguard which you need to be a GT student to even apply. Also trying to avoid dropping $30k a year on a private HS. So couple of questions: 1. Given the current state of HISD and the state’s intervention, are all of the public HISD HS just bad? Including Lamar and Bellaire? 2. if you live in the NW area of Houston, (Heights, River Oaks, Rice Military, etc) where do you send your HS age kids to school? I see lots of expensive neighborhoods but the local public HS are not ranked highly. 3. if you’ve gone the magnet lottery route what was your experience with getting into your school choice and dealing with transportation? Thanks!
I can't speak on high school level but we did lottery for elementary school and so far have had a mostly positive experience. My kids school is halfway between work and home so it worked out. We applied back at the beginning of 2023 and didn't get it then they randomly called us in September asking if we were still interested.
I live inside loop 610, about a mile north of Memorial Park in Timbergrove/Lazybrook (just West of the Heights). My son goes to St. Thomas. Excellent (but difficult) college prep school.
Episcopal is a wonderfully great school, if remembering correctly from playing sports against them 30 years ago is any useful guide. Other great schools, no sarcasm whatsoever: Kinkaid Briarwood Strake Northwest Academy Mount Carmel Lutheran's South and North Galveston O'Connell etc... I will always reserve a special place in Jesus's happy hole for St. Pius. I have stories. Awty was legit the best for soccer, St John's was the best for general student non-douchebaggery, a thing that surprised both of our schools, in multiple sports.
Lutheran High North will be closing down at the end of this year. Lutheran High South closed down many years ago. Lutheran South Academy is a totally different school, and I know nothing about it. St. Pius is.....just okay, I guess.... When kids drop out of St. Thomas, they usually end up at St. Pius.
There was just a little bit of sarcasm when I said "no sarcasm whatsoever" There were parent-scuffles in the stands at basketball games, we got escorted by police out to our bus at their place on more than one occasion, but my favorite was when (football at their field, game decided the district champ), one play after I broke up a 50 yard bomb in the end zone, they line up on 4th and 2ish, "ready, set, hut"...on the "set" they decided to turn the stadium lights off. They snap it and hand off to the RB who runs right through everybody (who is totally befuddled and literally completely in the dark, and SPX was wearing their black jerseys btw) for a TD. The refs allowed the play to stand, and we lost by 4 points.
Can't answer your Q but as a spouse of an educator who hears some interesting inside insight, I have an opinion on HISD: I wouldn't touch HISD right now with the state of Texas and Mike Miles running the show. I won't get into it because it's politics (although the black and white outcomes are right there to see). You can do your own research there. That said, it's not a terrible district. I just don't trust it to get any better.
