Lyndon B. Johnson High School (Austin, Texas)

Last updated
Lyndon B. Johnson High School (LBJ)
LBJ-High-School-220.jpg
Address
Lyndon B. Johnson High School (Austin, Texas)
7309 Lazy Creek Drive

Austin
,
Texas
78724

United States
Information
Type Public School
Established1974
PrincipalSheila Henry (interim)
Grades9-12
Enrollment848
Color(s)  Purple
Mascot Jaguar
USNWR ranking16th [1]
Website
Lyndon B. Johnson Early College High School LBJHighAustinTX.JPG
Lyndon B. Johnson Early College High School

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Early College High School is a public high school in northeast Austin, Texas. At the time of its opening in 1974, LBJ was only the second high school in the U.S. (after the former Johnson City High School) to be named for the 36th President. In 1985, LBJ became the host of a new academic magnet program, the Science Academy of Austin (SA), which drew students from all over the city. A second high school magnet program, the Liberal Arts Academy of Austin (LAA), was opened at Albert Sidney Johnston High School in 1987; the two programs were merged in 2002, forming the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) magnet within LBJ. [2] In 2007, the Austin Independent School District split LASA and LBJ into separate high schools with their own principals, faculty, and staff in order for LBJ to be eligible for a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement the "First Things First" educational enrichment program. [3] After the split, LBJ and LASA were housed on the same campus, though largely on different floors. The two schools continued to share athletic teams through the end of the 2019-20 school year, but shared certain extracurricular activities and electives (band, theater, newspaper, yearbook, choir, orchestra, etc.) through the end of the 2020-21 school year. In 2011, via a partnership with the Austin Community College, LBJ established a new program through which students could earn up to 60 college credits while still in high school, earning it the "Early College High School" (ECHS) designation it bears today. In 2021, LASA relocated to the former Eastside Memorial Early College High School campus.

Contents

LBJ Early College High School's mascot is the Jaguar, and the school's colors are purple and white.

The current principal of LBJ Early College High School is Sheila Henry, who had previously served as the school's principal for six years (2012-2018) and returned to the role in an interim capacity following the August 2023 departure of her predecessor, Dr. Joseph Welch, to a position with the Houston Independent School District. Previous LBJ principals include Dr. Dorothy Orebo (1982-1992), who was the first Black woman principal of any AISD high school, [4] and Patrick Patterson (2004-2010).

From 2007 to 2021, the school occupied the first floor of its campus, while LASA was on the second floor. Melissa B. Taboada of the Austin American-Statesman stated that some members of the Austin community "say the division [was] a constant blemish on the campus". [5]

Student body

As of November 2020, LBJ's student body is 33.4% African American, 63.1% Hispanic, and 3.5% other racial groups. 73.9% of students are economically disadvantaged. [6]

Academic performance

In 2015 Taboada stated "LBJ has struggled academically for years." [5]

Campus

The LBJ campus opened in Northeast Austin in 1974 to relieve overcrowding at the nearby Northeast Early College High School (then known as Reagan High School.) [7] The school went through various renovations in summer 2010, funded by AISD's 2008 bond, [8] including remodeling many of the science labs (at the time used by LASA.) The school's theatre is located in a separate building from the rest of the campus; the building is named the Don T. Haynes III Performing Arts Center, after LBJ's band director for 39 years from 1975 to 2014. [9] As LBJ is built upon a hill, the lowest level of the main school building is partially underground and has no windows. It is fondly referred to as "The Dungeon" throughout campus. The outside of the campus is maintained by a volunteer group of students and parents.

The most well known feature on the LBJ campus is "The Texas," a large granite statue in the shape of the state's outline. The statue, a gift from the class of 1978, sits outside the front of the school. In 2002, a group of seniors started a Northeast-LBJ tradition by wrapping the Texas in saran wrap to protect it from vandals. The night before the annual Northeast-LBJ football game, seniors wrap the Texas in saran wrap and spend the night keeping it and other parts of the campus safe from vandalism by students of their rival Northeast High School.

Notable people

See also

Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) - LASA and LBJ students shared the same campus, newspaper, yearbook, band, theatre, orchestra, choir, and many other curricular or extracurricular programs from 2007 to 2021.

Related Research Articles

Lasa or LASA may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Edward's University</span> Catholic university in Austin, Texas, US

St. Edward's University is a private, Catholic university in Austin, Texas. It was founded and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen F. Austin High School (Houston)</span> Public school in Houston, Texas, United States

Stephen F. Austin High School is a secondary school located at 1700 Dumble Street in Houston, Texas, United States. The school handles grades nine through twelve and is a part of the Houston Independent School District. In 2013, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Community College District</span> Community college in Central Texas

The Austin Community College District (ACC) is a public community college system serving the Austin, Texas, metropolitan area and surrounding Central Texas communities. The college maintains numerous campuses, centers, and distance learning options to serve about 100,000 students in academic, continuing education and adult education programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen F. Austin High School (Austin, Texas)</span> High school in Austin, Texas, United States

Stephen F. Austin High School, more commonly known as Austin High, is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States, and part of the Austin Independent School District (AISD). Founded in 1881, it is one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River, and was one of the first public high schools in the state of Texas.

