Denham Springs High School

Last updated
Denham Springs High School
Denham Springs High School DS Logo.png
Denham Springs Louisiana High School.jpg
Address
Denham Springs High School
1000 N Range Ave

Denham Springs
,
Louisiana
70726

United States
Coordinates 30°29′47″N90°57′22″W / 30.49639°N 90.95611°W / 30.49639; -90.95611
Information
Type Public
Established1897
School district Livingston Parish Public Schools
NCES District ID2201020
CEEB code 190655
NCES School ID220102000758
PrincipalWesley Howard
Teaching staff89.69 (on an FTE basis) [1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,654 [1]  (2022-23)
Student to teacher ratio18.44 [1]
CampusesDenham Springs High School STEM Center
Campus typesuburban
Color(s)Purple, Gold, and White
   
SloganIt's a great day to be a yellow jacket!
MascotButch the Yellow Jacket
Nickname Yellow Jackets
YearbookThe Yellow Jacket
Feeder schoolsDenham Springs Junior High, Southside Junior High, Juban Parc Junior High
Website www.denhamspringshs.org

Denham Springs High School is a public high school located in Denham Springs, Louisiana, United States. Denham Springs High School is a part of the Livingston Parish School System and was founded in 1897 as a school for the residents of Denham Springs, a city located in Livingston Parish. The school is located on Louisiana Highway 16, adjacent to Denham Springs Freshman High. The school's location makes it prone to flooding. This was the case when flooding devastated the area in 2016, and resulted in students having to travel to nearby Live Oak High School for classes.

Contents

Denham Springs High School is a public high school and has open enrollment. The school also consistently ranks high on reports by the Louisiana Department of Education. In the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Denham Springs High School ranked 43 on the "Louisiana's Best High Schools" list. [2]

Denham Springs High School is a member of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association [3] and offers a wide variety of sports and programs. Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.

History

Denham Springs High School was founded in 1897 for the residents of Denham Springs. The school was built to serve the larger city of Denham Springs so that students would not have to travel as far to attend the Live Oak school that was built two years earlier in 1895.

Livingston Parish Public Schools desegregated following the 1969 case Dunn v. Livingston Parish Board. [4] The effects of desegregation were largely felt by those at the once all-white Denham Springs High School. The West Livingston School, the only school in the Parish to serve African Americans, saw a large percentage of its students attend Denham Springs High School after desegregation. African American students were harassed by their white students while teachers looked on indifferently. [5] To make matters worse, West Livingston High School was the heart of the African American community in Denham Springs at the time, and after integration, the school system let the school fall into disrepair. [6]

As the City of Denham Springs continued to grow in the later half of the 20th century, officials at Denham Springs High School looked for ways to continue housing students. On May 8, 1997, a student caused a fire that destroyed the administrative building and damaged others, [7] leading to many classrooms continuing in temporary buildings. By 1998, most of the damage was repaired and a new office building was constructed facing the front of the school in 1999. One of the first measures to ease student flow and improve student success was the addition of Denham Springs Freshman High School in 1998 as a separate school; having previously been managed as one school. [8] The school has since grown to become the second largest high school in the state of Louisiana. [9]

The Great Flood of 2016 devastated the Denham Springs community. Denham Springs High School was one of the three schools that received substantial damage from the flood. [10] As a result of the damages, Denham Springs High School was not able to return to class at their normal campus when classes resumed a month after the flooding event, so students had to travel to Live Oak High School where they attended classes in the afternoon, 40 minutes after the students of Live Oak had their classes. [11] Although the school received substantial damage, it was not declared a total loss by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. [12] [13] As a result, the school system was only able to repair the damages while also making minor improvements. There was no work done to prevent future damages from flooding, so the school continued to see issues in 2017 after a heavy rain event. [14]

Enrollment

Denham Springs High School is a public high school with no admissions requirements. Enrollment is open to residents that make up the Denham Springs and Juban communities. Denham Springs High School had 1529 students for the 2015–2016 school year making it the largest in Livingston Parish. The demographics were 1263 (83%) Caucasian, 160 (10%) African American, 81 (5%) Hispanic, 17 (1%) Asian, 5 (0.3%) American Indian/Alaska Native, 3(0.1%) Two or More Races. The school also has a 51:49 male to female ratio. [2]

Academics

Denham Springs High School features a technical-education curriculum and a college-preparatory curriculum with the option to partake in Advanced Placement (AP) Program. Students in the technical-education curriculum are required to complete a minimum of 23 academic units that include 4 in English, 4 in mathematics, 2 in science, 2 in social science, 1.5 in physical education, .5 in health, and 9 in their technical pathway. Students in the college-preparatory curriculum are required to complete a minimum of 24 academic units that include 4 in English, 2 in foreign language, 4 in mathematics, 4 in science, 4 in social science, 3 in electives, 1.5 in physical education, .5 in health, and 1 in the arts. [15]

The technical-education pathway requires students to travel to the Livingston Parish Literacy and Technical Center in Walker, Louisiana, and is shared by all of the high schools in Livingston Parish. As of 2019, Denham Springs High School offers 20 AP courses for students to earn college credit. Included in the 20 AP courses is AP Seminar the first course in the AP Capstone Program. [16] Spanish and Latin are offered to fulfill the foreign language requirement. Students may also enroll concurrently at Southeastern Louisiana University.

