Milby High School Explained

Milby High School
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Charles H. Milby High School is a public secondary school at 1601 Broadway in the East End, Houston, Texas, United States.[1] It serves grades 9 through 12, and is a part of the Houston Independent School District.

Milby is located inside the 610 Loop in southeast Houston. The school contains Houston ISD's Science Institute Magnet Program. As of 2018, the school's principal administrator is Ruth Ruiz.

Milby also has HISD's high school program for deaf students.[2]

In 2014, J. Howard Johnston and Ronald Williamson described Milby's neighborhood as "one of the most impoverished parts of Houston".[3]

History

Milby began its life in March 1926, replacing the former Harrisburg High School, which was located several blocks south of Milby. Thirteen teachers and 212 students formed Milby's initial population. The $180,000 campus had, and still has, a Romanesque exterior. Milby has since had various expansions and renovations. Originally a predominately non-Hispanic White school, Milby became mostly Hispanic as the population of the East End area increased.[4]

Prior to 1965, Milby admitted White and Hispanic students, while it did not admit Black students.[5] At the time, Hispanics were considered white.[6] Houston high schools desegregated one grade per year from 1965 - 1967.

Milby High School was used as a filming location for My Best Friend Is a Vampire in 1986; it was renamed "Milton High School" in the movie. Many interior scenes, including scenes of the main character in his bedroom, were filmed inside the school, and the exterior was used in the movie as well. Students at Milby were extras in many scenes, as the filming took place during school hours. After the movie was completed, the sign on the exterior of the school that had been in disrepair was replaced with a new one by the production company.[7]

In September 1991, Milby was one of 32 HISD schools that had capped enrollments; in other words, the school was filled to capacity and excess students had to attend other schools.[8]

On November 14, 1991, 18-year-old Francisco Contreras received four gunshot wounds in his feet and leg outside of the cafeteria at Milby. Police arrested a 16-year-old described by HISD officials as a "disturbed freshman."[9]

In December 1991, Milby was one of the largest high schools in Texas, with 3,617 students. Due to the overcrowding, by that month Houston ISD trustees approved a plan to open a new high school in September 1995 instead of in 1997.[10] Milby, in the meantime, had already had additions, so the district did not need to install very many temporary buildings.[11] By 1997 the new high school had not yet been constructed; area community leaders and parents anticipated the construction of César Chávez High School, as Austin and Milby were still overcrowded.[12] Prior to 1997, residents zoned to Furr also had the option to attend Austin and Milby high schools; in 1997 the school district canceled the option.[13]

In the fall of 2000, Chávez opened and took most of Milby's traditional neighborhoods. In turn Milby absorbed some students from Austin.[14] Areas that were zoned to Milby in 1998 were rezoned to Chávez.[15] [16] [17] In turn Milby absorbed attendance areas from Austin and Furr high schools.[15] [16] [18] [19]

In 2007, Johns Hopkins University referred to Milby as a "dropout factory," where at least 40 percent of the entering freshman class does not make it to their senior year.[20] During that year, 20 percent of high schoolers zoned to Milby chose to attend a different Houston ISD school.[21]

A petroleum academy opened in Milby in the fall of 2008.[22] [23] Halliburton donated $27 million to provide engineering and geoscience software while Shell Oil Company donated laptops altogether worth $115,000. The first petroleum academy class graduated in 2011.[24]

Around 2014, the school began digitizing its old yearbooks.[25]

As of August 2014, the Milby campus closed for reconstruction. The school administration and the 9th grade students were temporarily housed in trailers at Attucks Middle School in Sunnyside, while students in grades 10-12 were housed at Jones Futures Academy in South Park.[26]

On December 18, 2014,[27] groundbreaking for a new campus occurred.[28] The project comes from the 2012 bond. The original 1926 building, made of concrete and brick, will remain, while other portions have been demolished and replaced with new construction.[29]

Student population

In 1948, Milby had 1,230 students.[30]

In 1960, Milby High School was majority Anglo White with students of Mexican origin making up less than 9% of the student body.[31]

The total student population for the 2014–2015 school year was 1,591.[32]

As of 2014, many students are children of first-generation immigrants.[3]

Campus

By 1998 the campus had had a total of seven additions, reflecting the growth of the student population in the East End. The school had established a new track and football field, and acquired neighboring property to make room for new additions.[5] In 2012, Richard Connelly of the Houston Press ranked Milby as the fourth most architecturally beautiful high school campus in Greater Houston.[33] The school library at the time was previously an auditorium. it had 30,000 titles available. A computer laboratory and reading room were, as of 1998, located in the former second floor gymnasium. By 1998 the school locker rooms had been upgraded.[5]

