Spring Branch Independent School District

Last updated
Spring Branch Independent School District
Spring Branch ISD
SpringBranchISD.svg
SBISDAdminBuilding.JPG
SBISD administration building
Address
955 Campbell Road
Houston
, Harris, Texas, United States of America
Coordinates 29°46′56.5″N95°30′52.5″W / 29.782361°N 95.514583°W / 29.782361; -95.514583 (District office)
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentDr. Jennifer Blaine, Ed.D.
Students and staff
Students35,000
Other information
Website springbranchisd.com

Spring Branch Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Hedwig Village, Texas, United States in Greater Houston. The district serves portions of western Houston, [1] including most of Spring Branch. [2] It also serves several small municipalities known as the Memorial Villages in its jurisdiction, such as Hedwig Village and Spring Valley Village. A majority of the district lies within Houston city limits.[ citation needed ] [3]

Contents

The school district's boundaries include Hempstead Road to the northeast (formerly US 290), Interstate 610 to the east, Clay Road to the north, the Addicks Dam to the west, and Buffalo Bayou to the south. Spring Branch serves 35,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students and includes a region with 188,000 residents.

The Spring Branch ISD area is served by the Houston Community College System, but it is not within the tax base.[ citation needed ]

SBISD is not to be confused with the Spring Independent School District, also located in the Greater Houston area (the latter is located in the northern portion of the region).

There are currently four traditional high schools (grades 9-12), one of which is 6A, and three 5A high schools, eight middle schools (grades 6-8), and twenty-six elementary schools (grades K-5), and six early education Pre-K centers in the district. Three more high school centers serve students in grades 9-12 with various purposes, including one public charter school.

In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency. [4]

History

Spring Branch Education Center SpringBranchEducationCenter.JPG
Spring Branch Education Center

The school district originated from the Spring Branch School Society, which was sponsored by the St. Peter's Church in 1856. The first school opened in 1889. By 1905, the white school had one teacher with 49 pupils and the black school had one teacher with 29 pupils. [5]

The area did not become urban until the expansion of Houston city limits in the 1950s, which followed a failed attempt by the entire Spring Branch region to incorporate into a single entity, leading to the establishment of the Memorial Villages. [5] Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing through the mid-1970s, the school district expanded rapidly. By 1976, the school district had approximately 45,000 students. [6]

In 1979, The New York Times said that the district was "highly regarded". [7]

As the district moved into the 1980s, the number of students attending SBISD schools dropped precipitously, leaving a number of facilities underutilized. By the 1984-85 school year, the student population had dropped from its mid-1970s peak of over 40,000 to approximately 26,844. [8] That year, the school board voted to consolidate certain schools at the end of school year, closing Spring Branch and Westchester Senior High Schools, along with Westchester and Northbrook Junior High Schools. (Northbrook Junior High School was later re-opened in 1991 as Northbrook Middle School.)

Hal Guthrie became superintendent in 1986 and retired in 2001. During Guthrie's term, an influx of Hispanic and low income students entered the district. By 2001, SBISD established free preschool for students at eligible lower income levels, as well as for students needing ESL or special education services. Melanie Markley of the Houston Chronicle wrote that Guthrie "not only guided the district back to health, but his retirement this year caps the end of a career that many say has earned Spring Branch a reputation as a trailblazer." [9]

In 2009, SBISD began a partnership with Houston Community College Northwest, allowing students to take community college credit. Each student may earn up to 30 credits while enrolled at an SBISD school. [10]

In 2015 two sections of Thornwood, two and three, currently served by the Katy Independent School District, proposed being removed from Katy ISD and placed in Spring Branch ISD, but both KISD and SBISD's boards denied the proposal. [11]

Governance

Spring Branch ISD is led by a Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jennifer Blaine, Ed.D., chosen by the Board of Trustees, headed by President Pam Goodson. The Board of Trustees is elected by voters living in Spring Branch ISD.

In 2023 the board of education began requiring students to use restroom facilities for the gender they were assigned at birth. [12]

Student body

Tully Stadium, viewed by air TullyStadiumAir.JPG
Tully Stadium, viewed by air

In 2001 SBISD had 32,000 students. SBISD's student body was 48% Hispanic, 39% White, 7% Asian, and 6% African American. [1] By 2002 over half of the district's student body consisted of Hispanic and Latino Americans. [13]

As of 2001, most students north of Interstate 10 are Hispanic and lower to middle income, while most students south of Interstate 10 are White and middle to upper income. [9]

In 2008 it had 32,000 students. [14]

In 2009 55% of SBISD students qualified for free or reduced lunch. [15]

In 2018, SBISD had approximately 35,000 students. [16]

