Liberty High School (Houston)
| Liberty High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
|
6400 Southwest Freeway, Suite A Houston, Texas 77074 United States | |
| Coordinates | 29°43′13″N 95°29′49″W / 29.720277°N 95.496895°WCoordinates: 29°43′13″N 95°29′49″W / 29.720277°N 95.496895°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Faculty | 16 |
| Grades | 12 |
| Enrollment | 457 (2014-2015) |
| Website | Official Website |
Liberty High School is an alternative high school in Houston, Texas. It is a part of the Houston Independent School District. It is a school catering to recent immigrants. It is located in the vicinity of Gulfton and Sharpstown.[1][2] It is located in a shopping center along U.S. Route 59 (Southwest Freeway).[3]
Liberty has intensive English instruction,[4] which serves as the school's main focus.[3] It also has flexible scheduling and year-round scheduling. This scenario caters to older students who are recent immigrants.[4] The school's intention is to ensure that students receive high school diplomas.[3]
History
The Lee High School principal, faculty, and community expressed interest in having a special charter school for recent immigrants opened. In the 2003-2004 school year, of the 2,100 students attending Lee, 205 were recent immigrants who were 17 or older and entering the 9th grade for the first time, making them "overage" in the U.S. educational system. The students had received different types of formal education in their countries of origin. The HISD board approved the formation of the school on September 9, 2004.[1] Steve Amstutz, the Lee principal, was the main figure responsible for the school's creation.[5]
The school. originally on the Lee High School campus, opened on January 10, 2005, with 125 students attending the opening night; the projected enrollment was 75.[1] The school was originally named Newcomer Charter High School (NCHS).[4] School officials placed fliers promoting NCHS in Gulfton-area apartment complexes, churches, flea markets, and washaterias.[3] In 2006 the school was scheduled to move out of the Lee campus and into its current campus.[5] In 2007 community leaders, students, and teachers recommended that the school adopt its current name. In 2007 the school had 195 students.[4] The school relocated to its current location and adopted its current name in June 2007.[6]
In 2007 the school had low Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) passing rates. It encouraged all of its students to take the test. In 2008 its immigrant students came from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Many students recruited relatives and school-aged coworkers by word of mouth. During that year it had a $1.57 million operating budget. The budget amounted to $6,856 per student. Scarborough High School had a per student cost of $5,442, with 890 students attending the school.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "About Liberty HS." Liberty High School. Retrieved on December 8, 2011.
- ↑ "Liberty HS to Use Cameras to Develop Language Skills and Literacy." Houston Independent School District. March 26, 2012. Retrieved on March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Garza, Cynthia Leonor. "School a haven for new arrivals / Leader helps his immigrant HISD students feel at home at charter campus." Houston Chronicle. Saturday October 1, 2008. B1 MetFront. Retrieved on December 13, 2008.
- 1 2 3 4 "School for recent immigrants may get new name." Houston Chronicle. Friday June 8, 2007. Retrieved on December 8, 2011.
- 1 2 "Students at HISD’s Newcomer Charter School Make History. Houston Independent School District. September 27, 2006. Retrieved on December 8, 2011.
- ↑ "School Histories: the Stories Behind the Names Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.." (Archive) Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on December 8, 2011.