The Alief ISD was founded in 1917 and is located in southwest Houston, an urban community with thriving businesses, active churches, and a variety of recreational facilities. The school district encompasses 36.6 square miles. The District has 21 Recognized schools and 7 Exemplary schools and provides education for students in prekindergarten through grade twelve. The district offers a wide range of educational opportunities in academics, the arts, and career and technology education. Special education, gifted and talented, English as a second language (ESL), and English-Spanish bilingual programs are also available. The Alief Early College High School program offers students the ability to earn a diploma and up to 60 hours college credit simultaneously. They also have a night high school and a daytime SOAR program in which students can earn high school credits at an accelerated rate. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program promotes college awareness and college prep, and the AIMS program addresses the needs of elementary gifted and talented students.

Alief is the most ethnically diverse of school districts of comparable size in Texas. Virtually every culture of the modern world is represented in its 45,000 plus student enrollment; more than 60 languages and dialects are spoken. A variety of guest speakers, culture clubs, and ethnic fairs help promote a multicultural appreciation.

Alief ISD’s has 41 campuses and employs a full-time police department to help maintain a safe environment for students and staff. The community and the district have steadily continued to grow. The twenty-fourth elementary campus opened in August of 2007; the sixth intermediate, in 2003; and the fourth high school, in 2001, and the Alief Early College High School, a partnership program between Alief ISD and Houston Community College, began in the fall of 2009. There are also two ninth-grade centers, six middle schools, a night high school and an alternative learning center currently in the business of educating the children of Alief. Over the past 10 years, the Alief ISD tax rate has decreased more than 35 cents from $1.6995 to $1.34.

The University of Houston is a major public research and teaching institution, serving more than 36,000 students annually with nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate programs. The University is a group of six public institutions of higher learning in the Houston area. The System comprises four universities and two multi-institution teaching centers that offer degrees in partnership with the universities. The University of Houston is the largest and most comprehensive institution of the System. Credits transfer easily from one to another, and students move freely from one campus’ library to another. Each institution within the System has a distinct mission; together, the institutions’ missions and programs complement and support one another. To learn more visit www.uh.edu and their event calendar.

HCC Alief Hayes Campus is located 2811 Hayes Road. HCC offers a comprehensive selection of all traditional academic and workforce degrees. HCC classes are affordable, courses transfer and HCC programs lead to real, higher paying jobs.

Students can earn an Associate’s Degree or take transferrable core curriculum required for all four-year public universities in Texas. In addition, HCC now partners with the University of Texas at Tyler to offer a four-year Engineering Degree program on the HCC campus in Alief. The new program will allow students to obtain an Engineering degree in the normal four-year time period from UT Tyler, without any dislocation from the HCC Alief-Hayes Campus, while saving nearly 50% in their tuition costs. HCC also provides Dual Credit and Early College High School options to High School Students; for more information on different programs, course offering, financial aid, and/or admissions steps visit hccs.edu.