Sharpstown High School

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Sharpstown High School

Sharpstown High School is a secondary school located at 7504 Bissonnet in Houston, Texas, United States with a zip code of 77074. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Houston Independent School District.

The school serves the community of Sharpstown, which was Houston's first-ever master planned community. In addition, Sharpstown High School also serves the communities of Robindell, Braeburn Glen, Braeburn Terrace, Braeburn Valley, Braeburn Valley West, Sharpstown Country Club Terrace, and portions of Fondren Southwest.^[1]

International High School, an alternative secondary school, has been located within the campus of Sharpstown High School since fall 2007.^[2]

[edit] History

Sharpstown High School was originally in the campus now occupied by Sharpstown Middle School. In fall 1970 Sharpstown High School moved into a new campus.

A 2003 state audit of HISD's performance caused more controversy. One of the district's most publicized accomplishments during the Rod Paige era was a dramatic reduction in dropout rates. When 16 secondary schools, including Sharpstown High School, were audited, it was found that most of the students who left school from those schools in 2000-2001 should have been counted as dropouts, but were not ^{[3] [4]}. It was found that the administrators at Sharpstown deliberately changed the dropout rate at the school. The Sharpstown controversy resulted in a recommendation to label the entire HISD as "unacceptable." Former Sharpstown assistant principal Robert Kimball asserts that HISD coerced administrators at many schools to lie on dropout rates. HISD asserts that the fraud is only contained to Sharpstown, and that the false statistics at other schools were caused by confusion related to the state's system of tracking students who leave school.

According to the October 2006 "For Your Information" newsletter, Sharpstown was one of four high schools that took the most Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

[edit] Youth criminal gangs

Charles Rotramel, the owner of the nonprofit program Youth Advocates, stated in a 2006 Houston Chronicle article that Lee High School, Westbury High School, and Sharpstown High School have suffered from the actions of youth criminal gangs ^[5].

On one internet bulletin board, various gangs stated that they "run" Sharpstown High School ^[6]; Terry Abbott, the Houston ISD spokesman, denied all such statements.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Athletics

As of 2007-2008, coach Gary Gutierrez coaches the American football team at Sharpstown High School.^[7]

[edit] School uniforms

Starting in fall 2007, Sharpstown High School requires school uniforms ^[8]. Jane Lozano, the associate principal, said, "We wanted our students to present a more academic presence than the baggy, low-riding pants that are fashionable for young men, as well as to correct the wearing of low cut blouses and short skirts on our young ladies."^[9]

The Texas Education Agency specified 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 ^[10]; parents must specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

[edit] Feeder patterns

Elementary schools that feed into Sharpstown High School ^[1] include:

• Bonham ^[11]
• McNamara ^[12]
• White ^[13]
• Herod (partial) ^[14]
• Milne (partial) ^[15]
• Neff (partial) ^[16]
• Sutton (partial) ^[17]
• Valley West (partial) ^[18]

Middle schools that feed into Sharpstown High School include:

• Fondren M. S. (partial) ^[19]
• Long (partial) ^[20]
• Sharpstown M. S. (partial) ^[21]
• Welch (partial) ^[22]

Since any student zoned to Long may attend Pin Oak Middle School, Pin Oak also feeds into Sharpstown High School.^[23]

[edit] Notable alumni

• Clarence Bagby - A journalist who founded the Houston Lesbian and Gay Community Center ^[24]
• Robert Earl Keen - A singer and songwriter ^[24]
• David McCarty - Professional baseball player for the Minnesota Twins ^[24]
• Luke Prestridge - Retired professional American football player for the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots ^[24]
• Michael J. Reardon and Patrick R. Reardon - Cardiothoracic surgeons at the Baylor College of Medicine who developed an "autotransplant" technique along with Denton Cooley. ^[24]
• Steve "The Rocket" Rosen - A high-profile trial lawyer ^[24]
• Margaret Spellings - As of 2006, the United States Secretary of Education (Class of 1975). ^[25]
• Forest "Greg" Swindell - Retired professional baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks. ^[24]
• Joseph Addai (American football player for the Indianapolis Colts)
• Barrett Robbins (Former Center for the Oakland Raiders)
• Robert K. Garcia (Coolest kid on campus today)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Sharpstown High School
• Sharpstown High School PTO