Istrouma High School

Istrouma High School
Location
3730 Winbourne Ave. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70805 USA
Coordinates	30°28′41″N 91°09′07″W / 30.478137°N 91.151912°W / 30.478137; -91.151912Coordinates: 30°28′41″N 91°09′07″W / 30.478137°N 91.151912°W / 30.478137; -91.151912
Information
Type	Free public
Established	1917
School district	East Baton Rouge Parish
Grades	9 - 12
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Burgundy and Gray
Mascot	Indians
Rival	Baton Rouge High School (until 1976) Glen Oaks High School
Website	http://istroumahigh.ebrschools.org/

Istrouma High School is a public school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was founded in 1917, and was 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.

History

Istrouma High School began in 1917, in a two-room frame building with a faculty of two. In 1921 the school moved to a larger brick building at the corner of Erie Street and Wenonah Street. The school had its first graduations in 1921, in the form of the grammar school portion having graduations that year. The first high school graduations came in 1924. In 1931 another building was added at the corner of Erie Street and Tecumseh Street. The school first fielded a football team and band in 1935.^[1] With increasing enrollment, a third (and much larger) building was added in 1940, at the corner of Erie Street and Osceola Street. The school's name and location were proposed to be changed in 1945 to Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.^[2] This name change never occurred, but the school did move to its current location on Winbourne Ave, in 1951. This move and expansion became necessary due to increased enrollment caused by the Louisiana Legislature adding a twelfth grade to school curriculums in 1949.^[3] The old school buildings became the home of Istrouma Junior High School, and were later torn down in 2005. Being located in North Baton Rouge, Istrouma High School, was considered for most of its history as the school for the sons and daughters of blue collar plant workers^[4] . Its major cross town rival (until 1976) was Baton Rouge High School. In 2012, the school was taken over, and was being running as part of the Louisiana Recovery School District.^[5] In October 2013, it was announced that Istrouma High School would close down for at least one year following the 2013–2014 school year.^[6] This announcement almost immediately sparked petiitons from old and new alumni to keep the school, which was nearing its 100-year anniversary mark, open.^[7] The school was merged with Capitol High School and reopened at Capitol High's campus starting with the 2015–2016 school year. The Istrouma High building continues to be used as school board administrative offices.

Faculty

The school faculty was made up of 72 teachers in a wide array of disciplines including courses in sciences, mathematics, language arts, physical education, health, reading, marketing education, music, family & consumer science, technology education, business, sociology, social studies, visual arts, graphic arts, special education courses, foreign language (French & Spanish), JROTC, carpentry, and welding.^[8]

Early in his career, Baton Rouge-area State Representative Donald Ray Kennard was an Istrouma faculty member and coach.^[9]

Student body

While the student body at Istrouma High School was historically all white, during the last 30 years of its existence it was made up mostly of African-American students. The school's yearbook was named the Pow Wow.

Athletics

Istrouma had a wide array of sports, including football, basketball, cross-country, track. The school's football team was founded in 1935. It won state championships in Class 2A: 1938, 1950, 1951, Class 3A: 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962.^[10][11][12] The school also made unsuccessful appearances in the state title game in Class 1A in 1937, and Class 4A in 1976.^[13] It was a Class AAAA member of the LHSAA and competed in District 6.^[14] Notable past players include 1959 Heisman Trophy Winner and LSU & NFL star, Billy Cannon.^[15] Cannon was named as a high school All-American before graduating and going to LSU.^[16] LSU's 1965 TSN All-American, George Rice, also graduated from Istrouma.

School Closing

The school was closed for the 2014–2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017 academic school years due to repeated failure of meeting state standards and drastic falling enrollment. Most students who would traditionally attend Istrouma are expected to attend Capitol Senior High School (ran by Friendship Public Charter School of D.C.) near Downtown Baton Rouge.^[6] The state was planning to reopen the school as a charter by the 2015–2016 academic school year starting with only a freshmen class but did not.^[17]

School Re-opening

In 2016, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System and Louisiana Department of Education agreed to reopen the high school for the 2017-2018 academic school year. At least $15 million will be invested into preparing the school for the return of faculty, staff, and students.^[18]

Notable alumni

• Billy Cannon - Professional football player and Heisman Trophy winner.
• Dalton Jones, Former MLB player (Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers)
• Woody Jenkins (Class of 1965) - Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from East Baton Rouge Parish, 1972–2000
• Eddie J. Lambert (Class of 1974) - state representative from Ascension Parish
• Daniel Porter - CFL football player with the Edmonton Eskimos
• George Rice - Former LSU and AFL Football player with the Houston Oilers^[19]
• Elton Veals - NFL player
• Adrian Zepeda - Semi-Pro player with the Austin Vipers.
• Michael Holdcraft - Colonel, USAF, Retired, Professional Military B-52 Pilot and Comptroller. Decorations included Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, and the Humanitarian Services Medal.

References