Memorial Hall School (Houston)

Last updated
Memorial Hall School
Location
Houston, Texas

United States
Information
Founded1966
FounderDonna W. Aurich
Closed2022
CEEB code 443404 [1]
NCES School ID01328131 [2]
Faculty80 (lower/upper-combined 1975) [3]
Enrollment≥485 (lower/upper-combined 1975) [3]
MascotCougars
Website Website (Archived)
Last updated: May 11, 2024

Memorial Hall School was a nonsectarian private school in Houston, Texas, operating from 1966-2022. MHS was designed as an alternative to public school for students who preferred academic individualization, [4] and intentionally utilized small classroom spaces for students to reach their full potential. [3] Originally a K-12 school, Memorial Hall later redacted lower grades and was only available for students in grades 6-12 in 2020. [5]

Contents

History

The school began operations in 1966 under the direction of Donna W. Aurich who was previously the principal at Chelsea Place School and began a special education program at St. Luke's Methodist Church (located next to Lamar High School). [6] Her husband, Rev. George Aurich, started the high school portion of Memorial Hall and served as the headmaster, and the first senior class graduated in 1975 when the high school population totaled 185 students. At this time the lower school population surpassed 300. [3]

Donna Aurich was also the founder of The Community School, a second-chance private high school that was designed to rehabilitate and help teenagers reenter mainstream school. Rev. George Aurich served as the principal of Community. There were 21 students for the 1969-70 school year. [6]

In 1987 MHS opened the Reserve Ranch (RR Reserve Ranch), an equestrian ranch outside Conroe, Texas, as a rural boarding program. [7] [8] Memorial Hall received international (I-20) status in 1988. [9]

After several campus relocations, Memorial Hall School closed following the 2021-22 school year. The formal announcement cited declining enrollment numbers and other difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [10]

Campuses

Memorial Hall School resided on six separate campuses in its fifty-six years of operation. The original location was started by Donna W. Aurich in an office building. [11] Located in Spring Branch, the first separate physical campus was at 9002 Ruland Road alongside The Community School. Community moved to 1836 Ojeman Road in early-1970. [6] The second campus, 3911 Campbell Road, first housed only the high school portion as of 1975 while the lower school continued to operate at the Ruland campus, though the lower and upper schools would later consolidate at Campbell. [3] Greater Houston Adventist Academy later occupied the Campbell Road campus from 1986-2000. [11] [12] MHS relocated near Lazybrook/Timbergrove and resided at 3721 Dacoma Street from 1986-2010. The 1.75-acre, 26,000 square-foot [13] facility received over $1 million in donations from the Quaker Oats Company to cover the majority of the $1.35 million cost. [14] In 2010, the Dacoma Road campus facilities were purchased by Gateway Academy, a private middle and high school for students with diagnosed autism and learning disabilities. [13] Later campuses were at 5400 Mitchelldale Street [15] and 2501 Central Parkway, the latter of which they occupied from 2015 until closing in 2022. [16]

Reserve Ranch

In 1987, Memorial Hall School opened the forty-acre Reserve (RR) Ranch. Located right outside Conroe, Texas, the ranch provided after-school and weekend boarding options for students whose parents lived a great distance from Houston. The facility also offered outdoor activities and study programs. [7] [8] The entire land, located on League Line Road, was sold in 2005 and was later the site of an immigrant shelter. [17]

Athletics

The Memorial Hall athletic teams were known as the Cougars. MHS had football, girls basketball, [18] boys basketball [19] and baseball teams. [20] The football team was subjected to infamy when, on September 29, 1978, they gave up 599 rushing yards to a single player, a then-Texas high school football record, in an 85-22 loss to Marian Christian School. [21] [22]

Alumni

Former staff members

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">Shenandoah, Texas</span> City in Montgomery County, Texas, United States

Shenandoah is a city in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,499 at the 2020 census. It is the hometown of David Vetter, the famous "boy in the plastic bubble". In 1986, the Shenandoah city council renamed Tamina School Road to David Memorial Drive in honor of Vetter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Woodlands, Texas</span> Census-designated place and special-purpose district in Texas, United States

The Woodlands is a special-purpose district and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Texas in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area. The Woodlands is primarily located in Montgomery County, with portions extending into Harris County. The Woodlands is governed by The Woodlands Township, an organization that provides municipal services and is administered by an elected board of directors. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the township had a population of 114,436 people.

