LBJ High School

Lyndon Baines Johnson High School in northeast Austin, Texas is a high school built in 1974 that later came to house one of Austin's two magnet high schools, the Science Academy. In early 2002, the Liberal Arts Academy, Austin's other magnet high school, was moved from Johnston High School to LBJ, forming what is now known as LASA (Liberal Arts and Science Academy).

As of the 2006-2007 school year, LBJ received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support implementation of an educational enrichment program called First Things First. Under the grant, no advanced program can be part of the same school and a push to separate LASA began. The two schools, LBJ and LASA, continue to be housed on the same campus but keep separate faculty, staff, and records for standardized tests, grade point averages,and class ranking. During the 2007-2008 school year there is a single yearbook, band, choir, theatre, art, and all students within the two schools are able to take part in all sports.

LBJ High School's mascot is the Jaguar, and the school's colors are purple and white.

Recently, the varsity basketball team has been state ranked. In the mid-1990s, the varsity football squad also experienced success. Surprisingly the swim team has become LBJ's most successful sport programs. Last year the girls were 4th in state and the boys were 3rd in state. In 2007, the [http://web.mac.com/lbjglacrosse/LBJ_Girls_Lacrosse/Welcome.html girls lacrosse team] won Division II and went to the state playoffs for the first time ever. Almost since the school's inception, the 265-member Jaguar Band has been renowned throughout the city. The school Varsity Camerata Orchestra has also been renowned throughout the city, regularly participating in La Folia concerts as well as providing individual representation at TMEA All Region and All State competitions. The student newspaper, The Liberator, named the best student newspaper in the South by Time Magazine, has been recognized regularly at the state and national level and has interviewed such individuals as Walter Cronkite and George W. Bush.

There are close to 50 student organizations and clubs.

The current principal of LBJ High School is Mr. Patrick Patterson who has been at the school since the 2004-2005 school year as part of the high school campus redesign program initiated to help raise TAKS score levels in the neighborhood portion of the school. As a result of the split, LASA and LBJ are required to have separate principals. Rene Sanchez, who was the interim director of the LASA program, was selected to be principal of the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School.

Accomplishments (LBJ & LASA)

National Merit: 56 finalists. More than any school in Austin area. (most of the finalists for the district) AP Participation: Total number testing - 489 Total number of exams - 1115 Total number of LBJ neighborhood students 40% increase - 120 Total number of LASA students - 369 German Club: 1st Place at Region! 2nd Place at State Kerry Jaworski - German Teacher of the Year for Texas! Speech: 5 State Qualifiers. 1 National Qualifier. French: 9 National Qualifiers. Latin: 96 students took the National Latin Exam. (highest number in the district) Team placed 3rd in Area. Team placed 10th at State. Math Team: Top honors at District. Second Place in Power Team at Texas A&M. First Place at Rice for Power Team, Second Place Sweepstakes. First in Region for Texas Math League. Spanish: Angie Pinero de Hoyos placed 4th in Advanced Reading at annual Pan Am convention. (1400 students competing) Victoria Devier placed 4th in Level 1 Reading. Orchestra: "Superior" Ratings at UIL! Two members ALL STATE! Four members ALL Region. Twelve 1st. Division ratings at UIL Solo and Ensemble competition. Alex Yau takes "Young Artist" at The Austin Young Artist Competition. Band: 1st Division UIL Marching Regionals. 1st Division Sweepstakes 3 Ensembles. Superior and Best In Class at Alamo Band Showcase. 4 All State Band Members. Choir: 2006-2007 Jaguar Singers Honors UIL Concert & Sight Singing Competition (2006): Varsity Mixed Choir, Excellent rating in Concert Women’s Choir, Superior rating in Sight Singing, Excellent rating in Concert TMEA All-State Competition (2007): 7 Region Choir Members 3 Area Choir Members UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest (2006): 9 Vocalists received Superior ratings, 7 went on to state-level competition Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest (2006): Vocalists-2 rated Superior, 5 rated Excellent Music Theory students-one selected “Outstanding Soloist”, 3 Superior ratings, 2 rated Excellent Piano students-1 Superior, 1 ExcellentScience Olympiad Teams: LASA 2nd. in State! LBJ (1st. year at competition) won several medals. RoboticsTeam: Capital Best Competition 1st. Place. Capital Best BEST Award 1st Place. Capital Best Most Robust Design Award. Capital Best Founders Award for Creative Design. Capital Best BEST Award 2nd Place. First Lone Star Regional Winner. First Lone Star Regional Radio Shack Control Award. World Championships Qualifier. Theater: One Act Play advanced to Area. Best Actor and Best Actress in District. JournalismYear Book: 1st Place Best of Show and Gold Crown Award. (National!)1st Place Gold Star Award. (State) Year Book featured as Taylor Publications National Year Book Award. Janet Elbom Dow Jones National Teacher of the Year Finalist. Art: 2 Seniors went to State Visual Arts Competition. Social Studies: Neil Leownstern was named CACSS Teacher of the Year! Ronny Risinger has been invited to attend the Supreme Court Institute in Washington, D.C. Wrestling: 15 Academic All District Team Members! (boys and girls combined) 2 District Champion Boys. Girls Team District Champs! 2 Girls State Qualifiers (3rd. and 4th.) 2 Girls All Americans! Football: Bi-District Champs Area Finalist 4 Academic All District Team Members Track: Boys and Girls finished FIRST in District Boys and Girls qualified relay teams for Regional Girls Relay 8th in State Boys Relay 6th in State Girls 400 6th in State Boys 100 6th in State Boys 110 6th in State Baseball: 3rd Place in District (qualified for playoffs) Volleyball: 2nd Place in District (qualified for playoffs) 5 Academic All District 1 Academic All State BasketballBoys: 2nd Place in DistrictBi-District Champs 2nd Place in District (qualified for playoffs) Swimming: Boys and Girls District Champions! Lee Willing District Coach of the Year Boys and Girls Regional Runners Up Boys 3rd at UIL State! Girls 4th at UIL State! LBJ only team to place both boys and girls in top 10 at State. Both teams honored by National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association for oveall GPA (girls 3.8, boys 3.7).

Notable People

John M. Jackson (social studies faculty 1975 - 1979) -- actor (Adm. Chegwidden on "JAG", and many other television and movie roles).

Terry Keel (Class of '76 graduate) -- state official.

ee also

Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School of Austin, Texas - LASA and LBJ students share the same campus, newspaper, annual, band, theatre, orchestra, choir, and many other curricular or extracurriclar programs

References

[ cite web|url=http://www.austinisd.org/schools/details.phtml?id=017&lang= |title=LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson) High School |accessdate=2007-11-21 |publisher=Austin Independent School District ]

External links

* [http://www.lbjhs.net LBJ High School Website]
* [http://www.austinisd.org/schools/campus.phtml?opt=view&id=007 Austin Independent School District: LBJ High School]