Waltrip High School opened in 1960 to serve many newly developed post-World War II subdivisions, and relieved Reagan High School of many students when it did so. It was relieved by Scarborough Junior-Senior High School when that school opened in 1969. The school was named after Stephen Pool Waltrip, a funeral home owner in the Houston Heights named principal of Reagan High School in 1918. The school remained majority white until the early 1990s, when the school was equally white, black, and Hispanic. In 1997 a portion of the Reagan High School boundary was rezoned to Waltrip. By the 2000s, Waltrip became majority Hispanic. Waltrip has become one of the highest performing comprehensive high schools in Houston ISD by being named "Recognized" by the Texas Education Agency, one of the few urban high schools in Houston ISD to receive such a designation. . Around 2012, each year a total of 400 students transfer from Booker T. Washington High School to Waltrip and Reagan. In 2015 Andria Schur got a job as the principal of a charter school in Dallas, Texas, causing her to leave her post as principal of Waltrip. Dale Mitchell, previously the principal of Sterling High School, became the principal of Waltrip. The campus began receiving a renovation around 2015.
School song
The Waltrip school song, "Our Waltrip High", was written by alumni Jon Enloe with music by Joe Stuessy, both from the Class of 1961.
Neighborhoods served by Waltrip
Neighborhoods served by Waltrip include Garden Oaks, Timbergrove Manor, Shepherd Forest, Shepherd Park Plaza, Lazybrook, Shady Acres, most of Oak Forest, most of Cottage Grove, Candlelight Plaza and a small portion of the Houston Heights. A townhome complex called Cottage Grove is zoned to Waltrip. At one point, all of the Houston Heights was zoned to Reagan. In 1997, a small portion was rezoned to Waltrip.
Student body
As of 2006, the student body is predominantly Hispanic. The makeup of the 1,808 students enrolled during the 2008-2009 school year was:
Approximately 73% of the students qualified for free or reduced lunch programs.
Athletics
The Athletics Department at Waltrip consists of the following teams:
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Softball
Golf
Track & Field
Volleyball
Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Cheerleading
Facilities
Since 2015, the school no longer houses the Waltrip High School Child Development Center, a preschool program for low income children.
Dress code
Collared shirt, college shirt, or Waltrip spirit shirt. Blue jeans, solid khaki - pants, capris, or knee-length shorts. Solid hoody or Waltrip hoody allowed.
Feeder patterns
Elementary schools that feed into Waltrip include:
