HISD wants to hand over control of Sam Houston High

HISD superintendent Abe Saavedra announced Tuesday that the disrict will seek outside help for its three lowest performing high schools: Sam Houston, Kashmere,and Jack Yates High Schools.

The schools are the district’s lowest performers in spite of a variety of attempts at change by district officials. Saavedra said he is open to takeover proposals from HISD employees, non-profit, and forprofit agencies. Officials from Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) and YES College Preparatory Schools said that they would not submit proposals unless they could also control the feeder schools. That is a possibilty that Saavedra is open to as well. Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams), which already has a presence in Sam Houston and Yates, is interested in submitting a proposal.

Founded in 1878, Sam Houston is one of the oldest public high schools in Texas. The school began a few years after the Allen brothers landed on the Buffalo Bayou.Over the years, it has changed names six times and moved from Capitol Street to 9400 Irvington.

Sam Houston has Texas’ oldest high school newspaper, the Aegis, started in 1889. In addition, the world’s first girls’ Military Drill Squad, formerly known as the Black Battalion, but now called the Tigerettes, originated at the school.

Sam Houston High offers one of the most diverse course selections in the HISD. Over one hundred separate courses are offered, including SAT, Advanced Placement, CATE, Special Education, and English as a Second Language.