Cypress is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Route 290 is twenty-four miles (35 km) northwest of Downtown Houston. The Cypress urban cluster ranks 50th in the top 100 highest-income urban areas 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.

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

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

Conroe Independent School District (CISD) is a school district in Montgomery County, Texas. The current superintendent has been Dr. Curtis Null since June of 2018. As of April 2024, Conroe ISD was the 9th largest school district in Texas and 60th largest in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Ridge High School (Montgomery County, Texas)</span> Secondary school in Conroe, Texas, United States

Oak Ridge High School is a secondary school in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, near Conroe, and within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Shenandoah. Built in 1981, Oak Ridge High School is classified as a 6A school in the Conroe Independent School District. In 2021–2022, the school received a B grade from the Texas Education Agency.

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

Cinco Ranch High School (CRHS) is a public school located in an unincorporated area in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States that serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Katy Independent School District. It is located off Cinco Ranch Boulevard within the community of Cinco Ranch; it is in the Cinco Ranch census-designated place. The school opened in 1999. The principal is Dr. Kaye Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield High School (Harris County, Texas)</span> Public school in Houston, Texas, United States

Westfield High School is a high school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States, near Houston.

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

Mesquite High School (MHS) is a public high school in Mesquite, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mesquite Independent School District. It participates in the University Interscholastic League 6A division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briargrove, Houston</span> Neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States

Briargrove is a neighborhood in Houston, Texas, United States, near Uptown Houston.

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

Kingwood High School is a Humble Independent School District secondary school located in the Kingwood community of Houston, Texas, United States and serves Portions of Kingwood and Atascocita. Ted Landry had been principal since May 29, 2011 until June 2018 when he announced his departure from Humble ISD to replace Greg Colschen as principal at The Woodlands High School in Conroe Independent School District. Dr. Michael Nasra has been the principal since June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Village School (Houston)</span> Private, boarding school in Houston, Texas, United States

The Village School is a coeducational non-denominational college preparatory private school for grades Pre-K through high school in Houston, Texas.

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

J. Frank Dobie High School is a public secondary school located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1968, it is named after the Texas writer of the same name. It houses grades 10-12. A Ninth Grade Center was opened recently to help with the influx of students. It is the largest school in the Pasadena Independent School District. The school mascots are the Longhorns and the official colors are orange and black, similar to that of the University of Texas at Austin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Briarwood School (Houston, Texas)</span> Private school in Houston, Texas

The Briarwood School is a private school in Houston, Texas, in the Briar Forest community. Briarwood serves students with diagnosed learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and/or ADHD.

Greater Katy Area is the term often used to refer to a suburban region on the west side of the Greater Houston metropolitan area roughly corresponding to the boundaries of the Katy Independent School District. Many people and businesses in this area have a Katy address, but are not part of the city of Katy. This area includes the suburbs that surround the Katy city limits west to Pederson road, roughly east to State Highway 6, north to FM 529, and south to FM 1093/ Westpark Tollway Parkway. While these boundaries are not exact, it gives a rough outline of what most people consider Greater Katy, and what the USPS designates as "Katy, Texas" by assigning that city to addresses within zip codes that fall in this region. Most of Greater Katy is to the east of the city of Katy toward Houston and includes surrounding suburban areas and unincorporated areas that are not in the Houston city limits. The region includes parts of Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County much as the City of Katy does. Greater Katy is one of the fastest-growing portions of the Houston metropolitan area and the state of Texas as a whole.