SBISD cities

The Guthrie Center GuthrieCenter.JPG
The Guthrie Center

SBISD covers all of the following cities:

SBISD covers portions of the following cities:

Schools

Westchester Academy for International Studies Westchester Academy for International Studies.jpg
Westchester Academy for International Studies
Memorial High School MemorialHighSchoolHedwigVillage.JPG
Memorial High School
Stratford High School StratfordHoustonSchool Outside.JPG
Stratford High School
Spring Branch Middle School SpringBranchMiddleSchoolHedwigVillageTX.JPG
Spring Branch Middle School
Memorial Middle School MemorialMiddleSchoolHouston.JPG
Memorial Middle School
Bunker Hill Elementary School BunkerHillElementarySchoolBunkerHillVillageTexas.JPG
Bunker Hill Elementary School
Frostwood Elementary School Frostwood Elementary-Bunker Hill Village TX.jpg
Frostwood Elementary School
Hunters Creek Elementary School HuntersCreekElementaryHuntersCreekVillageTexas.JPG
Hunters Creek Elementary School
Memorial Drive Elementary School MemorialDriveElementaryPineyPointVillageTX.JPG
Memorial Drive Elementary School
Valley Oaks Elementary School ValleyOaksESHoustonTX.JPG
Valley Oaks Elementary School
Bendwood Campus BendwoodCampusHouston.JPG
Bendwood Campus
The Bear Boulevard School BearBoulevardPreKSpringValleyVillage.JPG
The Bear Boulevard School
The Wildcat Way School WildcatWayPreKHouston.JPG
The Wildcat Way School

K-12 Schools

Secondary schools

6-12 Schools

High Schools

Middle Schools

Other Schools

Primary schools

Elementary schools

Other schools

Pre-kindergarten schools

Former schools

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedwig Village, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Hedwig Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,370 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunters Creek Village, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Hunters Creek Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The population was 4,385 at the 2020 census. It is part of a collection of upscale residential communities in west Houston known as the Memorial Villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piney Point Village, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Piney Point Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,125 at the 2010 census. Piney Point Village is the wealthiest place in Texas, as ranked by per capita income. It is part of a collection of upscale residential communities in west Houston known as the Memorial Villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford High School (Houston)</span> Public school in the United States

Stratford High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas, United States. The school is one of four high schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD), the district's westernmost secondary school. Stratford High School serves several neighborhoods, including Westchester, Sherwood Oaks, Nottingham Forest, Nottingham West, Wilchester, Gaywood, Wilchester West, Yorkshire, Memorial Townhomes, Village on Memorial Townhomes, Memorial Way, Rustling Pines, Memorial Plaza, and the SBISD portions of Thornwood and Ashford Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Woods High School</span> Public school (u.s.) school in Houston, Texas, United States

Spring Woods High School is a secondary school in Spring Branch, Houston, Texas, United States. The school, serving grades 9 through 12, is operated by Spring Branch Independent School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial, Houston</span> Super neighborhood in Harris County, Texas, United States

The Memorial area of Houston, Texas is located west of Downtown, northwest of Uptown, and south of Spring Branch. The Memorial Super Neighborhood, as defined by the City of Houston, is bounded by Buffalo Bayou to the south, Barker Reservoir to the west, Westview to the north, and the Memorial Villages, a contiguous group of independent municipalities, to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clear Creek Independent School District</span> School district in Texas, United States

Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) is a school district based in League City, Texas, United States. The district serves most of the Clear Lake Area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston metropolitan area. CCISD is the 29th largest school district in Texas, spanning 103 square miles and serving over 41,000 students. The district operates 45 distinct campuses, consisting of 5 comprehensive high schools, 3 alternative high schools, 10 intermediate schools, and 27 elementary schools. The Superintendent of Schools is Karen Engle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Bend Independent School District</span> School district in northeastern Texas

Fort Bend Independent School District, also known as Fort Bend ISD or FBISD, is a school district based in Sugar Land, Texas. It operates 86 schools in Fort Bend County It is the 5th most diverse school district in Texas and is the 43rd largest district in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial High School (Hedwig Village, Texas)</span> Public school in Hedwig Village, Texas, United States

Memorial High School (MHS) is a secondary school located at 935 Echo Lane in Hedwig Village, Texas, United States, in Greater Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alief Independent School District</span> School district in Houston, Texas

Alief Independent School District is a school district that is based in southwest Houston, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough High School (Texas)</span> Public secondary school in Houston, Texas, U.S.

George Cameron Scarborough High School is a secondary school located at 4141 Costa Rica in Houston, Texas, United States with a ZIP code of 77092. Part of the Houston Independent School District, Scarborough serves grades nine through twelve and has Houston ISD's Futures Academy.