Academics and academic performance

As of 2012, Milby offers technical English courses meant to improve comprehension of non-fiction texts. These courses are offered in addition to standard literature classes.[24]

Students from Milby and Austin High School who are taking computer-related courses that qualify them for an A+ certification in computer troubleshooting or an N+ certification in networking go to the Rudy C. Vara Center for Technology every other day.[34]

Of the non-Petroleum Academy Milby students graduating in 2011, 46% entered community colleges and 37% entered four-year universities and colleges. Of the 80 students who started in the first Petroleum Academy class, 62 moved on to four-year colleges and universities, and most of the remainder went on to community colleges.[24]

School uniform

In 1999, Milby High School instituted a school uniform policy.[35] The Texas Education Agency specified that parents and/or guardians of students zoned to a school with uniforms could apply for a waiver to opt out of the policy so their children did not have to wear the uniform;[36] parents were required to specify "bona fide" reasons, such as religious reasons or philosophical objections.

As of the 2017–2018 school year, students no longer wear uniforms, but there are strict guidelines and rules as to what they can wear with their "free-dress", such as the exclusion of spaghetti strap shirts and basketball shorts. No form of gang-related symbols may be present on clothing.

Extracurricular activities

By 1998 extracurricular clubs in general had declined since many students were too busy to participate; by then many of them had after-school jobs.[5]

The school once had a Future Farmers of America club but by 1989 it was disbanded.[5]

Athletics

Historically, the player on the football team considered to be the most valuable would receive the Looney Trophy. Mike Vance, author of Houston's Sporting Life: 1900-1950, described Milam "Mike" Jones, the first football player from Milby to appear in the Texas North-South All-Star Game, as "an early star of Milby football".[37] Jones won the Looney Trophy and, as a 12th-grade student, appeared in the 1941 North-South All-Star Game.[37]

In a period beginning around 1972, and as of 1997 the Milby basketball team was mostly made up of African-Americans.[5]

By 1998 the school had gained a pep squad with both boys and girls. The previous Girls' Booster Club declined due to a decreasing number of students, and ended in 1994.[5]

In 1926 the group Coed Cadettes was established.[38] Berryhill wrote that it was the "mainstay" of Milby when the school first opened.[5] It was a marching group and included only female students. By 1998 the Coed Cadettes had a small number of students.[5] The number of participants of the group, later named the Milby Cadettes, lowered still and the group stopped operations in 2010. It was re-established in 2021. In 2023 22 students are in the group.[38]

Neighborhoods served by Milby

Several neighborhoods inside and outside the 610 Loop, including Harrisburg, Pecan Park, Park Place, Mason Park, Manchester, Pineview Place, and most of Magnolia Park are located in Milby's attendance zone.[16]

Prior to the opening of Chávez, Milby served the communities of Park Place and Glenbrook Valley.[15]

Feeder patterns

The following elementary schools feed into Milby:[16] All of the attendance zone:

Some of the attendance zone:

Portions of the attendance zones of Deady,[47] Edison,[48] and Stevenson[49] Middle Schools feed into Milby.

