South Houston High School  South Houston High School is a public high school located in South Houston, Texas in the United States. The school is a part of the Pasadena Independent School District. South Houston High School opened in 1957 to relieve Pasadena High School and graduated its first class in 1959. At that time the city of South Houston had a population of approximately 7500 citizens. During the school's early years, the mayor of South Houston was George Christy, who was the owner of a circus. His elephants were used to build part of Spencer Highway. Sam Rayburn High School was later opened to relieve crowding at SHHS. In 2013, South Houston High School was one of only two high schools in the Pasadena Independent School District to be awarded a "Distinction" rating by being in the top quartile for student progress, and was ranked 1st for this measure in their cohort group. In 2014 SHHS was awarded three Distinctions, more than any other high school in the district, one each for Mathematics, Science and Student Progress and was 3rd for the Student Progress measure in their cohort group. In 2015 SHHS was awarded two Distinctions, one for Science and the other for Student Progress. Beginning in August 2016, SHHS began offering an opportunity for students to participate in an exclusive educational program called Connect. Student are selected by application for this opportunity, which will allow them to drive their learning through technology- and project-based learning. SHHS opened its Early College High School Program in fall 2017. South Houston High School is committed to offering excellence in education to the students of South Houston and the Pasadena Independent School District. The city of South Houston has approximately 17,400 citizens with a median household income of more than $14,000 below the state average. In March 2011, South Houston High School unveiled the "Wall of Honor" to spotlight outstanding alumni who have made contributions to the community, nation and world. 54 alumni were honored, including five who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Services in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Each year the school adds names to the wall. Visit the South Houston Alumni page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/sohoalumni/ to keep up with current events and relive old times. On October 1, 2013, South Houston High School unveiled their Teacher Hall of Honor with an inaugural group of 20 former SHHS teachers, including James Barber, who served as the school's principal for 10 years; Janet Barnett Reed, who taught at the school for 41 years; and Sally Schott, long-time choir director.