junior high school. It was named after Edna Karr, an educator who served as a teacher and administrator in the Algiers community. About 18 months after the (mid-school-year) opening of the new junior high,
Hurricane Betsy struck as the 1965-66 school year was starting. Local schools were closed for several days, in part because local electric power had not been restored. In addition, Karr's beautiful
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
floor was ruined; blowing rain had pounded in through broken windows, and the inundated wood flooring buckled like an
accordion. When school restarted,
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
classes were held outdoors until the floor had been replaced.
Until 1990, Edna Karr operated as a typical junior high serving grades 7 through 9,
[SCHOOLS]
"
Archive
Algiers Charter Schools Association. Retrieved on March 17, 2013. with an academic program that included regular education,
special education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
, and
gifted education
Gifted education (also known as gifted and talented education (GATE), talented and gifted programs (TAG), or G/T education) is a broad group of special practices, procedures, and theories used in the education of children who have been identified a ...
. In 1990 the
Orleans Parish School Board voted to change Edna Karr into a junior/senior high
magnet school
In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...
. This was at the behest of
community activists. As a result, significant changes took place: upper grade levels, new courses, and high school traditions were added. In addition, policies and procedures were written for magnet school clientele. In the years since 1990, Karr completed its
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) 10-Year Update in 1998. In 2000 and again in 2005, Edna Karr earned the
National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Recognition.
All of this changed in the autumn of 2005 after
Hurricane Katrina. With the creation of the
Algiers Charter Schools Association, Edna Karr was one of the first six
public schools to reopen in the city of
(December 15, 2005). Edna Karr reopened as a
senior high
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
serving grades 9 through 12. Under the ACSA charter, Edna Karr once again has
open enrollment and is therefore open to all students who live in Orleans Parish.
Edna Karr will complete a brand new campus by October 2019. The project is estimated to cost $48.9 million.
Student demographics
As of the 2015-16 school year, approximately 95% of the student population is
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
, and approximately 83% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price
school lunches. Most of the students will be first-generation college students in their families.
In 2015, Edna Karr ranked 2nd best in the New Orleans Parish School District and above 83.1% of high schools in Louisiana in academic performance.
Athletics
Edna Karr athletics competes in the
LHSAA.
State Championships
(6) Football: 1993, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Marching band
Edna Karr's marching band is known as “#TeamBustEmUp" includes 100+ instrumentalists, dancers (Cougar Dolls), a flag corp, and twirlers. Some notable accomplishments of the band includes being highlighted in a documentary on New Orleans, photographed for the
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
's 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina issue, invited to perform in
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
for the city's 2016 New Years Day Parade, and a
cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in Beyoncé's
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage.
There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...
visual album. They have also appeared in a 2018 T-Mobile commercial. The band also has made an appearance in the 2018 film, “Assassination Nation”. It is one of the premier bands of New Orleans, often called upon to compete nationwide.
The Marching Cougars' motto is "Second to None".
Notable people
*
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades in ...
(class of 1977), television and film actress (''
Six Feet Under'', ''
The Green Mile'', ''
Far from Heaven'', ''
Pieces of April'', ''
The Station Agent
''The Station Agent'' is a 2003 American independent psychological comedy-drama film written and directed by Tom McCarthy in his directorial debut. It stars Peter Dinklage as a man who seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in the Newfound ...
'')
*
Greg "Tarzan" Davis (class of 2011), television and film actor (''
Top Gun: Maverick'', ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
'', ''
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One'', ''
Tales from the Hood 2'')
*
Olaf Fink,
state senator for Algiers from 1956 to 1972, also a teacher during that time, including at Edna Karr
*
Eric Henderson
Eric Charles Henderson (born January 8, 1983) is an American football coach who is the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for ...
, (class of 2001),
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
and NFL defensive end
*
Cornelius Lucas
Cornelius Lucas (born July 18, 1991) is an American football offensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kansas State and signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted fre ...
, (class of 2010), NFL football player
*
Racey McMath (class of 2017), NFL football player
*
Bernard Robertson, (class of 1996), NFL offensive tackle
*
Robert Royal (class of 1997), NFL tight end
*
David P. Steiner (class of 1978), CEO Waste Management
*
Patrick Surtain
Patrick Frank Surtain Sr. ( ; born June 19, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. ...
(class of 1994), NFL cornerback
*
Gerald Willis (class of 2014), NFL football player
References
External links
EdnaKarr.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karr, Edna High School
Charter schools in New Orleans
Public high schools in New Orleans
Magnet schools in Louisiana
Educational institutions established in 1964
1964 establishments in Louisiana