Stratford HS vs Memorial HS in 77079 (Houston, West: apartments, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[3boysandacat]

Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of Stratford HS and Memorial HS? We are looking to relocate to Houston this summer and trying to find the best schools for my kids. USNews rates Memorial #20 and Stratford about #45 in Texas. Looked at GoodSchools.com but looking for additional feedback. Any thoughts or resources? Thanks!

[DejaBlue]

Both are pretty good and really close to the same. The rich folks in Memorial who know their kids are just going to go to UT and A&M and party it up send their kids to the zoned HS rather than shell out for them to go to Kincaid or SJS or the like.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

Both are pretty good and really close to the same. The rich folks in Memorial who know their kids are just going to go to UT and A&M and party it up send their kids to the zoned HS rather than shell out for them to go to Kincaid or SJS or the like.

That's pretty unfair.

Some of those kids wind up at Texas State or Sam Houston.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

That's pretty unfair.

Some of those kids wind up at Texas State or Sam Houston.

To be fair, with the increasing problem of the Top Ten Percent rule, they've added Oklahoma and Alabama in the mix.

Both are great public schools that pump out a large percentage of Gifted Learners (different from really gifted) born from executive parents,who get College bound averages, and do very well in their business careers when they return to Houston. No different from MPC schools, except a large percentage of these students return to raise their own families in these two neighborhoods. Which considering the price point, represents how these kids progressed after High School. Mixed in the school populations are some super bright kids from large families, some mega - bright kids that go Ivy League,and an unpolished crowded from local apartments. Price of entry is a little higher for Memorial. Around 600k for Memorial and 400k for Stratford.

In other words, the education is at both if you want it. Both are generally very safe city schools with high parent participation.

Stratford has always been considered a little less shiny due to lower pricing and more apartments. But pricing is going up, apartments going down, and they recently returned it to a neighborhood school only.


If they have to re-open up Westchester in 10 years to the neighborhood, then we have a ball game.

PS- I'd say about 30% of Memorial zoning goes private, and Stratford zoning isn't too far behind in some of the more eastern neighborhoods.

[3boysandacat]

Can anyone fill me in on the Top Ten Percent rule? I have heard the top 10% goes to a state school for free? This sounds too good to be true.

[3boysandacat]

Just did a quick google -- top 10% is admission to state funded school. Recently reduced to 7% it seems.

[marksmu]

Originally Posted by DejaBlue

Both are pretty good and really close to the same. The rich folks in Memorial who know their kids are just going to go to UT and A&M and party it up send their kids to the zoned HS rather than shell out for them to go to Kincaid or SJS or the like.

Jealous much? Seriously - that is about as worthless a comment as a person can post.

Memorial HS is better b/c its demographics are different. Stratford has less expensive homes and more apartments zoned to it. Apartments are the biggest influence on the school demographics...home price does not dictate success, but it usually is an indicator of success...parents who are successful themselves generally (not always) also care more about the success of their children.

The single most important thing in a kids education is parental involvement. If the parents don't care and stay involved its much less likely the kids will take it seriously as well...money generally means that the parents have the resources to make sure their kids do well, and its also a general indicator of work ethic, which will pass down to their kids.

So if your choosing between the two schools and money is no issue, then Memorial is a better choice, but there is certainly nothing wrong with Stratford...its far better than 99% of HISD...

[fnh]

Originally Posted by marksmu

Jealous much? Seriously - that is about as worthless a comment as a person can post.

Memorial HS is better b/c its demographics are different. Stratford has less expensive homes and more apartments zoned to it. Apartments are the biggest influence on the school demographics...home price does not dictate success, but it usually is an indicator of success...parents who are successful themselves generally (not always) also care more about the success of their children.

The single most important thing in a kids education is parental involvement. If the parents don't care and stay involved its much less likely the kids will take it seriously as well...money generally means that the parents have the resources to make sure their kids do well, and its also a general indicator of work ethic, which will pass down to their kids.

So if your choosing between the two schools and money is no issue, then Memorial is a better choice, but there is certainly nothing wrong with Stratford...its far better than 99% of HISD...

You + are = you're. Evidently you went to a bad school, ergo your parents must not have cared or had a good work ethic and the riches that consequently go with it.

(Sorry, marksmu, but your post is as ridiculous as the one you're criticizing.)

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by 3boysandacat

Can anyone fill me in on the Top Ten Percent rule? I have heard the top 10% goes to a state school for free? This sounds too good to be true.

Automatically admitted. Not free.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by marksmu

Jealous much? Seriously - that is about as worthless a comment as a person can post.

Memorial HS is better b/c its demographics are different. Stratford has less expensive homes and more apartments zoned to it. Apartments are the biggest influence on the school demographics...home price does not dictate success, but it usually is an indicator of success...parents who are successful themselves generally (not always) also care more about the success of their children.

The single most important thing in a kids education is parental involvement. If the parents don't care and stay involved its much less likely the kids will take it seriously as well...money generally means that the parents have the resources to make sure their kids do well, and its also a general indicator of work ethic, which will pass down to their kids.

So if your choosing between the two schools and money is no issue, then Memorial is a better choice, but there is certainly nothing wrong with Stratford...its far better than 99% of HISD...

Mark, you do realize that the demographics for Memorial and Stratford are basically identical when you look at housing and families from Plantation/Gessner all the way to Kirkwood, right? Yet, that section of Memorial zoning has a sea of moderate townhomes stuffed with kids. In fact, if I can find the map, Memorial's Highest enrollment numbers come from west of Gessner and a pocket around Hunter's Creek Elem.

But yes, Stratford currently has more apartments,yet I look at some of those kids that were zoned to Memorial from the far north side apartments...Tully doesnt look so bad.

Both are great schools, and I admit Stratford single family home residents are defiantly more "lower upper" and "upper middle." But the irony of Memorial HS is that it's student body is not nearly as toney as the neighborhood its in. Yet, some will financially kill themselves to get into an uber rich neighborhood school, where the über rich are sending their kids to private.

I'm not going to knock either school. They are two of the few excellent offering Houston has within the city. But there is a lot of ego involved in Memorial enrollment, a lot of which is unfounded imho.


PS- I have no children in the public schools system.