Stratford provides courses in the traditional academic subjects, as well as several foreign languages, technology, vocational education, athletics, and fine arts.

[citation needed] It was built to relieve the overflow of students at the nearby Westchester High School.

The opening of Stratford was not completed on schedule due to construction delays, causing students to continue to languish in cramped quarters.

[citation needed] Many Houston families left or moved out of the upper, middle-class area, causing an underutilization of campus space.

Stratford, for many years, had a permanent display case dedicated to memorabilia from Westchester High School.

This move posed a challenge because the Westchester facility could no longer handle a student body as large as Stratford's.

[10] In February 2008 the UIL announced that Stratford would be realigned to Class 4A, District 23 effective in the 2008–2009 school year.

[citation needed] Stratford was later reclassified as a 4A school, but still played Memorial in the annual "Green Out" football game.

[11] Stratford competes athletically with other schools in the sports of baseball, basketball, cross country, diving, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

[citation needed] The University Interscholastic League's biennial reclassification and realignment was unveiled on Monday February 1, 2010.

As part of the realignment, Stratford moved to a 4A classification along with two other SBISD schools, Northbrook and Spring Woods.

[14] The school has gained "exemplary" status in the accountability ratings system by the Texas Education Agency in 2002.