For the 2017–2018 school year, Denham Springs High School earned an A grade under the Louisiana Department of Education more rigorous grading system with a School Performance Score (SPS) of 94.5. The school has a mean ACT score of 21.5. Furthermore, the school has a 87% graduation rate and 59% of its graduates go on to enroll in college. [17]

Extracurricular activities

Performing arts

The Denham Springs High School Wind Ensemble performed at Carnegie Hall in February 2018. [18]

Athletics

Denham Springs High athletics competes in the LHSAA.

Championships

Denham Springs High Lady Jackets' bowling team were crowned state champions for four consecutive years.[ when? ]

The softball team has also won four state championships, finishing as the Louisiana 5A State runner up in 2014.[ when? ]

Football

In 1965, Louis “Loodie” Carlisle started a 10-year-run of success, including an undefeated season in 1968 and the state runner up year in 1972.

Harold "Butch" Wax took over the helm in 1975 and was the face of Yellow Jacket football for the next 22 years. Playoffs became a regular expectation around Denham Springs, which produced a 10–0 regular season in 1978 and a high school All-American in running back Kelvin Robinson, who went on to play at Tulane and entered the school Hall of Fame in its first year along with his head coach.

Between 1983 and 1985, the team compiled a 32–5 overall record. The 1986 senior class particular produced three football members for the school's Hall of Fame, among them Glenn Glass, who set a career rushing mark of over 4,000 yards, star defensive back Michael Sceroler, and Ben McDonald, a punter in football who became a baseball star at LSU, Olympic Gold Medalist and the number one Major League Baseball draft pick as a right-handed pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles. [19]

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denham Springs, Louisiana</span> City in Louisiana

Denham Springs is a city in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The 2010 U.S. census placed the population at 10,215, up from 8,757 at the 2000 U. S. census. At the 2020 United States census, 9,286 people lived in the city. The city is the largest area of commercial and residential development in Livingston Parish. Denham Springs and Walker are the only parish municipalities classified as cities. The area has been known as Amite Springs, Hill's Springs, and Denham Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesuit High School (New Orleans)</span> High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Jesuit High School is a private, non-profit, Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys run by the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus in Mid-City New Orleans, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutchtown High School (Louisiana)</span> School in Geismar, Louisiana, United States

Dutchtown High School is a 5A school that was completed in 2003 in Geismar, an unincorporated area of Ascension Parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is within the Ascension Parish School Board. Dutchtown Middle and Bluff Middle Schools feed into Dutchtown High. The architecture is based on that of the old Dutchtown High, which was situated across the highway at the current Dutchtown Middle School.

Livingston Parish Public Schools (LPPS) is a school district headquartered in Livingston, Louisiana, United States with 42 schools, with approximately 25,500 students enrolled for the 2012 - 2013 school year.. The district's superintendent Bill Spear retired in early 2013. John Watson was named his successor, but recently retired in 2016. Homer "Rick" Wentzel is now superintendent. There are nine districts in the school system. The Livingston Parish School system has been recognized for excelling in education in Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana High School Athletic Association</span> Athletic regulatory body in the state of Louisiana

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) is the agency that regulates and promotes the interscholastic athletic competitions of all high schools in the state of Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booker T. Washington High School (Shreveport, Louisiana)</span> Public secondary school in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States

Booker T. Washington New Technology High School is a high school in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States named after the educational pioneer Booker T. Washington. Caddo Parish Public Schools operates the school.

Central Private School (CPS) or Central Private (CP) is a private education institution located in Central, Louisiana.

Watson is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The community is in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrebonne High School</span> Public school in Houma, Louisiana, United States

Terrebonne High School is a high school in Houma, Louisiana. It is a part of the Terrebonne Parish School District.

Live Oak High School is a public high school located in Watson, Louisiana, United States. Live Oak High School is a part of the Livingston Parish School System, and was founded in 1895 as a community school for the residents of Watson, a largely rural area in Livingston Parish. In 2012, the school moved to its current location off of Louisiana Highway 16. The new location allowed the school to grow to accommodate the increase of students in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckeye High School (Louisiana)</span> High school in Deville, LA , United States

Buckeye High School is a high school in Deville, Louisiana in northern Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States, serving grades 6-12. The school serves the communities of Buckeye, Deville, Holloway Prairie, Big Island, Libuse, Hickory Grove, and some suburbs of Pineville. Like all schools in the Rapides Parish School District, the school has a uniform policy rather than permitting street clothes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Istrouma High School</span> Free public school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

Istrouma High School is an accredited public school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1917, and is located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Its name is a local Indian word meaning "red stick." Red stick is also the English language translation of the French words baton rouge. The area of north Baton Rouge where the school is located is also known as the Istrouma area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Franklin High School (New Orleans)</span> High school in New Orleans, Louisiana

Benjamin Franklin High School is a charter high school and a magnet high school in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Commonly nicknamed "Franklin" or "Ben Franklin", the school was founded in 1957 as a school for gifted children. Ben Franklin is consistently named the No. 1 school in the state of Louisiana and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 15 charter school in the nation. In 1990, it moved to its current location on the campus of the University of New Orleans (UNO) in the Lake Terrace/Lake Oaks neighborhood of Orleans Parish, near Lake Pontchartrain. The school was damaged by several feet of flood water due to Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, and efforts to reopen the school were covered by nationwide news agencies. The school is part of the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB), yet it operates as a charter school and is not administered directly by the agency.