Notable alumni

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. "Map ." East End Management District. Retrieved on March 8, 2010.
  2. Web site: What is Milby's Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing?. Milby High School. 2021-06-18.
  3. Johnston, J. Howard and Ronald Williamson. Leading Schools in an Era of Declining Resources. Routledge, July 11, 2014. Retrieved on November 4, 2015., 9781317820673. p. 27.
  4. Berryhill, Michael. "The Unchanging Face of Milby." Houston Press. October 9, 1997. 2. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  5. Berryhill, Michael. "The Unchanging Face of Milby." Houston Press. Thursday October 9, 1997. Retrieved on November 4, 2015.
  6. Kellar, William Henry. . Texas A&M University Press, 1999., 9781603447188. // p. 33 (Google Books PT14).
  7. Web site: My Best Friend is a Vampire (1988) Movie Filming Locations - the 80s Movies Rewind.
  8. Markley, Melanie. "32 schools hit enrollment cap." Houston Chronicle. Thursday September 26, 1991. A17. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  9. Asin, Stephanie and Melanie Markley. "Shooting at school fuels calls for more security." Houston Chronicle. Friday November 15, 1991. A1. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  10. "News briefs." Houston Chronicle. Friday December 13, 1991. A34. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  11. News: Kliewer, Terry. Overcrowded, aging facilities a growing problem. https://web.archive.org/web/19991008051242/http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/96/10/13/schools/facilities.2-2.html. dead. 1999-10-08. Houston Chronicle. 1996-10-08. 2019-04-23.
  12. Rodriguez, Lori. "NEIGHBORLY NEEDS/Help for homeless touches raw nerve in the East End." Houston Chronicle. Sunday March 16, 1997. A1. Retrieved on April 25, 2009.
  13. "1996-1997 HISD ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES," Houston Independent School District. June 30, 1997. Retrieved on December 13, 2010. "CANCEL the options for students in the East End to attend Austin or Milby from Furr"
  14. Berryhill, Michael. "The Unchanging Face of Milby." Houston Press. October 9, 1997. 7. Retrieved on April 25, 2009.
  15. "High Schools." Houston Independent School District. April 13, 2002. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
  16. "Milby High School Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on December 12, 2010.
  17. "Chavez High School Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on December 13, 2010.
  18. "Austin High School Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on December 13, 2010.
  19. "Furr High School Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on December 13, 2010.
  20. Scharrer, Gary. "Report points to 'dropout factories'." Houston Chronicle. November 7, 2007. Retrieved on April 24, 2009. This version has the inlet which stated the schools, while the newer version of the page does not.
  21. Radcliffe, Jennifer. "Critics: In HISD, too many don't go where zoned / Black leaders argue bond has no fix to get kids back to schools in their neighborhoods." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 14, 2007. B1 MetFront. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  22. "Houston ISD's Milby High blazes course for nation" . Houston Chronicle, August 27, 2007.
  23. Spivak, Todd. "College Immaterial for High School Students in Vocational Training." Houston Press. May 13, 2008. 1. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  24. Senge, Peter M., Nelda Cambron-McCabe, Timothy Lucas, Bryan Smith, Janis Dutton. "Schools That Learn (Updated and Revised): A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares About Education." Crown Publishing Group, July 31, 2012. p. 517., 9780385521864.
  25. Christian, Carol. "Milby High School's old yearbooks going digital." Houston Chronicle. Tuesday January 7, 2014. Retrieved on November 4, 2015.
  26. Mellon, Ericka. "'Milby or Jones?' Some confusion on first day at 3-school campus." Houston Chronicle. August 25, 2014. Retrieved on November 4, 2015.
  27. "HISD breaks ground on four new campuses, celebrates first project to ‘go vertical’." Houston Independent School District. December 18, 2014. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
  28. "Milby HS breaks ground for new 21st century campus." Houston Independent School District. December 19, 2014. Retrieved on December 21, 2014.
  29. Isensee, Laura. "How One School Construction Project is Keeping Old With New ." Houston Public Media. September 22, 2014. Retrieved on October 30, 2015. New url. Audio file
  30. San Miguel, Guadalupe. (Volume 3 of University of Houston Series in Mexican American Studies, Sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies). Texas A&M University Press, October 26, 2005., 9781585444939. CITED: p. 219.
  31. San Miguel, Guadalupe. (Volume 3 of University of Houston Series in Mexican American Studies, Sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies). Texas A&M University Press, October 26, 2005., 9781585444939. CITED: 215.
  32. Web site: Milby_HS.pdf. Houston Independent School District. 2022-06-12.
  33. Connelly, Richard. "The 7 Best-Looking High Schools in Houston." Houston Press. Tuesday May 22, 2012. 1. Retrieved on May 27, 2012.
  34. Gabriel, Cindy. "Long-awaited Vara honor `perfect fit' / Austin, Milby technology center dedicated." Houston Chronicle. Thursday February 13, 2003. ThisWeek 1. Retrieved on December 13, 2012.
  35. "Student Dress Code Policy ." Milby High School.
  36. "Uniforms ." Texas Education Agency.
  37. Vance, Mike (Images of America). Houston's Sporting Life: 1900-1950. Arcadia Publishing, 2011., 9780738579740. p. 69.
  38. Web site: Sewing. Joy. Sewing: Milby students, alumni carry on legacy of Cadettes drill team, nearly 100 years later. Houston Chronicle. 2023-04-28. 2023-04-29.
  39. "Crespo Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  40. "J. R. Harris Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on January 7, 2011.
  41. "Briscoe Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  42. "Dávila Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  43. "De Zavala Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  44. "Gallegos Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  45. "Sanchez Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  46. "Southmayd Elementary Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  47. "Deady Middle Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  48. "Edison Middle Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  49. "Stevenson Middle Attendance Zone ." Houston Independent School District.
  50. "Distinguished HISD Alumni." Houston Independent School District. Retrieved on November 3, 2015.
  51. Web site: Texas House of Representatives.
  52. Berryhill, Michael. "The Unchanging Face of Milby." Houston Press. October 9, 1997. 1. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  53. "Donald Driver." NFL. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  54. "Frank O. Mancuso." The Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
  55. "Profile of Andrea Yates ." About.com. Retrieved on April 25, 2009.

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