Episcopal High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Episcopal School of Baton Rouge is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational day school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 1965, it has approximately 950 students residing in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas, and has a student/teacher ratio of 11:1. The school serves students in grades PreK-3 through 12. Episcopal is located on a 50-acre (200,000 m2) campus located in the eastern section of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school's mascot is the Knight, and school colors are navy blue and gold. Episcopal is a member of the following organizations: the National Association of Episcopal Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools, the Independent School Association of the Southwest, and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. The current Head of School is Dr. Carrie Steakley, who was appointed in 2020. Episcopal High School is an independent school that is fiscally self-sufficient. Episcopal receives no funds from the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, solely relying on funds generated from tuition, fees, capital giving, and the Annual Fund, a yearly fund-rasing program in which all donations made are used for investment in school plans and facilities. The current administrative leadership includes division heads for the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School.[1][2]
| Episcopal School of Baton Rouge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
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3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70816 United States | |
| Coordinates | 30.4259°N 91.0337°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private (Day School) |
| Motto | Via, Veritas, Vita |
| Established | 1965 |
| Dean | Matthew Holt |
| Principal | Tom Forti (Upper School) Mark Engstrom (Middle School) Beth Garder (Lower School) |
| Head of school | Carrie Steakley |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Enrollment | 950 (about 400 in Upper School) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 11:1 |
| Campus size | 50-acre (200,000 m2) |
| Campus type | suburban, wooded |
| Color(s) | Navy blue and gold |
| Athletics | Louisiana High School Athletic Association |
| Athletics conference | District 8-2A |
| Mascot | Knightreaux |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Website | episcopalbr |
History
Episcopal High School was founded in 1965 with intentions of bringing an Episcopalian college preparatory school to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founding members of the school include G. Allen Penniman, Henry Klock, Dick H. Hearin, and A. C. Lewis. Originally on the site of St. James Episcopal Church of Baton Rouge and the old Baton Rouge Junior High School, Episcopal served approximately 300 students in grades 1-8. The first headmaster was Reverend Ralph Webster.
In 1968, students in grades 5-11 moved to the new campus located at 3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd. Students in grades 1-4 remained at the church until the new buildings were completed. The first senior class of 13 matriculated in 1969.
The school's gymnasium was destroyed in 1971 by a tornado spawned from Hurricane Edith, and much of the rest of the campus was heavily damaged.
Most recently, Episcopal High School allotted space for pre-kindergarteners in 2005.
Facilities
Facilities at Episcopal include the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC), the Middle School building, a science building, a mathematical sciences building, the Lower School and Greer Center for the Performing Arts, the Kindergarten building, classroom buildings, a chapel, and a dining hall. Recently in 2010, Episcopal has adopted better nutritional meals thanks to the appointed chef. Episcopal also has computer and writing labs, as well as computers with Internet access in each classroom. The main library was renovated in 2000 in order to make it the technological hub of the campus, servicing a network of Dell computers and a wireless network accessible anywhere on campus. A second library serves Episcopal's Lower School students. A variety of Dell computers are in each classroom. Most of the classrooms at Episcopal have SMART boards that help facilitate the learning process. Athletic facilities include two gymnasiums, a weight room, a football stadium, soccer fields, a softball field, an all-weather track, a heated swimming pool, five tennis courts, a baseball complex, and a newly created athletic field house.
Athletics
Episcopal fields teams in many sports, including softball, soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, powerlifting, wrestling, swimming, tennis, golf, track and field, and cross-country. The boys' cross-country team has won 25 state AA titles in a row (1996–2020).
Notable alumni
- Todd Graves, Class of 1990, founder of the Louisiana-based fast-food chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers.
- Kaylee Hartung, Class of 2003, Reporter for ABC News
- Meghan O'Leary, Class of 2003, Olympic rower
- Sean Reilly, Class of 1979, CEO, Lamar Advertising Company, former state representative
- Jimmy Williams, Class of 1997, NFL cornerback who graduated from Vanderbilt University and played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers.
- Will Wright, Class of 1976, co-founder of the American game development company Maxis and creator of The Sims.
- Van Hiles, Class of 1993, is a former NFL defensive back. He played collegiately for the University of Kentucky and in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.
- Katherine Lindley Dodson, Class of 1995, a pediatrician who heroically sacrificed her life to save her employees in a hostage situation on January 26, 2021.[3]
Notable Non-Graduates
- Reiley McClendon—actor, has appeared on such television shows as Will and Grace and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
References
- "Episcopal High School". greatschools.org. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- "Episcopal High to offer merit-based scholarships". theadvocate.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
- "Pediatrician killed in Austin grew up in Baton Rouge, was daughter of local lawyers". The Advocate. Retrieved 2021-01-28.