# Willis High School

Willis High School is a public high school in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Willis Independent School District. In 2022, the school received a C grade from the Texas Education Agency.

## History

The school was opened in 1995 and replaced the previous Willis High School now known as Lynn Lucas Middle School. In 2004 the school had about 1,440 students. Ben Cooper was the principal until 2006. That year, Tim Patton became the principal. On June 10, 2010, he was reassigned to a position in the district's headquarters. In 2023 the school had an enrollment of 2,496.

## Demographics

In the 2022–2023 school year, there were 2,521 students enrolled at Willis High School. The ethnic distribution of students was as follows:
* 49.6% White
* 37.4% Hispanic
* 8.2% African American
* 1.0% Asian
* 0.3% American Indian
* 0.3% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
* 3.3% Two or More Races
57.3% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The school received Title I funding.

## Academics

For each academic year, the Texas Education Agency rates school performance using an A–F grading system based on statistical data. For the 2021–2022 school year, the school received a score of 77 out of 100, resulting in a C grade. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, every school received a label of Not Rated for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. For the 2018-2019 school year, the school received a score of 81.

## Programs

The district offered a "Kats at Night" (KAN) night school program. The State of Texas provided a $80,000 grant to Willis ISD to establish the program. The first students graduated in October 2004. At an unknown date, this program was removed.

### Fine Arts

The school offers the fine arts programs of Band, Choir, Theatre, Dance, and Visual Arts

#### Marching Band

The Willis Wildkat Band has appeared in two UIL State Marching Band Championships. In 2017, Willis placed 7th in their area competition with their show entitled "Aurora," and finished 25th at State in conference 5A. In 2019, Willis placed 1st in their area competition and finished 26th at State in conference 5A. Both performances were under the direction of Band Director Chris Allen and Assistant Band Director Andrew Hicks.

### Advanced Academics
#### Advanced Placement and Dual Credit (AP/DC)

AP and DC are the most challenging advanced class type offered in the school. These classes are college classes designed to be taken by high school students. If a student wants to earn college credit for AP classes, they are required to pass the AP exam offered by the College Board. However, students in DC classes can earn Lone Star College (LSC) course credit by passing DC classes, which are transferable to all public 4-year colleges and universities in Texas. Students in DC classes have the option to take AP exam to earn credit through that as well as LSC. Some DC classes require the student to pass the TSI exam.

## Athletics

Willis competes athletically in District 13-6A of the University Interscholastic League.

### Football

Rick Cullum served as the head American football coach until May 2006. Mack Malone, who was already a part of the athletic staff, replaced him as coach. By 2007 the school was looking for a new coach, and Malone was given a new job.
In 2023, Willis finished first in their district with an 8-0 record under Head Coach Trent Miller and nationally-ranked quarterback DJ Lagway. Willis reached the third round of the UIL 6A Division 2 playoffs. Willis finished their 2023 season with a 12-1 record, and was ranked 65th in MaxPreps national football rankings.

### Basketball

Danny Freeman served as the varsity baseball team coach until 2000, when he became the American football defense coordinator at Montgomery High School.

### Softball

As of 2004 Amanda Bussell served as the varsity softball coach; she graduated from Oak Ridge High School and previously was an assistant at Montgomery High School.
For UIL events, Willis High School will compete in class 6A, the classification for the largest schools, for the 2020–2022 cycle. The school was only three students above the threshold for entering class 6A. For athletics, the school will compete in District 13 with five Conroe ISD schools as part of the smallest 6A district in Texas.

## Controversies

After a local drag queen was invited as a guest speaker for a cosmetology class, community backlash resulted in more stringent regulations regarding school speakers.
In December 2023, a Willis High School student was arrested for assaulting his coach after he was benched for unsportsmanlike conduct.
In October 2024, the Willis High School football team was criticized for hitting their opponents in the Cleveland High School team with belts after beating them 77-0.

## Notable Alumni

* Michael Bishop (gridiron football), Former NFL and CFL Quarterback
* Morgan Luttrell, Navy Seal, U.S. Representative
* Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal, Author of Lone Survivor
* D. D. Terry, Former NFL Running back
* DJ Lagway, MaxPreps Player of the Year and Gatorade National Player of the Year, University of Florida Quarterback