Midland Independent School District is a public school district in Midland, Texas. Midland ISD contains 41 campuses.

Austin Independent School District (AISD) is a school district based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1881, the district serves most of the City of Austin, the neighboring municipalities of Sunset Valley and San Leanna, and unincorporated areas in Travis County. The district operates 116 schools including 78 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, and 17 high schools. As of 2013, AISD covers 54.1% of the City of Austin by area and serves 73.5% of its residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Austin Catholic School</span> Private school in Austin, Texas

St. Austin Catholic School is a private, Catholic elementary and middle school with a full-time and part-time 3 year olds class, a class for 4 year olds and Kinder - 8th. St. Austin is located in downtown Austin, Texas, one block from UT campus, Dell Medical School and four blocks from the Texas State Capital. St. Austin is located within the Diocese of Austin. St. Austin offers a diverse learning environment with a great deal of individualized attention. in 2005 St. Austin received the honorable distinction of being a Blue Ribbon School. The average class size is 20 students and the teacher to student ratio is 1:9. The current enrollment at St. Austin is 215 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberal Arts and Science Academy</span> Public magnet school in Austin, Texas, United States

Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) is a selective public magnet high school in Austin, Texas, United States. Although LASA is open to all Austin residents and charges no tuition, competition for admission can be strong and is contingent on submission of an application, prior academic record, and the Cognitive Abilities Test. LASA is sometimes referred to as LASA High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abilene Independent School District</span> School district in Texas

Abilene Independent School District is a public school district based in Abilene, Texas (USA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland High School (Los Angeles)</span> Public school in Los Angeles, California, United States

Grover Cleveland Charter High School is a public school serving grades 9–12. Cleveland Humanities Magnet is part of Cleveland Charter High School. The school is located along the community of Reseda Ranch within the neighborhood of Reseda, in the San Fernando Valley portion of the city of Los Angeles, California. Cleveland offers certain pathways and academic programs to personalize learning to the students, allowing for self-exploration. Cleveland offers a Media Arts, Visual Arts, STEM, Performing Arts, Liberal Studies, and World Language pathway. Cleveland's academic programs include the Academy of Art and Technology (AOAT) and the School for Advanced Studies (SAS). It has two magnet programs including the Humanities Magnet and the Global Media Studies Magnet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyline High School (Texas)</span> Public school in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States

Skyline High School is a public magnet school in the Buckner Terrace area of Dallas, in the U.S. state of Texas. Skyline is a part of the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and serves grades 9 through 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akins High School</span> School in Austin, Texas

Akins High School is located in South Austin, Texas, United States. The school is named after William Charles Akins, the first black teacher to work at a high school after desegregation in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). Akins was established in 2000, and is the second newest zoned high school in AISD. With an enrollment over 2700, it is the 2nd largest school in AISD, behind Bowie High School. Akins High School competes in UIL 6A Conference in all athletic and academic competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCallum High School</span> School in Austin, Travis, United States

A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast High School (Austin, Texas)</span> School in Austin, Travis, United States

Northeast Early College High School is a public, coeducational secondary school in Austin, Texas. It is part of the Austin Independent School District. Northeast High School opened in 1965 and was originally named for John Henninger Reagan, a 19th–century U.S. Senator from Texas and the postmaster general of the Confederate States of America. Northeast High School was renamed before the 2019–2020 school year.

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

Aldine Senior High School is a public high school located in the Greenspoint district of northern Houston, Texas, United States. It is part of the Aldine Independent School District. The senior high school campus serves grades 10 through 12. The separate Aldine Ninth Grade School hosts students in grade 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crockett High School (Austin, Texas)</span> Public school in Austin, TX

David Crockett Early College High School is a public high school located in South Austin, Texas. The school opened in 1968 and is part of the Austin Independent School District (AISD). It was named after U.S. frontiersman Davy Crockett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastside High School (Austin, Texas)</span> High school in Austin, Texas

Eastside Early College High School is located in Austin, Texas. It is a part of the Austin Independent School District (AISD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders</span> Middle school & high school in Austin, Texas, United States

The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders is an all-girls college preparatory public school of choice for students in grades 6–12 located in Austin, Texas. The school is named for former Texas governor Ann Richards and is part of the Austin Independent School District. In 2015 it was named the 19th most challenging high school in the nation by The Washington Post.

References

  1. ↑ "Best High Schools in the U.S." U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  2. ↑ "About Us". www.lasahighschool.org. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  3. ↑ "Major New Investment in Austin School District". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  4. ↑ "Dorothy H. Orebo Obituary". A Life Celebration By Franklin. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  5. 1 2 Taboada, Melissa B. "Poor, minority students missing out on Austin’s popular magnet programs" (Archive). Austin American-Statesman . Sunday February 8, 2015. Retrieved on December 30, 2015.
  6. ↑ "LBJ Early College High School". Austin ISD. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  7. ↑ Auten, Roseana (December 15, 1995). "LBJ Science Academy Sucks Rocks". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  8. ↑ "2004–2008 Bonds Overview". Austin ISD. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  9. ↑ "Don T. Haynes - Coastal Carolina University". www.coastal.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-15.

30°18′47″N97°39′24″W / 30.31306°N 97.65667°W / 30.31306; -97.65667

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.