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Kempner High School

{{More citations needed|date=November 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{infobox school

| name = Kempner High School

| seal_image = Kempner hs.png

| image = FBISD_Kempner_High_School.jpg

| motto = "

THE LAND OF SUNSHINE AND GREATNESS”

| address = 14777 Voss Road

| city = Sugar Land, Texas

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{Coord|29|38|36|N|95|38|46|W|type:edu|display=inline, title}}

| type = Public secondary school

| established = {{Start date and age|1988}}

| district = Fort Bend ISD

| principal = Dr. Danielle Jackson

| teaching_staff = 109.48 (FTE)

| ratio = 17.32

| grades = 9–12

| enrollment = 1,896 (2023–2024){{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?ID=481965006540 |title=Search for Public Schools - Kempner H S (481965006540) |website=National Center for Education Statistics |publisher=Institute of Education Sciences |access-date=January 26, 2025}}

| mascot = Cougar

| newspaper = The Prowler

| website = {{URL|fortbendisd.com/khs}}

| picture =

| picture_caption =

| campus = {{Convert|55.88|acre|ha}}

| colors = {{Ubl|Maroon, silver, and white | {{Color box|maroon}} {{Color box|silver}} {{Color box|white}}}}

}}

I.H. Kempner High School, better known simply as Kempner High School, is a public high school in Sugar Land, Texas and a part of the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD).

A small portion of the City of Houston is in the school's boundary.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fortbendisd.com/cms/lib09/TX01917858/Centricity/Domain/103/kempner.pdf |title=Kempner High School Attendance Zone |publisher=Fort Bend ISD |date=July 6, 2011 |access-date=February 27, 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Annexation/docs_pdfs/etj_city_11x8.pdf |title=City of Houston / ETJ |access-date=April 19, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310130959/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Annexation/docs_pdfs/etj_city_11x8.pdf |archive-date=March 10, 2013}} It also includes the former census-designated place of Town West (Townewest).{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/blk1990/st48_Texas/48157_FortBend/90B48157_000.pdf|title=1990 COUNTY BLOCK MAP (RECREATED): FORT BEND County|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2023-03-20|pages=[https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/blk1990/st48_Texas/48157_FortBend/90B48157_013.pdf 13], [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/blk1990/st48_Texas/48157_FortBend/90B48157_020.pdf 20]}}

History

In 1984, FBISD authorized a bond issue to allow the construction of a fourth high school within the district.

The school was named after Isaac Herbert Kempner, founder of Imperial Sugar, who contributed much to the development of early Sugar Land. Wayne Emerson was chosen by the board on January 11, 1988, to be the first principal of Kempner. The school opened its doors to the first Open House on August 30, 1988. The school, which was constructed at a cost of $15,522,300, contained 55.88 acres of pecan trees, a 750-seat auditorium, and 100 faculty and staff members. The school was initially populated in the fall of 1988 by students from William P Clements High School, which was becoming overcrowded due to population growth in Fort Bend county. In 1990 Kempner graduated its first senior class.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} Kempner was FBISD's fourth comprehensive high school.{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Jerome |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1997_1433312 |title=Football 1997/High School/Fort Bend Bonanaza/Phillips, Dulles in hunt to add to town's memories |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=August 28, 1997 |page=Special 33 |access-date=December 31, 2011 |quote=It remained the lone high school in the area until Willowridge opened in 1979[...]Kempner (1988),[...] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709123726/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1997_1433312 |archive-date=July 9, 2012}}

When Kempner first opened, the area surrounding it was remote and mostly agricultural. In the years since, the school has seen growth in enrollment related to suburban development in the surrounding areas.

In the 1999–2000 school year, James May became the new principal, replacing Wayne Emerson, and remained in the role until his retirement in June 2008.

Troy Mooney became the third principal of Kempner High School and served in that capacity until July 2010. During that time KHS achieved recognition as a Recognized High School from the Texas Education Agency as well as a 96th percentile National ranking from Newsweek magazine.

Student body

At one point (1995), Kempner had 3,000 students.

In the 2005–2006 school year, Kempner had a population of 2,616 students: 723 freshmen, 683 sophomores, 597 juniors, and 613 seniors.

According to the 2015–2016 Texas Education Agency, Kempner's student body comprises 37% non-Hispanic White, 30% Asian/Pacific Islander, 19% Hispanic, 13% African American, and <1% American Indian/Alaskan Native.

In 2013, Navjinder Singh, a worker at the Indian grocery shop Keemat Grocers who was quoted in The New York Times, stated that Kempner has hallways known for particular ethnic groups; for instance, "Desi hallway" refers to an area where students of Indian origins congregate.Maclaggan, Corrie. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/us/what-ethnic-diversity-looks-like-fort-bend.html?_r=1& What Ethnic Diversity Looks Like: Fort Bend]." The New York Times. November 24, 2013. Retrieved on May 24, 2014.

Boundaries and feeder patterns

Kempner High School, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Fort Bend Independent School District. Kempner serves portions of Sugar Land and a very small section of Houston."[http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/cmf/var/tidbits/Tidbits_parentlinks_20090820_1545_2.pdf High School Attendance Zones]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." Fort Bend Independent School District. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. Kempner serves a portion of the First Colony development."[http://gis.ljaengineering.com/fcca/GIS Interactive Mapping]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}." First Colony Association. Retrieved on April 4, 2010. Most of Telfair is zoned to Kempner."[http://www.telfair.com/living-in-telfair/community-map.aspx Community Map] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905210824/http://www.telfair.com/living-in-telfair/community-map.aspx |date=2011-09-05 }}." ([http://www.telfair.com/map-new/tel/tel-commMap.swf Flash file] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222830/http://www.telfair.com/map-new/tel/tel-commMap.swf |date=March 3, 2016 }}) Telfair. Retrieved on October 2, 2011.

The attendance boundary included the Smithville housing complex, which was employee housing of the Central Prison Unit housing minor dependents of Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) staff,"[http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/00391/WEB0425central_unit_391623k.jpg WEB0425central_unit_391623k.jpg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203034058/http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/00391/WEB0425central_unit_391623k.jpg |date=2010-12-03 }}." Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved on May 9, 2010. until the unit's 2011 closure.Goodwin, Liz. [https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/texas-close-prison-first-time-state-history-175703769.html "Texas to close prison for first time in state history"]. Retrieved on August 4, 2011.

The following elementary schools feed into Kempner:{{cite web |url=https://www.fortbendisd.com/cms/lib/TX01917858/Centricity/Domain/17321/FBISD_Feeders_2022-2023.pdf |title=Fort Bend ISD Feeders 2022-23 |date=August 3, 2022 |orig-date=August 28, 2020 |publisher=Fort Bend ISD |access-date=February 27, 2023}}

  • Barrington Place (partial)
  • Drabek
  • Fleming (partial)
  • Lakeview (partial)
  • Sugar Mill
  • Townewest

The following middle schools feed into Kempner:

  • Hodges Bend (partial)
  • Sugar Land

Notable alumni

{{Alumni|date=December 2022}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Portal|Texas|Schools}}

  • {{Official website|https://www.fortbendisd.com/khs}}

{{Sugar Land, Texas}}

{{Fort Bend County, Texas Schools}}

{{Texas UIL High School Athletic Regions}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Educational institutions established in 1988

Category:1988 establishments in Texas

Category:Fort Bend Independent School District high schools

Category:Schools in Sugar Land, Texas