Donaldsonville High School

Donaldsonville High School (DHS), is a public high school in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, United States. It is within the Ascension Parish School Board.

The current principal is Marvin Evans (2013). The Associate Principal is Daryl Comery. There are two Assistant Principals: Nicole Elmore and Maria Babin. The school mascot is the tiger, and the school colors are red and black.

In 1831 there seems to have been a public school in Donaldsonville. This building was situated on the square bounded by Cabahonoose Street(now Railroad Avenue), Opelousas St., Attakapas St.,(now Nicholls Avenue) and the Town Square. It was used continuously as a public school until the beginning of the War Between the States.

The organization of the school is unknown, other than that it was conducted by one teacher. No public school was operated in Donaldsonville after the one referred to previously until 1885, when the Ascension Parish School Board authorized the opening of the Academy of Ascension in Donaldsonville. Composing its faculty were the following: L.C. Ferrell, principal, Mrs. C. Keating, Miss Margaret C. Hanson and Miss Willie C. Garnett. Pupil enrollment was in excess of 200. On February 6, 1887, Professor R.N. Sims appeared before the parish school board and reported on the condition of the Ascension Academy. At his request it was resolved, "that the superintendent with R.N. Sims be requested to take all the necessary steps to get the permit for the Louisiana State Board of Education to add a High School Department to the Ascension Academy. "Seven months later the board received a letter from J.P. Calhoun, State Superintendent of Public Education, empowering the board to "consider the Ascension Academy an established public high school of Ascension parish. In the year 1897, twelve years after the first school was in operation, the first high school was established. The faculty consisted of Principal R.N. Sims, and Miss Sudie Robertson, Clarence Thompson, Mamie Armitage, Ida Turner and Celestine Lastrappes.

The 1st graduating class to receive state diplomas was a class of seven girls. School growth increased and the old plant was not large enough to accommodate this growth. Realizing that it was imperative that something be done about the matter, at the suggestion of Board President E.N. Pugh, the board decided to make plans for the erection of a new and modern building. The town of Donaldsonville voted a $25,000.00 bond issue and the parish Police Jury approiated a like amount. After other necessary legal steps were taken and completed, a modern brick school building, one of the finest of its kind in Louisiana at that time, was erected on the site of the old Ascension Academy building. The building was dedicated with due ceremony on May 17, 1907, and was ready for occupancy in the fall of that year. Consolidation of schools started in 1916 with the closing of the elementary school at Barton. This was followed by the closing of the Elise school in 1925, the Sacramento School in 1927, and the Smoke Bend school in 1929.

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