, motto_translation = We shall excel , slogan = ''Above. Beyond.'' , streetaddress = 715 University Parkway , city = Natchitoches , state =

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, zipcode = 71457 , country = United States , coordinates = , type =

Public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

, Selective

Magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

Residential A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family residen ...

, opened = 1983 , founder =

Jimmy D. Long Jimmy Dale Long (October 6, 1931 – August 9, 2016) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. King was born in Winn Parish, Louisiana. His relatives included George S. Long, Huey ...

Donald G. Kelly Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic language, Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is part ...

, Robert A. Alost, Dave Treen , status = , closed = , sister_school = , us_nces_district_id = , authority = , oversight = Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; LSMSA Board of Directors , oversight_label = , authorizer = State of Louisiana, Division of Administration , ceeb = , us_nces_school_id = , president = , head = Steve Horton , head_label = Executive Director , staff = 115 , faculty = 57 , teaching_staff = , grades = 10- 12 , gender =

Coed Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

, enrollment = , enrollment_as_of = , avg_class_size = 15 (maximum mandated by state statute) , ratio = 17:1 , campus size = , campus type = , colors = Blue and gold , song = , fightsong = , conference = , mascot = Ace the Eagle , mascot image = , nickname = Louisiana School , team_name = Eagles , accreditation =

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

, ranking = , national_ranking = , newspaper = The Renaissance , yearbook = The Rubicon , free_label = Literary Publication , free_text = ''Folio'' , products = , endowment = , budget = , fees = About $1500 in boarding and facility fees (2013) , tuition = , affiliations = NCSSSMST,

Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

, website = The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is a public residential high school located in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the campus of Northwestern State University (NSU). It is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). In 2016, Niche ranked LSMSA the 9th best public high school nationwide.

Background

LSMSA is the brainchild of State Representative

of Natchitoches, Robert A. Alost, then Dean of the College of Education at Northwestern State University; Democratic

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

of Natchitoches; and Governor

David C. Treen David Conner Treen Sr. (July 16, 1928 – October 29, 2009) was an American politician and attorney at law (United States), attorney from Louisiana. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Treen served as United State ...

, which is where the Treen auditorium gets its name. The school was conceived to offer a unique experience to the state's brightest students while supplying Natchitoches with an influx of commerce and attention. On the heels of a fleeting surplus of state funds from oil revenues following America's oil crises of the late seventies, Gov. Treen approved the funding for the school. Classes were originally held on the ground floor of Prudhomme Hall, an unused dormitory on the campus of NSU while female students lived in the upper floor and male students originally lived in Bossier Hall, another dorm. Renovation of the "High School Building," (known by no other formal title, but formerly the campus of Natchitoches High School) was completed in 1984, and the ceremonial ribbon was cut by then Louisiana Governor

Edwin Edwards Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...

. The Louisiana School was the second state-supported residential school of its kind — the first being the

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, North Carolina, that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology. It accepts rising juniors ...

, which opened in 1980. The school was founded in the early 1980s with the first class enrolling as juniors in the fall of 1983, graduating in 1985. Academically, the school is similar to the

(NCSSM). Studies focus on

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, and the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...

. Like

NCSSM The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, North Carolina, that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology. It accepts rising juniors ...

math and science high schools, it has an arts program, with instruction in

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts ...

, and dance. Daily class schedules are conducted similar to college schedules (instead of the traditional class periods in most other high schools). Much of the classes are also taught with college textbooks. Among the various ensembles in both voice and instrumental, student musicians get the opportunity to perform music special to Louisiana through the Louisiana Composers' Consortium founded by LSMSA's own Dr. Al Benner. The school's College Admission Profile summarizes the school: "Graduating its first class in 1985, the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts is a state-supported, residential program, enrolling high achieving and talented students throughout Louisiana in grades ten through twelve. Most students begin as sophomores or juniors and are selected from a pool of applicants representing at least 65% of the state's public school districts, as well as private schools. The student body, therefore, represents the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity of Louisiana residents. LSMSA is considered as a "Special School" by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education." In 2017,

state Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Francis C. Thompson of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

introduced legislation to name the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in honor of

, who as the chairman for sixteen years of the House Education Committee, was among those instrumental in the establishment of the institution. After strong support in the state Senate, the renaming legislation passed the House Education Committee despite heated opposition from alumni who object in part to the school having such a lengthy name.

Admissions

As LSMSA recruits students from all of

, it can be described as a statewide magnet school. Prospective students apply during the fall of their freshman, sophomore or junior year. Applicants submit application forms, grade transcripts,

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schola ...

or ACT results, and four letters of recommendation with one optional recommendation form. Applicants to the arts curriculum also submit a portfolio of artwork or audition. As of the 2007–2008 school year, LSMSA added its first sophomore class, which composed of 40 students. 65 students have been invited to be in the 2008–2009 Sophomore class.

Residential life

Students who attend LSMSA live in

dorms A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university ...

