DeBakey HS for Health Professions, DeAnda ES earn top spots
The Houston Independent School District has 22 campuses that placed in the top 10 on the annual Children at Risk list of best public schools in the eight-county region, with DeBakey High School for Health Professions continuing its streak as the number one high school.
DeAnda Elementary School is ranked number one on the regional list of Children at Risk Gold Ribbon campuses, which are schools that have high achievement rates despite high poverty rates. Sanchez Elementary School is ranked second on the list.
During a news conference today at the Children’s Museum of Houston, HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan joined other local educational leaders for the announcement of the school standings.
“Our high-ranking campuses exemplify our goals, mission and achievements in HISD, and we are grateful to Children at Risk for recognizing our schools,” Lathan said. “We want the world to know about the excellent educational opportunities that exist in the city of Houston in general and in our district in particular.”
Debakey has earned the top spot on the regional list of best public high schools for the 12th consecutive year.
“We have a tradition of excellence that requires the efforts of our entire team,” Debakey Principal Agnes Perry said. “This honor is well-deserved by our teachers, staff, students and their parents. Once again, we say thank you to Children at Risk for recognizing us.”
Carnegie Vanguard High School has been designated the third best public high school in the region, moving up one spot from its previous ranking. Eastwood Academy is fourth, Young Women’s College Prep Academy is fifth, East Early College is sixth, North Houston Early College High School is eighth, Challenge Early College High School is ninth, and rounding out the top 10 is Houston Academy for International Studies.
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts placed 11th. High School for Law and Justice is 13th on the list, Sharpstown International HS is 15th, and Long Academy is 18th.
The regional list of best public middle schools includes T.H. Rogers in second place, Project Chrysalis in fifth, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School is ranked sixth, Energized for STEM Academy West Middle School is eighth, Lanier MS ranks 14th, and Pin Oak Middle School is 19th.
The list of best public elementary schools in the area also includes T.H. Rogers, which is pre-K – 8, in second place. West University Elementary School is eighth, Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, pre-K – 8, is in ninth place, Roberts Elementary School is 11th, Horn Elementary School is 12th, and River Oaks Elementary School is in 14th place.
HISD has nine campuses in the top 20 on the regional Children at Risk Gold Ribbon Schools list. This is the third consecutive year DeAnda has finished at or near the top.
“The Gold Ribbon category is an important one and we are honored to be number one in the Houston area,” DeAnda Principal Lauren Mailhiot said. “We are firm believers that a student’s economic status should never play a role in the quality of their education.”
Behind DeAnda and Sanchez elementary schools, Park Place Elementary School ranked fourth, Memorial Elementary School is sixth, Lyons Elementary School is eighth, Brookline Elementary School is ninth, and Moreno Elementary School is in 10th place on the Gold Ribbon list. Ketelsen Elementary School ranked 17th and Foster Elementary School ranked 19th.
Administrators on the campuses recognized by Children at Risk expressed gratitude to the organization and credited their entire communities for fostering a culture of academic excellence where all students are equipped, encouraged and enabled to reach their full academic potential.
Children at Risk is a nonprofit child advocacy organization that ranks and grades public schools in Texas for the purposes of informing the community and inspiring change as needed.
For the full list of Children at Risk regional school rankings, click here.
For the full list of Children at Risk state rankings, click here.