Lyndon B. Johnson High School (Austin, Texas)
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, 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".
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.
Academic performance
In 2015 Taboada stated "LBJ has struggled academically for years."
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.) The school went through various renovations in summer 2010, funded by AISD's 2008 bond, 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. 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
- John M. Jackson (social studies faculty 1975–1979), actor (Adm. Chegwidden on "JAG", and many other television and movie roles)
- Chris Houston, NFL player
- Ray Jackson (Class of 1991), member of the Michigan "Fab 5" star freshman basketball players
- Kerry Hyder, Dallas Cowboys and Texas Tech player
- Eric Holle, NFL player
- Marshall Brown, professional basketball player
- Quinlan Aquirre McAfee (Quin NFN), rapper
- Chris Lowe and Scott Romig (class of 1989), who comprise 40% of the band Dexter Freebish
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.
References
- ^ "LASA School Profile" (PDF). Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Best High Schools in the U.S." U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "About Us". www.lasahighschool.org. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
- ^ "Major New Investment in Austin School District". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
- ^ "Dorothy H. Orebo Obituary". A Life Celebration By Franklin. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "LBJ Early College High School". Austin ISD. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- ^ Auten, Roseana (December 15, 1995). "LBJ Science Academy Sucks Rocks". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
- ^ "2004–2008 Bonds Overview". Austin ISD. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
- ^ "Don T. Haynes - Coastal Carolina University". www.coastal.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-15.