Waltrip High School
Public high school in Houston, Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a public high school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Houston Independent School District.
| S.P. Waltrip High School | |
|---|---|
| |
 Waltrip High School in 2009 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , United States 29.819442°N 95.434284°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Established | 1959 |
School district | Houston Independent School District |
Principal | Margaret Randall |
| Staff | 105.83 (FTE) (2022–23)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,597 (2022–23)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 15.09:1 (2022–23)[1] |
| Colors | Red and gray |
| Mascot | Rams |
| Newspaper | The Waltrip Tribune |
| Yearbook | Aries |
| Website | www |
The school's namesake is a former principal at the defunct Houston Heights High School,[2] who transferred to Reagan High School (now renamed Heights High School) after that school replaced the original Houston Heights High.[3]
History
Waltrip High School opened in 1960 to serve many newly developed post-World War II subdivisions, and relieved Reagan High School of many students when it did so. It was relieved by Scarborough Junior-Senior High School when that school opened in 1969. The school was named after Stephen Pool Waltrip, a funeral home owner in the Houston Heights named principal of Reagan High School in 1918.[4]
The school remained majority white until the early 1990s, when the school was equally white, black, and Hispanic.[5]
In 1997 a portion of the Reagan High School boundary was rezoned to Waltrip.[6] By the 2000s, Waltrip became majority Hispanic.[5]
Waltrip has become one of the highest performing comprehensive high schools in Houston ISD by being named "Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency[when?], one of the few urban high schools in Houston ISD to receive such a designation. (Reference: Texas Education Agency website).[7][citation needed]
Around 2012, each year a total of 400 students transfer from Booker T. Washington High School to Waltrip and Reagan.[8]
In 2015 Andria Schur got a job as the principal of a charter school in Dallas, Texas, causing her to leave her post as principal of Waltrip. Dale Mitchell, previously the principal of Sterling High School, became the principal of Waltrip.[9]
The campus began receiving a renovation around 2015.[10]
Student body
The makeup of the 1,597 students enrolled during the 2022-2023 school year was:
- 77% Hispanic
- 8% White
- 14% Black
- <1% Asian
- <1% Native American
Approximately 74% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.
Facilities
In 2012 it housed the Waltrip High School Child Development Center, a preschool program for low income children.[11] Since 2015 it no longer does so.[citation needed]
Academic performance
The Texas Education Agency rankings in 2009-2010 and 2011 were "Recognized" and "Academically Acceptable". Downing stated in 2012 that "Waltrip High is neither the worst nor the best high school in HISD."[12]
Notable alumni
- Mark Calaway (Class of 1983) - Retired WWE professional wrestler known as The Undertaker.[13]
- David Owen Brooks - convicted murderer and accomplice of serial killer Dean Corll
- Shelley Duvall (Class of 1967) - Producer and actress [14]
- Denzel Livingston (Class of 2011), basketball player for Hapoel Kfar Saba of the Israeli Liga Leumit[15]
- Debra Maffett (Class of 1975) - Miss America 1983.[14]
- Van Malone (Class of 1988) - Professional American football player for the Detroit Lions and college football coach[14]
- Keenan McCardell (Class of 1988) - Professional American football wide receiver coach for the Minnesota Vikings[14]
- Barbara Olson (Class of 1974) - Conservative commentator and September 11, 2001 attacks victim [16]
- Patrick Swayze (Class of 1971) - Actor and dancer.[14]
- Ric Gonzalez (Class of 1992) - Distribution Savant and Entrepreneur.[14]
- Jermaine Rogers (Class of 1991) - Gig-poster artist and vinyl collectible designer.[14]
- John H. Whitmire (Class of 1967) - A Texas senator, Mayor of Houston[14]
- Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman - murder victims - Waltrip High School contains a memorial to the girls [17]