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

Aldine Senior High School is a public high school located in the Greenspoint district of northern Houston, Texas, United States. It is part of the Aldine Independent School District. The senior high school campus serves grades 10 through 12. The separate Aldine Ninth Grade School hosts students in grade 9.

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

Montgomery High School, abbreviated as MHS or Mogo, a high school in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, west of the City of Montgomery. A part of the Montgomery Independent School District. The school's attendance zone includes the city of Montgomery and portions of unincorporated Montgomery County, including most of the west and south shores of Lake Conroe. For the 2018–2019 year, the school received an "A" rating from the Texas Education Agency.

References

  1. ↑ "CEEB Codes in Texas". Top Schools in the USA. January 18, 2021.
  2. ↑ Search for Private Schools MEMORIAL HALL SCHOOL. 2019-2020
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hampton, Hartley (June 8, 1975). "Private School Helps Pair With Poor Grades". Houston Chronicle. p. 62 – via genealogybank.com.
  4. ↑ "Status of high school incorrectly reported" (February 12, 1977). Houston Chronicle. p. 3 — via genealogybank.com
  5. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". memorialhall.org. October 1, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
  6. 1 2 3 Murphy, Laurel (March 22, 1970). "Community School is Forging New Education Life-Styles" Houston Chronicle. p. 59 — via genealogybank.com.
  7. 1 2 "In Period of Growth, Care Remains Constant". The Houston Post. July 29, 1990. p. 81. Retrieved May 11, 2024– via genealogybank.com.
  8. 1 2 "Memorial Hall is School Where Children Can, Do Learn". The Houston Post. May 21, 1989. p. 82. Retrieved May 11, 2024– via genealogybank.com.
  9. ↑ "A School Where Children can and do Learn". memorialhall.org. February 8, 2002 – via Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Memorial Hall School — A Personalized Approach to Academic Excellence (School Closure Statement)". May 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. 1 2 "History of Memorial Hall". memorialhall.org. February 13, 2002 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ coleperz (June 12, 2018). "This is...Greater Houston Adventist Academy-Campbell Road-Last Days". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023.
    Note: Recorded on July 1, 2000
  13. 1 2 "Real estate transactions". chron.com. June 27, 2010.
  14. ↑ Sowers, Leslie (October 16, 1987). "The Family Spirit Makes it Work at Memorial Hall School". The Houston Chronicle. pp. 108, 109. Retrieved May 11, 2024– via genealogybank.com.
  15. ↑ "Memorial Hall School: 4th thru 12th Grade". memorialhall.org. February 7, 2014 – via Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "Memorial Hall School: 4th thru 12th Grade". memorialhall.org. September 3, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ Scott, Brandon K. (July 12, 2014). "Lawmakers Still Learning About Local Immigrant Child Shelter". yourconroenews.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022.
  18. ↑ Lutheran High School (1978). "Pioneer '78". classmates.com. p. 116.
    Note: Classmates.com mistakenly has this yearbook under the name "Bethany Lutheran High School."
  19. ↑ Hartman, Fred (December 20, 1973). "Burrs Second in Houston Cage Event". The Baytown Sun. p. 17 – via texashistory.unt.edu.
  20. ↑ "Memorial Hall 10, Central C. (Christian Academy) 6". The Houston Post. April 8, 1983. p. 42. Retrieved May 11, 2024– via genealogybank.com.
  21. ↑ "Sports-Go-Round - Ali Stevenson match in works". Dallas Morning News. October 4, 1978. p. 30 – via genealogybank.com.
  22. ↑ "Champs Strake Jesuit, St. Pius Seeking Repeats". Houston Chronicle. November 16, 1978. p. 39 – via genealogybank.com.
  23. ↑ Holland, Herb (July 24, 1975). "Rookie Coach Rice Forsees Oiler Success". Houston Chronicle. p. 21 – via genealogybank.com.