Westbury High School is a secondary school located in the Brays Oaks,"Brays Oaks District ." Brays Oaks. Retrieved on October 23, 2011. of Southwest Houston, Texas, near the Westbury neighborhood. It has grades 9 through 12, and is part of the Houston Independent School District.
In addition to its academic programs, it has automotive technology, health science, engineering, firefighting, computer technology and business career programs."HISD speeds up timetable for renovation of Westbury" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on November 21, 2015.
History
Westbury High School opened in the fall of 1961. The three-story building with its main entrance facing Gasmer Street housed the administrative offices, classrooms, cafeteria, auditorium, library, and gym.
Westbury's 1961 enrollment consisted of 813 students – seniors, juniors, and sophomores coming from Bellaire, Lamar, and San Jacinto High Schools; and freshmen coming from Johnston Jr High School (now Meyerland Middle School). After the first year, there would not be a freshman class until the late 1970s. Of that first year's class, 58 seniors received their diplomas in the Westbury High School auditorium.
W. I. "Jim" Burns was Westbury's first principal. A lieutenant colonel in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Burns had taught chemistry at San Jacinto and Lamar High Schools, and had opened Bellaire High School as assistant principal.
There were 73 teachers in the first year. The curriculum included the academic courses — math, science, English and foreign language; the fine arts — music and art, speech, drama, journalism, home economics; the commercial subjects—typing, business machines, and business law; the industrial arts—mechanical drawing—architectural drawing, woodshop and metal shop; drivers education, physical education and the National Defense Cadet Corps.
The school set up the Oceanography/Living Resource Center to provide oceanography education and biological material for the district's science classes. Later, oceanography was phased out and it became the Living Resource Center (known as the "Frog Farm" around Westbury).
W.L. Burns died in 1966 and John Brandstetter served as the interim principal until Kenneth Gupton was appointed principal in 1967.
The 2000s On May 18, 2001, the main education 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.Downing, Margaret. "Stepchild?" Houston Press. September 6, 2001. 1. 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 February 9, 2006, a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a second floor school restroom facility. The suspect escaped detection and left the campus before administrators realized that a sexual assault had happened. When the suspect was identified, it was revealed that he was already incarcerated for an unrelated incident.Staff. "Man gets 45 years in sex assaults" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Wednesday May 30, 2007. p. B3. Retrieved on November 20, 2015. Ronald Walker pleaded guilty and received 45 years of prison for this and other sexual assault crimes."State fails to track school crime records" (Archive). KHOU-TV. October 26, 2009. Retrieved on November 20, 2015.
In 2006, Charles Rotramel, executive director of the nonprofit program Youth Advocates, stated in a Houston Chronicle article that Lee High School, Westbury High School, and Sharpstown High School had suffered from the actions of youth criminal gangs.Ruiz, Rosanna. "Troublesome spike in teen violent crime." Houston Chronicle, December 10, 2006. B1 MetFront.
On November 28, 2006, a 16-year-old 9th-grade boy named Julian Ruiz"Student fatally shot while walking to school," KTRK-TV 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."Suspect vehicle could yield clues in student's fatal shooting," KTRK-TV The two 17-year-old suspects in the shooting were identified as Augustin Miguel Marquez and Aldo Aguilar Ramirez."Westbury shooting suspects sought." KHOU-TV. In a response to the incident, district and school officials said that the incident had occurred outside of the school property, and had no bearing on the safety of the students inside.Spencer, Jason. "Is Westbury dangerous?" Houston Chronicle. November 28, 2006. Retrieved on November 4, 2011.
In fall 2007, Westbury admitted Burundian refugees who were resettled in Houston.Turner, Allan. "BACK TO SCHOOL / Facing new classes in a new country / Already amazed by life in Houston, Burundians get ready for ultimate marvel: school," Houston Chronicle. Saturday August 25, 2007. A1. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
A 2007 Johns Hopkins University/Associated Press study referred to Westbury as a "dropout factory" where at least 40% of the entering freshman class does not make it to their senior year.Scharrer, Gary. "Report points to 'dropout factories'." Houston Chronicle. Wednesday October 31, 2007. Retrieved on October 23, 2011. During that year, 41% of high-school-age children zoned to Westbury chose to attend a different Houston ISD school.Radcliffe, Jennifer. "Critics: In HISD, too many don't go where zoned / Black leaders argue bond has no fix to get kids back to schools in their neighborhoods." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 14, 2007. B1 MetFront. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
The district named the Rita Woodward Environmental Nature Park on February 14, 2008."A park takes root in Westbury." Houston Chronicle. February 25, 2008.
The 2010s In 2010 HISD acquired two apartment complexes in poor condition in order to expand Westbury.Foster, Robin. "Residents push HISD to buy more land for Westbury High" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Tuesday November 11, 2014. Retrieved on November 20, 2015.
