Booker T. Washington High School (New Orleans)
| Address | |
|---|---|
|
1201 S Roman St; New Orleans, Louisiana 70125 New Orleans St, Illinois United States |
|
| Coordinates | 38°36′51″N 90°09′26″W / 38.614056°N 90.157112°W |
| 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 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.
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 enrollment was 1600 and Mr. Lawrence Crooker became the first principle. the studednts that where zoned to booker t where mostly from the B.W. Cooper, and Cj Pete's Housing Developments but after desegregation students where bused to nearby Alcee Fortier High School. This lead 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 where females. The building also began to deteriorate, due to water leeks mold formed under the bathroom sinks. Windows, pipes and doors where 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 to soliciting drugs on school grounds. The school was in the middle of countless shootouts mainly the building windows where hit by the straight 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. In 2003 the school's enrollment was at an all time low of 530 with most of it's students now attending Walter L. Cohen High School. Before 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. Since Katrina, thieves having 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 where made to save the building from it being torn down but due to it location and condition a motion was pass to demolish the building. The old auditorium was incorporated into the new building. The new building was replaced by New Orleans College Prep.
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