Pasadena Independent School District is a school district that is based in Pasadena, Texas, United States.

Spring Independent School District is a school district based in the Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. It is located in north Harris County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring High School</span> Public school in Spring, Texas, United States

Spring High School is a public high school located in the Spring census-designated place in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northbrook High School</span> Public secondary school in the United States

Northbrook High School (NHS) is a high School in Spring Branch, Houston, Texas. Northbrook is located inside Beltway 8 and outside the 610 Loop in western Houston. The school is one of four zoned high schools that are part of the Spring Branch Independent School District. Northbrook provides courses in the traditional academic subjects, as well as several foreign languages, athletics, and fine arts. Several Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered at Northbrook. Northbrook High's principal is Dr. H. P. Hyder III, the former principal of nearby Northbrook Middle School. Northbrook's attendance area includes several neighborhoods such as Spring Branch's Northern, Central, and Western districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YES Prep Public Schools</span> Charter schools in Texas, United States

YES Prep Public Schools, Inc. is a network of public, open-enrollment charter schools located in Greater Houston. Its headquarters are located at its Southside campus. The YES program is a university-preparatory program for grades K-12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester Academy for International Studies</span> School in the United States

The Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) is a public charter school in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. It serves grades 6–12 and is an International Baccalaureate continuum school, authorized for Middle Years, Career-related, and Diploma Programmes. As of 2017 Dr. Valerie Hernandez is the director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District</span> School district in Texas, United States

The Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District is an independent school district with its headquarters in northwest unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. Cy-Fair ISD is the largest Recognized school district in the state of Texas with 75 out of 78 campuses receiving an 'Exemplary' or 'Recognized' rating by the Texas Education Agency in 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 Morales, Katherine. "Residents working to retain superintendent of C-FB ISD Parents want board to counter Houston district's offer." The Dallas Morning News . Sunday December 30, 2001. Second Irving 3V. Retrieved on November 28, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Spring Branch Schools" (Archive). Spring Branch Management District. Retrieved on May 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Districtmap.pdf" (Archive) Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on March 22, 2014.
  4. ↑ "2009 Accountability Rating System". Texas Education Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-10-25.
  5. 1 2 Spring Branch, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
  6. ↑ "SBISD Profile" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "Alien Pays in Loneliness for a Living Wage; Four Returns to Mexico." The New York Times . February 12, 1979. Section Metropolitan Report, B10. Retrieved on November 28, 2011.
  8. ↑ Communications, Emmis (January 1985). Texas Monthly. Emmis Communications.
  9. 1 2 Markley, Melanie. "Leaving the helm at Spring Branch ISD, Guthrie praised for 'cutting-edge' reform." Houston Chronicle . December 19, 2001. Retrieved on March 22, 2014.
  10. ↑ Baird, Annette. "Spring Branch ISD unveils early college program." Houston Chronicle . March 3, 2009. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
  11. ↑ Herrera, Sebastian (2015-07-29). "Spring Branch ISD denies subdivision petition to join district, leave Katy ISD". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sessions, Kennedy (2023-12-12). "Spring Branch ISD passes controversial 'biological sex' bathroom policy". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  13. ↑ Mrozowski, Jennifer. "In surprise move, CPS picks leader." Cincinnati Enquirer . September 7, 2002. A1 News. Retrieved on November 28, 2011. "[...]Spring Branch District where more than half the students are Hispanic."
  14. 1 2 Baird, Annette. "SPRING BRANCH ISD: School loses ‘unacceptable’ status." Houston Chronicle . Monday July 21, 2008. Retrieved on November 28, 2011.
  15. ↑ Memorial Assist. "Kids going hungry in Spring Branch?" Ultimate Memorial at Houston Chronicle . March 7, 2010. Retrieved on March 7, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Spring Branch ISD profile" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Phoenix Academy High School - Academy of Choice".
  18. ↑ "Phoenix Academy Middle School - Academy of Choice".
  19. ↑ Microsoft Word - list-2003.doc
  20. 1 2 3 Kent, Roy (2019-10-30). "Spring Branch ISD begins rebuilding schools". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  22. 1 2 Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982-1983 Through 1999-2002 (PDF)
  23. ↑ Microsoft Word - list-2003.doc
  24. ↑ "THE VILLAGES / Hedwig to hold public hearings on proposed property tax hike", Houston Chronicle, 18 October 2007
  25. ↑ Rummel Creek Elementary School
  26. ↑ "Exemptions linked to high TAAS scores Houston schools' practice criticized." Associated Press at The Dallas Morning News . Monday February 23, 1998. News 15A. Retrieved on November 28, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.