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Houston Schools That Inspire

Celebrating and Elevating Excellence in Houston Classrooms

Houston Schools That Inspire celebrates extraordinary work in ordinary public schools. While we often focus on fixing problems, this initiative spotlights what’s already working brilliantly in our classrooms.

In a city as richly diverse as Houston, true educational excellence means creating learning environments that respond to and celebrate each student’s unique identity and potential. This year’s Houston Schools That Inspire are doing just that and the results speak volumes.

These schools are making gains in student achievement across the board. Black students, Latino students, emergent bilingual learners, and students with special needs are all exceeding local and state averages. That’s not just progress; it’s inspiration.

By recognizing schools achieving remarkable results through innovation, we nurture excellence across our educational landscape. This celebration honors the selected schools, vibrant communities that support them, and the unique promise of Houston.

Houston Schools That Inspire does the Following:

Educating and empowering Houston to think expansively about what school can, and should, be.

Elevating best practices and key insights that we can learn from and be inspired by. 

Celebrating schools in our own backyard that are demonstrating excellence in a variety of ways.

This Year's Winners

Melillo Middle School

Thomas Melillo Middle School is a 2025 School That Inspires because it challenges everything we think we know about middle school. In a time when most schools double down on structure and control to manage adolescent chaos, Melillo leads with trust, creativity, and joy—and it’s working. Students are outperforming peers across the state in both reading and math, not by tightening the reins, but by loosening them. Here, academic excellence is built on a culture of ownership, collaboration, and authentic learning that feels anything but traditional.
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Nitsch Elementary School

At Nitsch, the magic isn’t in a single program or person. It’s in the systems: tight routines, intentional planning, and a culture that meticulously protects and optimizes instructional time. Rather than chase overnight success, the team at Nitsch rolled up their sleeves and built something durable, an ecosystem where every adult knows the plan and every child knows what to expect. This kind of consistency doesn’t stifle creativity, it makes space for it. Because when students feel safe, structured, and seen, they can focus on what really matters: learning.
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Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology

Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology is a 2025 School That Inspires because it achieves what many schools only aspire to: every student population—regardless of race, income, language background, or learning needs—performs above both state and local averages. Through their focused goals, systematic approach, and joyful learning environment, they've created a place where the spark of curiosity ignites academic excellence for all
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Laurenzo Early Childhood Education Center

Ninfa Laurenzo Early Childhood Center is a 2025 School That Inspires because it reimagines early childhood education through immersive, real-world learning experiences that honor children as meaning-makers rather than empty vessels. By building a rich schema before focusing on standards, this pre-K center creates a foundation where language, discovery, and joy fuel academic excellence.
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If you have schools you want to nominate for the 2026 Houston Schools That Inspire, click here to let us know.

Celebrating the good, learning from the best, and working towards a future where every student in Houston will thrive.

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