Education

Elementary and Secondary/Public
School divisions include elementary, middle and senior high schools. Divisions in a particular district depend on local school board policies. All districts provide kindergarten facilities; some also have head start and summer school programs, as well as vocational-technical high schools. Nearly all have extracurricular activities and athletic programs.

All local school boards must furnish facilities for the education of physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped children, and for slow learners. The state also operates the Texas School for the Deaf and the Texas School for the Blind, both in Austin.

Children who will be 5 years old by September 1 of the current school term may attend kindergarten. Enrollment requirements include legal proof of age, physical exam and inoculations for polio, rubella, rubeola and DPT. Underage children may be transferred from the public schools in other states under certain circumstances.

Transfer students should phone the local Board of Education office for registration information. School authorities will send to the school previously attended for transcripts of the student's academic and health records.

High schools are accredited by the Texas Education Agency and the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. High school graduation requirements are set by the local school district. The state, however, sets the minimum standards for graduation from a state-prescribed curriculum.

Information about schools in a particular city may be obtained from the Superintendent of Schools of that particular district. General information about the state's school system may be obtained from:

Texas Workforce Commission
William B. Travis State Office Building
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
512-463-9734

Houston Independent School District
Information Services
4400 W. 18th St.
Houston, TX 77092-8501
713-556-6005

Incorporated cities in the Houston area often have their own school districts, such as Alief, Spring Branch, etc. Phone numbers for local independent school districts are shown in the following table:

Local Independent School Districts

Enrollment Requirements
Eligibility requirements to enroll a student in a Texas public school for the first time:

• Record showing date of birth* (birth certificate, school record, hospital record, passport)
• Resident address (apartment rent receipt, utility bill or visit from a school attendance official)
• Immunization records from a physician or a clinic
• Previously enrolled students will need a copy of the latest report card to determine grade placement
• Students enrolling after the first day of school should provide a withdrawal form from previous school

*Parents who need birth certificates for children born in the City of Houston should apply in person at:

For more information call 713-247-1686.

Private Education
Facilities include nursery schools, kindergartens, day schools and schools operated by a
number of number of religious and private organizations.

Higher Education
Houston has a number of business, professional, technical and special interest schools.
Colleges and universities include:

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Houston Baptist University
• Houston Community College System
• Prairie View A & M University - School of Nursing
• San Jacinto College
• South Texas College of Law
• Texas Southern University
• Texas Women's University
• The University of Houston System (four campuses)
• The University of St. Thomas
  The University of Texas Health Science Center (Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Allied Health and Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences)

Some of these institutions may be accessed via the Texas Medical Center Web site.