Westchester Academy for International Studies

Westchester Academy for International Studies
Location
901 Yorkchester, Houston, TX United States
Coordinates	29°46′N 95°34′W
Information
Type	Public
Established	1967 - 1985; 1987 - 2000; 2001 - present
School district	Spring Branch Independent School District
Principal	Dr. Natalie Blasingame
Staff	35
Faculty	70
Grades	6-12
Number of students	960
Color(s)	Blue, orange, green
Mascot	Wildcat
Newspaper	Under the Arches and The Westchester Wildchatter

The Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) is a public charter school in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. It serves grades 6-12 and is a part of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal (or "director") of WAIS is Dr. Natalie Blasingame, and the assistant principals are Kathy Menotti and Mechiel Rozas.

History

Westchester High School (1967-1985)

Due to the expanding enrollment of Memorial High School the school district built Westchester High School in 1967. The school opened with an enrollment of one thousand eight hundred students. After seven years the school had increased to nearly four thousand students. The campus could not support the numbers, and as such Stratford High School was built in close proximity to Westchester, opening in 1974.

Due to the oil bust in the early '80s, the destruction of nearby apartment complexes, and many original home owners keeping their homes after their children had grown, enrollment in all SBISD high schools dropped dramatically. By 1985, the resulting decreases in enrollment forced the school board to close Westchester and relocate its former students to Memorial and Stratford High Schools. Most Westchester students ended up attending Stratford High School, which for many years kept a permanent display case dedicated to Westchester memorabilia.

Westchester Campus of Houston Community College (1987-2000)

During a thirteen-year period the campus was leased to Houston Community College.

In 1987 about 30 students from SBISD and the Houston Independent School District gathered at Westchester High to study Japanese on every Saturday.

Westchester Academy for International Studies (2001-Present)

After this duration Spring Branch ISD made plans for the campus that resulted in a massive amount of construction and improvement on the pre-existing campus. In 2001 it reopened its doors as "Westchester Academy for International Studies". The school would eventually cap at one thousand students spanning across grades 6-12th. During the 2004-05 school year, the campus was shared with Stratford, due to renovations occurring on Stratford's campus. It is notable for being the only high school in Spring Branch ISD to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma program for high school students and will soon begin the Middle Years IB Program for grades 6-10.

The campus of WAIS is divided into two wings with courtyards, auditorium, and a cafeteria, with classrooms on each side of the campus.

National Blue Ribbon School

WAIS was named a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School. It is one of only 304 schools nationwide to be honored for overall academic excellence and for success in closing student achievement gaps. Only 10 schools in Texas were named Blue Ribbon Schools in 2011.

Famous alumni

• David Clyde (Baseball)
• Berkeley Breathed (Cartoonist)
• Tilman J. Fertitta
• Diane Pamela Wood

External links

• International Baccalaureate Program
• Spring Branch ISD Home Page
• WAIS Home Page