Hightower High School is a secondary school (grades 9–12) located at 3333 Hurricane Lane, Missouri City, Texas, United States, adjacent to The Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road. Hightower is administered by Fort Bend Independent School District and its mascot is Poseidon, but they are known as the Hightower Hurricanes. Hightower serves parts of Missouri City, a portion of the city of Arcola, sections of the unincorporated area of Fresno, a small section of western Pearland, and the neighborhood of Lake Shore Harbour, which is located in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Missouri City. Hightower previously served the rest of Arcola, sections of master-planned community of Sienna Plantation, and the unincorporated area of Juliff. The school is named after Lockhart Valentine (L.V.) Hightower, a former principal in the district. Hightower had served as an American football coach for Sugar Land High School. History Hightower opened on August 13, 1998 and was dedicated on October 11 of the same year. The $35 million school campus, when opened, had fewer than 600 students and 50 teachers. The school only served freshmen and sophomore classes during its first year. Hightower was FBISD's seventh comprehensive high school. Debbie Dunlap was the first principal. Todd Spivak of the Houston Press said that Dunlap "was hailed for assembling a staff that some say included the best high school teachers in the Houston area" and that the school "quickly gained a reputation for academic excellence and became a destination school for veteran teachers." Dunlap left her position in 2003 so she could work for a teacher certification company. Patricia Paquin became the next principal. During each year of Paquin's term, until 2006, between 35 and 55 teachers left the school. Todd Spivak of the Houston Press said that many teachers believed that Paquin micromanaged too closely. In the 2005–2006 school year, Paquin gave over 1,800 suspensions. Spivak said "This would appear to indicate the work of a strict disciplinarian. But many teachers and parents say student behavior at Hightower is getting only worse, with fights breaking out on a regular basis." Pavlos Karnezis, a 12th grade honors student, was sent to jail and later expelled from school for bringing a knife to class in November 2005. Karnezis was sentenced to a boot camp. Karnezis' parents fought and had the expulsion decision overturned in 2006, allowing Karnezis to return to class. Viretta West was principal from 2008 to 2016. Frederick