It is located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States[4][5] As of 2024[update], William Dedrick is the principal.

Payne gave the same floor plan to River Oaks, Briscoe, Field, Henderson, Poe, and Wharton elementaries.

[10] Ima Hogg, Mrs. Agnese Carter Nelms, and Mrs. Pat Houstoun originally considered founding a private school, but after they approved of the philosophy of HISD superintendent Edison Oberholtzer, they supported his efforts.

[7] Hogg, HISD officials, and a group of mothers selected Eva Margaret Davis as the school's first principal.

[citation needed] It was not the first magnet program in Houston, as High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) was the first.

Lana Shadwick, an assistant attorney of the Harris County government, campaigned for the HISD board to allow neighborhood enrollment at River Oaks.

[19] McAdams stated that the controversy caused public attention to focus on the HISD board and its racial makeup.

[23] In the 1996–1997 school year, River Oaks Elementary introduced the neighborhood program, with for grades kindergarten through 2 admitted immediately.

[14] In 2001 Lisa Gray of the Houston Press described River Oaks as having the "most popular" elementary-level Vanguard program in HISD.

The campus is located at Kirby Drive and San Felipe Road,[10] in proximity to the River Oaks Country Club.

[7] The design, using natural slate, a Texas limestone exterior, and a light buff stucco, received inspiration from smaller French chateaux and buildings in New Orleans.

[10] The original plan situated that 5 acres (2.0 ha) would be dedicated to a play area with three playgrounds, with one for younger children of both sexes, one for older boys, and one for older girls, as well as a basketball court, a baseball diamond for students of both sexes, gymnastic equipment, jumping pits, a track, sand boxes, swings for smaller children, and a volleyball court.

[31] In November 2008 the alumni of River Oaks Elementary started a campaign to raise $3.4 million ($4811499.23 when adjusted for inflation) to build a new library.

Jennifer Radcliffe of the McClatchy - Tribune Business News said "The addition would put the River Oaks library -- which already has one of the largest collections in HISD -- head and shoulders above other campuses.

"[28] A neighborhood activist from Sunnyside, Alice Pradia, argued that HISD did not do enough to bolster libraries of school campuses.

McAdams wrote that most of the minority children classified as gifted and talented by HISD came from middle class households.

[36] In 1995, the largest group of River Oaks Elementary School parents resided in the City of West University Place and nearby neighborhoods.

"[36] McAdams wrote that the demographics made the school attractive to River Oaks parents who wanted to send their children there.

McAdams wrote that many children identified as gifted under this formula were simply well-educated by their parents and that this became apparent in the third grade.

[36] In 1997 HISD removed the ethnic guidelines to Vanguard enrollment after a reverse discrimination lawsuit was filed in a federal court.

[37] McAdams wrote that in 1995, compared to other Vanguard programs River Oaks test scores were on the "low" side.