Love Elementary in the Heights (Houston, Hamilton: houses, neighborhood, buying)

[Ebru]

Any comments?

The school (Love Elementary) has many ups and downs. There is a big population of Hispanic kids at this school. I usually don't mind and see that as an opportunity for my kids to learn some Spanish but it seems like there is a dominant (%90) hispanic population at this school with overwhelming underprivileged students ratio.
Any experiences? Comments? after thoughts?

[KatieKennedy]

Nearby Harvard Elementary is much better. If you are looking for houses in the Heights focus on the area zoned to Harvard.

[KatieKennedy]

There was some talk earlier this year of rezoning Love and many other elementary schools in HISD to off load overcrowded schools. For Love the proposal was to expand the zone take in more of the areas to the north and west currently served by Sinclair Elementary. The rezoning proposals were all tabled after lots of neighborhood protests. if you go to the HISD website you can see the maps with the current and proposed zones. If the rezoning eventually happens, you might see a change in the demographics.

[David Dollar]

Love is going to be a dual language academy next year. So, if your child will be in pre-k expect half if the day to be in Spanish. As far as the school being better, your child will receive the same instruction. Love is not a school with disciplinary issues at all. Also, if you send your child to Harvard, expect MUCH more pressure for your child to perform.

[Houstonian84]

I would expect to see Love experience a demographic shift similar to that of Harvard over the next 5 years. There has been a large influx of families with young children and money moving into the area.

[wstaffor]

We are moving specifically to get out of Love's zone. Would never send my kid there.

[cockermom]

In the local paper, The Leader, they just posted the ratings of the nearby elementary, middle and high schools. Love Elementary received a "D" last year and was ranked number 600 in Houston. This year it received a "C" and is ranked number 507 in Houston.

[marksmu]

I dont expect improvement at Love. None of the new families moving in send their kids to Love. They all apply vanguard, or private, and if they do not get into the schools of their choice, they move.

Almost everyone I know moved out of the Heights when their kids got to school age...myself included.

[KatieKennedy]

I second what marksmu said. We just moved into the Heights to an area zoned to Field, Hamilton, and Reagan. Our daughter is in private school and we will be empty nesters in a few years so we did not make our buying decision based on the school situation. Our next door neighbors who have an elementary aged daughter just moved to a house zoned to Poe. Our neighbors across the street applied to private schools but their child did not get in for preschool. They are contemplating moving out.

[Ebru]

Regardless of how many people are not sending their kids to Love, There are many new comers choosing Love simply because they are zone to it. When I looked into Harvard's history, that too wasn't where it is now about 10-15 years ago.
My son goes to Harvard and we were very happy with the school. I did;t feel any pressure but he is special ed therefore I don't know.
I might still give a chance to this neighbor school. My daughter is pretty smart and ahead of her classmates already at the preschool. She is unfortunately way too pretty, blonde and model citizen. I don't want to see her being bullied or treated differently because she might be different then the school demographics in general. At the same time, she is very interested in learning Spanish and this might be an excellent chance for her

Thank you for your inputs