Lamar High School (Houston)
Lamar High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Lamar High School, was established in 1936 in memory of Mirabeau B. Lamar (1798–1859), a leader in the Texas Revolution and the second President of the Republic of Texas. Lamar has a four-year program, serving grades 9 through 12.
Lamar High School
French: Va t'en aux étoiles
(Reach for the Stars)
1936
Rita Graves
142.78 (FTE)[1]
3,125 (2022-23)[1]
21.89[1]
Urban
Red, Blue, White
Texans[2]
Lamar Life
Orenda
West University Place, most of Southside Place, various neighborhoods in Houston
Wisdom zone w/ Lamar option: Parts of Houston, small sections of Hunters Creek Village and Piney Point Village
- Baker Montessori School (K-8)
- Gregory-Lincoln Education Center (K-8)
- Wharton Dual Language Academy (K-8)
- Lanier Middle School
- Pershing Middle School
- Poe Elementary School
- River Oaks Elementary School
- Others listed below
The school is located in the Upper Kirby district,[3] serving the Houston neighborhoods of River Oaks and Montrose, the incorporated city of West University Place, a portion of the city of Southside Place, and other Houston subdivisions. Lamar offers neighborhood, Advanced Placement, and IB Diploma (International Baccalaureate) programs. It also hosts a business magnet program offering business management courses that works in conjuncture with the Houston business community to provide internships and university scholarships.[4] Lamar's IB Diploma programs is one of six in HISD,[5] and consistently graduates the largest number of IB Diploma diploma candidates in Texas.[6]
Seal and motto[edit]
The school seal includes the coat of arms of the family of Mirabeau B. Lamar. The school motto "Va t'en aux étoiles", featured on the seal, was the Lamar family's motto.[60]
Uniforms[edit]
Before fall 2006, Lamar maintained a dress code allowing for students to wear most types of clothing.[61] Starting in the 2006–2007 school year, the school requires school uniforms.[62] Uniforms consist of monogrammed navy or white Lamar polo shirts and khaki bottoms. All shoe types are permitted, including flip-flops; female students are allowed to wear plaid skirts. The Texas Education Agency specifies 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; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.[63][64] Alice Davidson, a Lamar student who wrote the "Screaming in the Halls" column in the "Yo! Houston" section of the Houston Chronicle, said that the Lamar uniform is similar to that of the St. John's School.[65]
Of the more than twenty HISD high schools that, as of 2007, had a standardized dress code or uniforms, Lamar was the only one that had a White plurality. The principal, James McSwain, cited safety concerns with a world after the Columbine High School massacre and the September 11, 2001 attacks as the reason for the school's adoption of uniforms. The newly created policy received opposition from some students and parents;[66] the policy was criticized in the May 16, 2006 Houston Chronicle by Davidson in her column.[65] The Houston Chronicle printed a feature about the Lamar uniform policy in the August 22, 2006 edition of the Yo! section;[67] the feature was written by Jessica Silverman, a student at Lamar as of 2006.[68]
In summer 2009, summer school students at Lamar were required to buy a uniform that differed from the regular Lamar uniform.[69]
Neighborhoods served[edit]
Within Lamar attendance boundary[edit]
Many parts of Houston west of Downtown that are inside the 610 Loop are zoned to Lamar.[70] River Oaks,[27][71] Afton Oaks,[72] Upper Kirby,[3] Avalon Place, Avondale, Southgate,[73] Morningside Place,[74] Highland Village, Shadyside,[75] West Lane Place, Lynn Park, Oak Estates, Royden Oaks, Old Braeswood, Boulevard Oaks, Southampton Place, most of Cottage Grove,[76] Sunset Terrace, Broadacres,[77] Ranch Estates, Rice Village, Rice Military, Crestwood/Glen Cove,[78] Weslayan Plaza, the portions of Braeswood Place east of Stella Link and north of South Braeswood (including Braes Heights and Braes Oaks),[79] most of Midtown,[80] a small portion of Riverside Terrace, and the Neartown area (including Montrose, Cherryhurst, Westmoreland,[81] Courtlandt Place,[82] Hyde Park,[83] Richwood, Lancaster Place, Castle Court, and North Montrose) are also zoned to Lamar.[84] Laura Nathan-Garner, author of the second edition of the Insiders' Guide to Houston (2012), wrote that "Many children in [River Oaks] attend [Lamar]".[54]
In addition, all pupils in the city of West University Place and the majority of pupils in the city of Southside Place (areas east of Stella Link Road) are zoned to Lamar.[85][86]
Rice Village Apartments, the Rice University graduate housing complexes that admit families, is zoned to this school; Morningside Square, a Rice University complex which was formerly in operation and also housed families, was also zoned to Lamar.[87] 7900 Cambridge and 1885 El Paseo, the student housing properties of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, are also zoned to Lamar.[88] Other notable apartment and condominium complexes zoned to Lamar include 2727 Kirby,[89] The Driscoll at River Oaks,[90] The Huntingdon,[91] Isabella Court,[92] The Residences at La Colombe d'Or,[93] and Sheridan Apartments.[94] The Texas Medical Center (TMC) employee housing complex, Laurence H. Favrot Tower Apartments, was also zoned to Lamar;[95] On August 31, 2012 the complex closed.[96]
In the 1970s most of the neighborhoods in Lamar's attendance zone were middle and upper middle class, with the exception of the very wealthy River Oaks. As of 1975 the boundaries were roughly Interstate 10 (Katy Freeway) to the North, the Brays Bayou to the South, Montrose Boulevard to the East, and the 610 Loop to the west.[16]
with Lamar as an option[edit]
Students residing in the Margaret Long Wisdom attendance zone,[97] including the Uptown district and the neighborhoods of Briarmeadow, Briargrove,[98] Briarcroft, Gulfton, Larchmont, Tanglewilde, St. George Place (Lamar Terrace), Shenandoah,[99] Tanglewood, West Oaks, Woodlake Forest, Jeanetta, Sharpstown Country Club Estates, and small portions of Westchase east of Gessner, may go to Lamar, Margaret Long Wisdom High, or Westside High.[84][100] Small portions of the cities of Hunters Creek Village and Piney Point Village are zoned to Margaret Long Wisdom with options for Lamar and Westside.[100][101][102]
Sister schools[edit]
Dalian No. 24 High School in Dalian, People's Republic of China has been Lamar's sister school since 2000.[126][127] Dalian is one of Houston's sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International.[128]
Inage Senior High School in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan is also one of Lamar's sister schools.[129] Chiba has been Houston's sister city through Sister Cities International since 1973.[128]