Lutcher High School, established in 1907, is located in Lutcher, Louisiana, United States. Lutcher High School currently serves as the only source of secondary education on the east bank of St. James Parish.

Valarie Dawn Hope Hodges is a politician and businessperson from Denham Springs, Louisiana. She is a member of the Republican Party and represented the 64th state House district of the Louisiana House of Representatives which includes the rural portions of northwest Livingston Parish and northeast East Baton Rouge parish including the areas of Pride and Watson from January 2012 to January 2024. On January 8, 2024, she assumed her role in the Louisiana State Senate where she represents the constituents of the 13th district which largely encompasses Livingston Parish north of Interstate 12.

Springfield High School in Springfield, Louisiana, is a co-educational public high school under the Livingston Parish School Board. The school currently serves around 400 students from the communities of Springfield and Killian in Livingston Parish, Louisiana and other surrounding cities with certain exceptions. Principal is Jillian Dupuy. Colors are Royal blue and White.

West Livingston High School is a former Louisiana public high school which served Black residents of Livingston Parish during segregation. The school was located in the city of Denham Springs. West Livingston High School was consolidated with Denham Springs High School following desegregation. It was one of two high schools to serve Black populations of Livingston Parish.

District 4 is an athletic league, a member of the 5A division of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA). Division 5A is the highest level in the LHSAA, comprising schools with more than 1,159 students. The 5A classification was established in 1991. The current seven members are among 68 schools classified as 5A, of which 63 play all sports including football. Members are generally from East Baton Rouge Parish and Livingston Parish. The league's structure will keep the same schools at least until the summer of 2017. Teams and individuals from these schools have won state championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Louisiana floods</span> Natural disaster in Louisiana, United States

In August 2016, prolonged rainfall from an unpredictable storm resulted in catastrophic flooding in the state of Louisiana, United States; thousands of houses and businesses were submerged. Louisiana's governor, John Bel Edwards, called the disaster a "historic, unprecedented flooding event" and declared a state of emergency. Many rivers and waterways, particularly the Amite and Comite rivers, reached record levels, and rainfall exceeded 20 inches (510 mm) in multiple parishes.

Walker High School is a public high school located in Walker, Louisiana, United States. Walker High School is part of the Livingston Parish Public Schools system, and was founded in 1921 as a community school for the residents of Walker, a city located in Livingston Parish. The school is currently located off of Burgess Ave. The high school moved to its current campus in the 1970s leaving behind its old campus that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The old campus was converted to Walker Freshmen High School then again, in 2021 to Walker Junior High.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Denham Springs High School NCES Data". National Center for Education Statistics.
  2. 1 2 "Denham Springs High School". U.S. News & World Report.
  3. ↑ "LHSAA". www.lhsaa.org. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
  4. ↑ United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Dunn v. Livingston Parish School Board. 14 Aug. 1970. Open Jurist.
  5. ↑ Lussier, Charles (18 April 2018). "Denham Springs soldier and litigant in Livingston Parish school desegregation case dies". The Advocate. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  6. ↑ Couvillion, Vic (28 February 2018). "Educators share experiences of segregation, integration of Livingston schools". The Advocate. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  7. ↑ "The making of an activist".
  8. ↑ "ABOUT US". DSFH. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  9. ↑ "LHSAA Enrollment Data" (PDF).
  10. ↑ Lussier, Charles (16 August 2016). "Livingston schools hit worst in flooding, but is not alone". The Advocate. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  11. ↑ Vinsanau, Michael. "Livingston Parish schools begin sharing facilities on first day back since flood". WBRZ. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
  12. ↑ "Flood repairs now complete at all but 3 most damaged Livingston Parish schools". Congressman Garret Graves. 2018-07-31. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  13. ↑ Shapiro, Emily. "Fate of Some Louisiana Schools Uncertain After Flooding". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  14. ↑ report, Advocate staff (10 August 2017). "Water backs up into parts of Denham Springs High during heavy rains; no damage reported". The Advocate. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  15. ↑ "Denham Springs High School Course Offerings" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "AP Capstone: Current AP Capstone Schools | AP Central - The College Board"
  17. ↑ "Denham Springs High School | Louisiana Department of Education". louisianaschools.com. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  18. ↑ "Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Wind Ensemble Invitational". www.carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
  19. ↑ Dowty, Mike. "DSHS: Former coach, principal Wax shares collection". The Livingston Parish News. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  20. ↑ "Acadiana's Boutin earns All-State acclaim". Daily Advertister. June 9, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.