inner loop high schools (Bellaire, River Oaks: private school, garden, rich)

[new_houston]

Can anybody tell me if Reagan High School is a good school? How about the technology magent program - is it good? Are there certain circumstances where the school is good where it might not be otherwise (e.g. it is good if you take honors/AP classes but not so good for regular classes).


How about Waltrip HS?



How do either of those compare to Lamar HS?


Thanks!

[westres1]

IMO they dont compare to Lamar. Lamar has the IB program and a strong prescence from the upperclass inner loopers. Waltrip may be changing due to the growth of Garden Oaks and Oak Forest but I still think its a little rough.

[karuna95]

Agree with westres1. Although Lamar HS is also very diverse, as it draws students from a large catchment area, in addition to West U and River Oaks, I think it has more to offer than either Reagan or Waltrip.

[diggity101]

agreed, neither of those other schools are in the same tier as Lamar.

Lamar, Bellaire and Westside are honestly the only "traditional" HISD high schools I would consider sending my kids to.

[EasilyAmused]

And I would chose Westside over Lamar these days. It's always changing.

[emirate25]

As an ex Lamar and Waltrip alumni, they are totally different schools. At Lamar you find rich kids rejects that were not able to get to St. John private school and Waltrip tends to be more middle/working class environment.

I agree with above post, it seems that Westside is the new "acceptable" HISD school that "white" folks are sending their kids to for public education.

[new_houston]

In my opinion middle/working class kids can get a good education at a good school. Although that means the culture of Waltrip is different, can a kid stay safe, have fun, and get a good education there?

[new_houston]

Thanks all for the suggestions. It appears that Lamar and Bellaire are the better choices.

[bubbles63]

Go to the schools websites...check out the demographics...the test scores....the blogs about the school from parents...that's what I did when choosing for my son. Also I called the school principles and asked if they have any openings...if I wasn't in the zone. They were all very nice and informative!

[karuna95]

The schools should also have a director for the magnet program. Talk to that person. Re: school demographics, some sociologists make the case that low SES is more of an indicator of school performance than race/ethnicity. Look for the % of kids on free or reduced lunch. Of course, look at the test scores too. However, realize that even large and well-known schools will have their bright spots (AP classes, IB programs, lots of language options and other extracurricular activities), there are also challenges (i.e. bullying, drug use, etc...) Schools are just a microscosm of the students' worlds. I think talking to school administrators is most helpful. Come in with a list of questions from school life to academic, physical and social activities. All the bells and whistles won't do any good for your child if she/he doesn't qualify for the program, or can't attend those activities. good luck!