Ever wondered what makes Jane Long Academy a unique place of learning? It is located at 6501 Bellaire Blvd in Houston. Jane Long Academy has a rich history and a diverse community.
Jane Long Academy originally opened its doors in 1957. The school is named after Jane Wilkinson Long. She was known as the Mother of Texas. Jane Long was the first woman of English descent to enter Texas. She even bore the first child of English parentage in Texas. Her husband died while leading an expedition to invade Texas. Later in life, she opened a hotel in Richmond. Jane Long died near Richmond in 1880.
In the early 1990s, some Bellaire areas were zoned to Jane Long Middle School. The Bellaire Area School Improvement Committee then created a gifted magnet program at Jane Long. A tax increase funded this new magnet program. It opened in August 1992. A new principal also started that month. Donald R. McAdams said that the magnet program was successful. He also said the new principal was extraordinary. McAdams noted improvements in appearance, discipline, and test scores.
However, McAdams also noted that some Bellaire residents found the school unacceptable. This was because it had a small white student population. One parent said they would never send their daughter to Jane Long. This was due to the large Hispanic presence.
In 2006, the Hispanic Housing and Education Corporation ended its lease with HISD. This affected the HISD schools housed there. The district chose to leave the property. In summer 2007, the Las Américas Education Center closed. Las Américas Middle School and Kaleidoscope Middle School moved to the Long Middle School campus.
In 2010, Jane Long had 700 students. The school had the capacity for 1790 students. Principal Diana de la Rosa said charter schools attracted students. In 2011, Long Middle School increased the school day for sixth graders. This was part of a partnership with Citizen Schools. Jane Long was chosen for the Microsoft Partners in Learning program.
In 2014, the district planned to eliminate the Long Vanguard program. In 2016, Jane Long Academy housed 1100 students. There were 850 middle school students and 250 high school students. The Futures program had its first graduating class. Most students earned both a high school diploma and an associate degree. This was in pharmacy technology from Houston Community College. The 57 graduates earned over $2 million in scholarships.
Jane Long Academy offers many programs. In 2010, it had a Peer Mediator Program. This taught students to resolve conflicts peacefully. More recently, the school added the CHAMPs method. This helps manage classroom expectations. Jane Long Academy offers Pre-AP and GT classes in middle school. It also offers college classes in high school.
Extracurricular activities include sports like football, volleyball, and basketball. Jane Long Academy also has competition teams. These teams focus on robotics, Science Olympiad, and math competitions. In 2016, a partnership formed with Theater Under the Stars. Students viewed In the Heights. Then actors worked with Jane Long Academy students. They developed stories and produced a film.
With the Houston Rockets, NASA, and Houston Community College, Jane Long Academy students visited Space Center Houston. They learned about space exploration. Students also built and launched model rockets.
Jane Long Academy welcomes families from around the world. It is said that more than 50 languages are spoken here. The school requires middle school students to wear uniforms. In 1994, the school adopted uniforms. In 2013-2014, students wore polo shirts of different shades of blue. They also wore blue denim pants.
Today, Jane Long Academy continues to be a diverse learning community. It fosters academic excellence. The dedicated faculty and staff support students. They encourage them to achieve their best.