Booker T. Washington High School (New Orleans)

Booker T. Washington High School
The school in 2008
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana
United States
Coordinates 29°57′00″N 90°05′21″W / 29.950123°N 90.089043°W / 29.950123; -90.089043
Information
Type Public high school
Opened 1942
School district Orleans Parish School Board
Campus type Inner-city
Color(s)          Red and white
Team name Lions

Booker T. Washington High School (Booker T.) was a high school in New Orleans, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The school closed as a result of destruction and student displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina.

History

Construction of the school was completed in August of 1942 on South Roman. In September it opened as the first vocational school and the first high school serving African Americans in Uptown, New Orleans. At the time, the school's enrollment was 1600. Lawrence Crooker became the first principal.[1]

The students who were zoned to Booker T. were mostly from the B.W. Cooper and CJ Pete's housing developments. After desegregation, students were bused to nearby Alcee Fortier High School. This led to a decrease in Booker T.'s student population. By the end of the 1970s the school's student body decreased to only 750, half of whom were female.

The building also began to deteriorate; due to leaks, mold formed under the bathroom sinks. Windows, pipes and doors were also in need of repair but the school didn't have enough money for a full renovation.

In the 1980s violence began to take place on school grounds as crack-cocaine dealers from the Calliope Projects began selling drugs on school grounds. The school was in the middle of countless shootouts, and many building windows were hit by stray bullets.

In 1992 Michael Lach and Michael Loverude of the Christian Science Monitor stated, "Based on test scores, dropout rates, and socioeconomic status of the students, the schools we taught in were two of the worst high schools in the country - Booker T. Washington and Alcee Fortier high schools. Given these circumstances, both schools do a fine job, but students leave deserving so much more."[2]

In 2003 the school's enrollment was at an all-time low of 530 with most of its students now attending Walter L. Cohen High School. Before Hurricane Katrina, it was labeled as a "dropout factory."

After the school officially closed its doors, Booker T. Washington became a popular spot for vandals, thieves and squatters. After Katrina, thieves removed architectural detailing and tens of thousands of dollars' worth of copper. With better maintenance and security from looters, preservationists contend that the historic school could have been restored for less than it would cost to replace it. Plans were made to save the building from being torn down, but due to its location and condition, a motion was passed to demolish the building.

The old auditorium was incorporated into the new building.[3] The new building was replaced by New Orleans College Prep.[4]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places from July 17, 2002, until it was removed on June 12, 2017.[5][6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ http://www.creolegen.org/2013/05/03/booker-t-washington-high-school-1942/
  2. ↑ https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/doc/513083640.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug 31, 1992&author=Michael Lach; Michael Loverude&pub=Christian Science Monitor&edition=&startpage=&desc=Our Abandoned Teachers
  3. ↑ "Ghost schools haunt New Orleans neighborhoods", by Ariella Cohen, 09 February 2011, retrieved 05 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Vanacore, Andrew. "Design unveiled for new school on Booker T. Washington site." The Times-Picayune. March 14, 2012. Retrieved on March 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ National Park Service (July 9, 2010). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  6. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List". National Park Service. June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Joseph Bouie, Jr". house.louisiana.gov. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ Golianopoulos, Thomas (6 August 2016). "The Missed Shot That Was Master P's NBA Career". Complex. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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