, away from their families, much like college students. For most of the school's history, students lived in Caddo Hall (girls) or Prudhomme Hall (boys), both long-term loans from Northwestern State University. On March 13, 2019, LSMSA hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a residence hall of their own. The four-story, 110,000 sf Living Learning Commons was designed by the joint-venture architectural team of Ashe Broussard Weinzettle and Tipton Associates. In August 2021, students returned to campus for the school year and became the first classes to occupy the Living Learning Commons. The $25 million facility, funded by the State of Louisiana, houses 360 students across 3 towers and 10 independent "neighborhoods." Amenities include a student lounge, covered porch, craft room, study rooms, a grand lobby, a health clinic, a demonstration kitchen and dining area, and an outdoor firepit. The Hall Commons in each neighborhood is suited for sharing a meal or hanging out, while the glassed-in study lounges maintain quiet for focus. Each neighborhood also features laundry facilities, with costs included in the student fee, as well as an office and apartment for the Student Life Advisor. Rules regarding residential life are fairly stringent. Students have free time during weekdays during which they can sign out to various areas within the city of Natchitoches. The Louisiana School provides a shuttle for transportation because students can only use their cars to drive home on weekends, unless they have high grades and a good disciplinary record, in which case they may use their cars for a specified time period. As LSMSA is located on a university campus, much of the residential life of LSMSA students resembles that of their university counterparts. Whereas a university has relatively little liability to bear when dealing with 18+ year old adults, LSMSA must contend with a student body mainly of minors. The school tries to enforce rigorous discipline under terms of "in loco parentis," meaning in the place of a parent.

Academic integrity

Students must agree to the following

honor code A code of honor or honor code is generally a set of rules or ideals or a mode or way of behaving regarding honor that is socially, institutionally, culturally, and/or individually or personally imposed, reinforced, followed, and/or respected by cer ...

pledge:

As a student of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, I understand that I belong to an institution dedicated to the pursuit of learning. Thus, I promise to uphold the Honor Code that safeguards this pursuit. I accept my personal duty to promote an honorable attitude in my academic life by refraining from lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarizing, or vandalizing.

Notable alumni

Hong Chau Hong Chau (born June 25, 1979) is an American actress who gained recognition for her supporting role in the 2017 film '' Downsizing'', in which she played the character Ngoc Lan Tran. For her performance, she was nominated for several supporting ...

* Rod Dreher (1985) - ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'' editorial writer, columnist, frequent contributor to '' National Review'', '' The New York Post'' *

Carla Speed McNeil Carla Speed McNeil is an American science fiction writer, cartoonist, and illustrator of comics, best known for the science fiction comic book series '' Finder''. Career McNeil's chief work is the ongoing science fiction comic series '' Finder'', ...

- Comics writer and artist, most notably of '' Finder'' *

Trent Dawson Trent Ashley Dawson (born February 4, 1971) is an American actor, best known for his role as Henry Coleman on the soap opera ''As the World Turns''. Career Dawson was hired to play Henry Coleman on ''As the World Turns'' for just a few days i ...

(1989) - actor, played Henry Coleman on As the World Turns. * Joel Michael Guy Jr. (2006) - Convicted murderer. * Michael Hochberg (1998) - award-winning professor of

nanophotonics Nanophotonics or nano-optics is the study of the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, and of the interaction of nanometer-scale objects with light. It is a branch of optics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, and nanotechnology. It ...

at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

* Angie Drobnic Holan (1990) - editor for

PolitiFact PolitiFact.com is an American nonprofit project operated by the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, with offices there and in Washington, D.C. It began in 2007 as a project of the ''Tampa Bay Times'' (then the ''St. Petersburg Times'' ...

and was part of the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

winning team of journalists noted for their fact-checking of the

2008 presidential elections This electoral calendar 2008 lists the national/federal direct elections held in 2008 in the de jure and de facto list of sovereign states, sovereign states and their list of dependent territories, dependent territories. Referendums are included ...

in the United States. * Mark Johnson (2002) - ''

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As the head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the s ...

'' *

Josh Tickell Josh Tickell (born August 7, 1975) is an American film director who specializes in movies with a social message. His first feature movie, ''Fuel'' won the Sundance Audience Award for Best Documentary, was released theatrically in the United St ...

(1993) - Biodiesel pioneer and director of

FUEL A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

, which won the 2008

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

Audience Award for Best Documentary. *

Slater Rhea Slater Rhea (; ; literally: "Handsome Virtue") is an American singer, songwriter and TV personality on national TV in China. Rhea is a regular performer on Chinese music and entertainment programs, having made appearances on China Central Televis ...

(2005) - Singer and TV personality in China. * Carol S. Woodward - mathematicianCarol S Woodward
Center for Applied Scientific Computing. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

Notable faculty

William Rodney Allen William Rodney Allen is an American author and former Professor of English at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts. He received his PhD from Duke University, and was a faculty member at LSMSA from the time the school first open ...

- noted expert of Walker Percy and Kurt Vonnegut

References

External links

LSMSA website
{{authority control Gifted education Public high schools in Louisiana Schools in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana NCSSS schools Boarding schools in Louisiana Educational institutions established in 1983 Magnet schools in Louisiana 1983 establishments in Louisiana Buildings and structures in Natchitoches, Louisiana Public boarding schools in the United States