Ballou High School

Ballou Senior High School is a public school located in Washington, D.C., United States. Ballou is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. The current principal is Rahman Branch.

History

Ballou High School was founded in the early 1960s to serve residents in the southern part of Anacostia, including Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue. In 2003 a major instance of mercury being spread throughout the school caused for its closure for several weeks and the redirection of students and staff to near by educational facilities.

On February 2, 2004, 19-year-old Thomas J. Boykin fatally shot 17-year-old James Richardson. Boykin was later acquitted on the charge of murder. [" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60982-2004Dec13.html Teen Acquitted Of Murder in Ballou Shooting] ," "The Washington Post"]

Ballou SHS also has the best choirs and also the best band in the District. The Ballou SHS band has traveled to California and Alabama and placed in the top three in both national competitions. The Ballou SHS band is directed by Mr. Darrell Watson and his all volunteer Ballou alumni staff. The Ballou choir directed by Gary Stanley has been one of the more positive aspects of the school. They have traveled and performed in various states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida just to name a few. The choir and the band have also had an impact on the type of media the school has gotten in the last couple of years. They have brought a more positive outlook on the school and the students who attend.

NBC4 News reports another shooting on August 26, 2008 of a 16-year old just off the campus grounds results in a lockdown of the campus. This comes after a spring of violence in and around the school.

Alumni

* Marvin Austin college football defensive end (UNC Chapel Hill)
* Ron Suskind wrote a 1998 biography that featured the journey of a Cedric Jennings and his high level of achievement in this school.
* Michael Patrei directed a 2008 documentary film on the Ballou High School band to tell the story of Ballou from band camp to the national band competition. [http://www.balloumovie.com] The documentary was privately pre-screened at the White House Oct 11th 2007 for First Lady Laura Bush.
* Duane A. Moody (graduated in 1988) Duane A. Moody has excelled to operatic, musical and theatre heights not before seen from Ballou Sr. High. He has performed roles such as 'Sportin Life' in Porgy and Bess and now performs with the acclaimed broadway show "Three Mo Tenors." The tenors of THREE MO’ TENORS are men who have developed a musical repertoire with astonishing breadth. Like Olympic decathlon athletes, these classically trained, multi-talented operatic tenors can do it all! They have mastered not only operatic music, but also jazz, gospel, soul, spirituals, New School, Broadway, and the blues as well.. [http://www.threemotenorsontour.com/performers.htm] [http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/11668]

Naming

The school was named to commemorate former superintendent of the District of Columbia School System, Frank W. Ballou around 1960.

Feeder patterns

The following elementary schools feed into Ballou:
* Birney
* Draper
* Ferebee-Hope
* Garfield
* Green
* Hendley
* M. L. King
* Leckie
* Malcolm X
* McGogney
* Patterson
* Simon
* M. C. Terrell
* Turner
* Savoy

The following middle schools feed into Ballou:
* Charles Hart Middle School
* P. R. Harris Education Center

tatistics

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics - 2000/2001
* 99.0% African American students
* 0% White students
* 82 teachers
* 85.2% attendance
* 14/1 student teacher ratio
* 916 total students

References

External links

* [http://dcschoolsearch.dc.gov/schools/detail.asp?pos=5&id=136 D.C. government website]