Through Sunday at Reliant

A newbie's guide to the Houston Summer Boat Show: Five attractions you don'twant to miss

The Houston Summer Boat Show offers a world of fascination to a boating newbie.
Photo by Karen Burd
The 36-foot 2012 Yellowfin starts at $271,160 with all the gizmos.
Photo by Karen Burd
Professional fisherman Chuck Devereaux shows the audience proper techniques andhow lures operate in the water.
Photo by Karen Burd
The 5,000-gallon Bass Tub aquarium is more than 40-feet long with 30-to-40 fishof various species.
Photo by Karen Burd
The Bubble Runner lets participants in a giant human hamster ball roll, flip,and spin on water without getting wet.
Photo by Karen Burd
Fish-O-Rama is a great opportunity to experience the fun, the fight and theexcitement of fishing.
Photo by Karen Burd
All sizes and shape of boats are available for up-close viewing.
Photo by Karen Burd
I never knew an RV could have so many luxury items.
Photo by Karen Burd

The 25th Annual Houston Summer Boat Show is older than I am, but as a native Houstonian I have never been tempted to attend — until my editor thought it would be a good idea to get a newbie's perspective. As I walked into Reliant Center I kept thinking to myself, "Oh great, I don't even like fishing or boats and have no idea about them."

But as I strolled around the massive complex, I soon became intrigued by the attractions the Boat Show offers. By the end of my tour, I was convinced that I really need a boat.

Here are five things that caught my eye:

The Mercedes of fishing boats

The first couple of boats I stumbled upon at the show were amazing — 36 feet of pure beauty. Even though I don’t know much about boats, these babies weren’t like any other fishing boat — and the price tag made it clear. Tommy Nolan of the Texas Sportfishing dealership says the prize boat of the exhibit is the 36-foot 2012 Yellowfin, starting at $271,160 with all the gizmos. It comes complete with LED underwater and spreader lights, live bait tanks, and three engines. The Contender, at $329,289 is pretty nifty, too. Even if you have no idea about boats, these are worth checking out because of the beauty and value.

Speed Racers

With glitter seats and a bright paint job, these speed demons are easy to catch your eye. Besides getting up to incredible speeds, the electric colors and details on the boat are something to check out. If I could buy a boat I would pick one of these just because of the colors.

40-foot Bass Tub

If you don’t know anything about boats or fishing, the 5,000-gallon Bass Tub aquarium is still worth your time. The Tub is over 40-feet long with 30-to-40 fish of various species. The tank offers demonstrations of the action of luring a fish. Professional fisherman Chuck Devereaux offers helpful suggestions and shows the audience proper techniques and how lures operate in the water. I don’t much care about fishing, but I enjoyed watching Deveraux catch some fish.

Fish-O-Rama & Bubble Runner

Tired of walking around and need some excitement? The Fish-O-Rama and Bubble Runners are great for all ages to let loose and have some hands-on fun. At Fish-O-Rama, you pay $3, grab one of the already-baited fishing poles and get ready for the challenge of hooking your own prize rainbow trout.

Next to the fishing frenzy, The Bubble Runner lets participants in a giant human hamser ball roll, flip, and spin on water without getting wet.

Recreational Vehicles

So if you aren't a boat or fishing person, in the back right corner of the arena you will find massive RVs for the whole family to enjoy. Ron Hovers RV & Marines offers RVs with huge living spaces and a place to store motorcycles. I never knew an RV could have so many luxury items.

The Houston Summer Boat Show continues Friday 1 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., and Sunday noon - 6 p.m. Admission is adults, $8; children 5-12, $4, and under 4 free. For more details, click here.

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schools with high achievers

These 15 Houston K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

T.H. Rogers PTO/Facebook

Congratulations are in order for the Rams.

Several Houston elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – T.H. Rogers School in Houston ISD – is the No. 8 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
Three Houston middle schools achieved spots among the top 10 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

T.H. Rogers School has a total enrollment of 1,063 students, with 87 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 17:1, with 62 full-time teachers.

T.H. Rogers School also topped the district-wide list as the No. 1 best middle school in HISD.

Houston Gateway Academy - Coral Campus also ranked among the statewide top 10, coming in at No. 9 with a total enrollment of 914 students. U.S. News says 82 percent of HGA students are proficient in math, and 80 percent are proficient in reading.

"Houston Gateway Academy - Coral Campus did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Right behind HGA to round out the top 10 best Texas middle schools is Houston ISD's Briarmeadow Charter School. This middle school has 600 students, 69 percent of which are proficient in math and 74 percent are proficient reading.

Briarmeadow's student-teacher ratio is 16:1, which is better than the district-wide student-teacher ratio, and it employs 38 full-time teachers.

U.S. News also ranked Briarmeadow as the second best middle school in Houston ISD.

Six additional Houston-area schools ranked among the top 25 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 18 – Cornerstone Academy, Spring Branch ISD
No. 19 – Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, Houston ISD
No. 21 – Smith Middle School, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
No. 22 – Seven Lakes Junior High, Katy ISD
No. 23 – Houston Gateway Academy
No. 25 – Beckendorff Junior High, Katy ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two Houston-area schools made it into the top 10.

Tomball ISD's Creekside Forest Elementary in The Woodlands is the No. 7 best elementary school statewide, boasting 656 students, 42 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. Students at this school, which U.S. News designates is situated in a "fringe rural setting," scored 90 percent efficiency in math and 94 percent efficiency in reading.

Following one spot behind Creekside Forest in the statewide ranking is Sugar Land's Commonwealth Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD, coming in at No. 8. Commonwealth has a student population of 954 with 55 full-time teachers, and two full-time counselors. The school's student-teacher ratio is 17:1, and 90 percent of students are proficient in math, and 94 percent in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Commonwealth is significantly higher than the rest of Fort Bend ISD.

"In Fort Bend Independent School District, 59 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 47 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Commonwealth's profile. "Commonwealth Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

Other Houston-area schools that were ranked among the 25 best in Texas are:

No. 13 – Bess Campbell Elementary, Sugar Land, Lamar CISD
No. 20 – West University Elementary, Houston ISD
No. 23 – T.H. Rogers School, Houston ISD
No. 25 – Griffin Elementary, Katy ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

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