Alfred Lawless High School
Alfred Lawless High School is a public high school in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. As a part of the New Orleans Public Schools, it opened its doors to African American students on January 27, 1964 as historically the first high school in the Lower Ninth Ward.[1]
Prior to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the school had about 900 students. The campus was severely damaged by Katrina. The 43-year-old facility was among those that received the most damage. The floodwaters moved some buildings off of their foundations.[1]
As of 2007, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and State of Louisiana education leaders were discussing the level of damage over the school, causing no action to be taken on the school. FEMA stated a belief that of the six buildings, at least one could have been saved. State education leaders argued that all of the school was totally destroyed.[1]
Many in the community, including former students, met at community meetings to inquire about the rebuilding of a high school in the Lower Ninth Ward. On a City of New Orleans website concerning the FEMA Recovery Fund[2] in 2013, announcing the groundbreaking for the new Sanchez Center in the Lower Ninth Ward, Mayor Landrieu also addressed how he worked with the Louisiana Recovery School District to ensure the rebuilding of the $37.5 million Alfred Lawless High School which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Alfred Lawless High School is slated to reopen in 2016.
Notable students and alumni of the junior and senior high school
- Fred Luter - Senior Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church; first African American President of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Robert Pack - basketball player[3]
- Eldridge Recasner - basketball player[3]
- Kermit Ruffins - award-winning trumpet player; band leader of the BBQ Swingers; co-founder of the Rebirth Brass Band
- Korey Williams - football player[4]
References
- 1 2 3 Maxwell, Lesli A. "Up From the Ruins." Education Week. Published online on September 27, 2007. Published in print on October 3, 2007 as "Up From the Ruins." Retrieved on April 1, 2013.
- ↑ http://recoveryroads.nola.gov/NEWSROOM/NewsDetail/TabId/100/ArtMID/466/ArticleID/30/CITY-BREAKS-GROUND-ON-A-SERIES-OF-MAJOR-PROJECTS.aspx
- 1 2 Smith, Sarah E. "Sonic Report / Seattle 118, Washington 100 -- Family Makes Pack Feel At Home In Puget Sound." The Seattle Times. Sunday December 24, 1995. Retrieved on April 1, 2013. "Pack was a prep teammate of former Washington Husky Eldridge Recasner, now of the Houston Rockets. He was a sophomore starter at Lawless High School in New Orleans when Recasner was a senior."
- ↑ "Korey Williams". nwosu.edu. Retrieved 17 April 2014.