Sam Houston High School (Louisiana) Explained

Sam Houston High School
Streetaddress:880 Sam Houston Jones Parkway
City:Lake Charles
State:Louisiana
County:(Calcasieu Parish)
Zipcode:70611
Country:United States
Principal:Shannon Foolkes
District:Calcasieu Parish School Board
Type:Public high school
Enrollment:1,216 (2022–23)[1]
Ratio:18.10
Staff:67.17 (FTE)
Campus:(Suburban)-->
Colors:Purple and gold
Mascot:Bronco
Nickname:Broncos
Yearbook:Stampede
Rival:Sulphur High School

Sam Houston High School is a high school in an unincorporated area north of Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of Calcasieu Parish Public Schools and was established in 1961.

History

The school opened in 1961 to serve the unincorporated area of Lake Charles north of English Bayou, called Moss Bluff; it succeeded Gillis High School.[2] The school began with an enrollment of 300 students in grades 7–12. Gabe Barkate was the first principal.

In 1976, with the opening of Moss Bluff Middle School, Sam Houston High School transitioned to a traditional 9–12 grade high school.[3]

On January 11, 1982, the school was destroyed by fire, except for the gymnasium. At about 7:10 that morning, the decision had been made not to open the school that day because low gas pressure made it impossible for maintenance staff to turn on the boilers and the classrooms were too cold.[4] By 9 a.m., the roughly 15 teachers who had been at the school were sent home, although, according to the local fire chief, there were at least three people in the building at the time of the fire.[5] At about 11 a.m., eyewitnesses reported two explosions and smoke coming from the school's west wing, near the chemistry lab. Some 50 firefighters from the surrounding areas were called to the fire, but the majority of the school burned to the ground.[4] The fire was considered either a possible arson or the result of a gas problem,[6] but the cause was not established. Students attended classes at their arch-rival Westlake High School & Moss Bluff Middle School until the school was rebuilt and reopened in February 1984.[3]

Campus

The current complex includes, in addition to classrooms, administrative space, and faculty lounges: a football, baseball, and softball stadium, boys' and girls' basketball gymnasiums, an athletics fieldhouse, an agricultural education building, and a library and courtyard constructed in 2010–2012.[3] Recently in 2019 they started the BYOD (Bring your own device) program, which is the only school in Louisiana to use this policy so far. Other schools are taking notes on this new rule.

Athletics

Sam Houston High athletics competes in the LHSAA.

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sam Houston High School. National Center for Education Statistics. July 7, 2024.
  2. News: John . Bridges . Gillis High School reunion planned for this weekend . . October 26, 2017 .
  3. Web site: About Us: Historical Timeline . Sam Houston High School . November 3, 2017 .
  4. News: Ann . Kidder . School fire probed . American Press Agency . January 12, 1982 .
  5. News: Ann . Kidder . Persons in school when explosions occurred . American Press Agency . January 12, 1982 .
  6. News: Ann . Kidder . Foul play suspected in Sam Houston fire . American Press Agency . January 13, 1982 .
  7. Book: Bahareth. Mohammad. Kings of the Internet: What don't you know about them?. iUniverse. 33. 9781469798424. 2012.