Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School (Laney High School) is a public high school in the Laney-Walker district of Augusta,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was formed in 1949 by combining the A. R. Johnson and

Haines Normal and Industrial Institute Lucy Craft Laney (April 13, 1854 – October 23, 1933) was an American educator who in 1883 founded the first school for black children in Augusta, Georgia. She was principal for 50 years of the Haines Institute for Industrial and Normal Ed ...

. From the merger, Laney derived the mascot the "Wildcat," and the school colors of red and grey. In the summer of 1951, the old building was torn down on the Haines site and the new building was started. During the construction, classes were held at another site. In September 1953, Lucy Laney High School moved into its new building with, Dr. C.W. Johnson as principal. In 1964, the music building was added with spacious new choral and band rooms. In 1981, renovations were made to the building to update the library facilities and the main offices. Air conditioning was installed. During the 1996–97 school year, work started on a renovation for school improvements costing approximately seven million dollars. This added ten new classrooms, a technology lab, a new media center, an expansion of the gym with a concession area, and new restrooms and new furnishings. The new facilities were completed during the 1997–98 school year. In the fall of 2007, a new 12 million dollar athletic complex was opened which included a 9000-seat football stadium. The school had previously been without a home field for over 30 years. In 2014, Laney High School began another major renovation project. Students attended the nearby Tubman Education Center while the school was given a complete 23 million dollar overhaul. The new facility opened in the fall of 2016 and includes 23 new classrooms, a fine arts building, cosmetology lab, a mock courtroom for the law and justice program, rifle range for the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

, upgraded cafeteria with outdoor seating for seniors, and a new gymnasium. Laney High School now offers two magnet programs open to all students of Richmond County. The Academy for

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

Studies enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school by offering numerous AP courses. Beginning in the fall of 2017, the

Early College The Early College High School Initiative in the United States allows students to receive a high school diploma and an associate degree, or up to two years of college credit, by taking a mixture of high school and college classes. This differs fr ...

Academy will admit qualified students to take accelerated courses in grades 9 and 10 and then enroll full-time at Augusta University during grades 11 and 12. Female literacy rate of graduates is 63%, whereas male literacy rate of graduates is 42%. This is comparatively high for a high school in a deprived area.

Notable alumni

Chip Banks William "Chip" Banks (born September 18, 1959) is a former All-Pro professional American football linebacker. High school and college career Banks graduated from Lucy Craft Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia. He played college football at ...

, NFL linebacker *

Kendrell Bell Kendrell Alexander Bell (born July 2, 1980) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Georgia Bulldogs football, Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, where he ...

, NFL linebacker *

Emerson Boozer Emerson Boozer (born July 4, 1943) is a former running back in the American Football League (AFL) and in the National Football League (NFL). In the last year of separate drafts by the AFL and the NFL, Boozer signed with the AFL's New York Jets, r ...

, NFL running back *

Jessye Norman Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...

opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

, soprano *

Jaylen Watson Jaylen Watson (born September 17, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ventura College before transferring to the Washington State Cougars. He w ...

, Super Bowl Champion NFL defensive back

References

External links

Lucy C. Laney High School
- official website
Lucy C. Laney High School Alumni Association
- alumni website Educational institutions established in 1949 High schools in Richmond County, Georgia Public high schools in Georgia (U.S. state) 1949 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) {{GeorgiaUS-school-stub

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links