In 2011 the Brays Oaks district expanded."Parks & Recreation." Brays Oaks. Retrieved on October 23, 2011. Westbury High School became a part of the district."Enroll_Expansion.pdf ." Brays Oaks Management District. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
In 2014 the district announced that the school would encourage all students to take Advanced Placement courses.Mellon, Ericka. "A really big push for students to take Advanced Placement courses." Houston Chronicle. August 12, 2014. Retrieved on August 21, 2014.
Area residents believed that HISD wanted to acquire two more apartment complexes to further expand Westbury, and HISD officials told area residents that they planned to acquire the Westbury Manor Apartments.Mellon, Ericka. "HISD rejects plan to take complex near Westbury High" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday January 15, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015. By 2014 they discovered that the 2012 bond did not specify purchasing additional complexes; residents started an online petition to ask HISD to acquire those complexes. In January 2015 HISD board members rejected acquiring the Westbury Manor Apartments.
Jason Catchings became the principal of Westbury in the 2014–2015 school year;Mellon, Ericka. "HISD: Westbury principal ordered passing grades" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Tuesday May 5, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015. He had served as the principal of Scarborough High School for a three-year period.Mellon, Ericka. "Westbury principal faces firing over grade-changing" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Tuesday May 12, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015.
As part of the 2012 bond, the school was scheduled to have a $48 million renovation, to be completed in 2018.Foster, Robin. "HISD speeds up timetable for renovation of Westbury" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on November 21, 2015.
In April 2015, an HISD spokesperson stated that the district was investigating an incident in which a substitute teacher was asked to pass all students with grades of 80 or above.Mellon, Ericka. "HISD investigating alleged grade changing at Westbury High" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday April 30, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015. An HISD report stated that Catchings was responsible for the order, and the district reassigned him while the district's director of high schools, Justin Fuentes, temporarily took Catchings's position.Mellon, Ericka. "Westbury High principal reassigned after critical audit" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Wednesday May 6, 2015. The HISD board fired Catchings, who planned to file an appeal.Mellon, Ericka. "Westbury principal plans to appeal termination" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday May 14, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015. Catchings was replaced by Susan Monaghan, who had been the principal of Pin Oak Middle School.Mellon, Ericka. "HISD names Yates, Sterling, Westbury High principals" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. June 5, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2015.
Neighborhoods served by Westbury
Areas zoned to Westbury High include:
Many neighborhoods in southwest Houston, including almost all of Westbury, Post Oak Manor, Marilyn Estates, Willowbend,"Section Map" (). Willowbend Civic Club. Retrieved on April 13, 2014. most of Willow Meadows,Map. Willow Meadows. Retrieved on March 27, 2016. Map image (). Glenshire, Parkwest, Maplewood South, about half of the Westwood subdivision,Section 1 Blocks 1-7: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v077/AE1997_77-1_0132.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v077/AE1997_77-1_0132.jpg Blocks 1-7 Replat for 1952: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v077/AE1997_77-1_0131.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v077/AE1997_77-1_0131.jpg
Sections 2-4: Section 2, Blocks 8-14: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v077/AE1997_77-1_0133.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v077/AE1997_77-1_0133.jpg Section 3, Blocks 15-25: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v077/AE1997_77-1_0134.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v077/AE1997_77-1_0134.jpg Section 4, Blocks 26-37: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v077/AE1997_77-1_0135.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v077/AE1997_77-1_0135.jpg - Note that Reserve A is where a city park was built and Reserve B is where Shearn Elementary was built
Section 5: Blocks 1-9 and Reservations A-D: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v080/AE1997_80-2_0045.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v080/AE1997_80-2_0045.jpg - Corpus Christi Catholic Church and school are in Tract "A" along Cheena Drive Block 6 and Reservations B and D: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v080/AE1997_80-2_0046.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v080/AE1997_80-2_0046.jpg Blocks 7-9 and Tract A: http://books.tax.hctx.net/BlockBooksPDF/v080/AE1997_80-2_0047.pdf and http://books.tax.hctx.net/v080/AE1997_80-2_0047.jpg and parts of Brays Oaks (Fondren Southwest), as well as the Harris County portion of the city of Missouri City. - For more details, see: Map Book
In 1970 the Westwood subdivision, along with some other White communities, was rezoned from Westbury to Madison High School because of a court ruling. By 1990, Westbury was about 50% Black, 25% White, 15% Hispanic, and 10% Asian, while Madison was 1% White. In 1992 an attendance boundary shift occurred but Westwood was still in the Madison zone. The Westwood community advocated for a rezoning to Westbury,McAdams, p. 55. and after the community gave a presentation to the HISD board, the board unanimously rezoned the community to Westbury.McAdams, p. 56.