Superintendent Warren Drake hit the ground running as the Superintendent of East Baton Rouge Parish School Board in 2015. Under his direction, EBR School System has seen some significant improvements in all areas—including an increase in graduation rates, ACT scores, and advanced placement scores, to name a few. Overall school performance is on the rise.
"Over the past three years we have improved efficiency tremendously by reducing our budget by over 13 million. We have changed leadership and added 7 new magnet programs," said Superintendent Drake.
In elementary schools, EBR has shown an increase in the percentage of LEAP tests scoring Mastery and above from 2015-2017, and middle schools are offering more high school credit courses for students. In addition, EBR schools continue to improve their graduation rates as well as their ACT scores. Since 2013, the district’s ACT index has grown 12.8 points. Advanced placement numbers are also up across EBR Schools. EBR ranked 2nd in the state in the number of tests scoring 3 or higher (out of 5) in advanced placement. In addition, instituting the National Math and Science Institute (NMSI) College Readiness Program has been very successful in increasing the number of students taking Advanced Placement exams and qualifying scores in individual schools. NMSI replicates on a national scale programs proven to elevate rigor and student performance in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. Broadmoor High School is now the newest EBR School participating in NMSI.
Academic programming has also been expanded under Superintendent Drake’s watch, with new Magnet Programs at Woodlawn High and Woodlawn Middle and series of new Jump Start Pathways programs in the areas of Agriculture Technology, Business Management, Carpentry, Electrician, Hospitality/ Tourism, Culinary, and Retail. The district also has dual enrollment programs with multiple universities and a Sports Medicine Pathway partnership with LSU. Other academic achievements of note are Woodlawn’s nationally recognized Robotics program, which has won the World Champion Robotics competition twice. The district is also home to multiple Blue Ribbon Award winners, schools recognized for their academic excellence.
There is an upcoming one-cent tax renewal on the ballot for April. The renewal will enable Superintendent Drake and his hardworking team to continue improving our community schools. “Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of work have gone into the making of this plan for the upcoming tax renewal. I think it’s a great plan for our students and faculty and it’s very good for our community,” said Superintendent Drake. “The community has always supported us in the past and we are so appreciative of that. We want the community to see their tax dollars put to good use.”
This includes plans for six new schools to be built and a number of extensive renovations, including a $35 million dollar overhaul of McKinley High School among many others.
“We are going to continue to serve our children wherever they are in the parish,” said Drake. "Our vision is to have more neighborhood schools where kids can be closer to home. We also want to get all students in new or renovated facilities and increase the opportunities for great programs in this district." A strong educational system leads to a strong and viable future for our city and Superintendent Drake is committed to building a strong school system.
According to Superintendent Drake: “We are tearing down six facilities. We are consolidating other facilities, and we are going to elevate schools with high-quality programming. I think when people go to the ballot and realize the opportunities we are giving them, they will come to the polls and make the decision they feel is best."
In the classroom, on the field, and in our communities, the next generation of leaders are taking shape. With the dedicated sales tax renewal coming up, EBR Schools will build schools in under-served areas, enrich and re-imagine the schools that have stood the test of time, attract and retain the best staff possible, and provide quality programming for every child across the parish. Together we are “one team, with one mission…” Visit buildingthefutureofbr.org for more. Save the date for April 28th, your voice counts. Learn. Share. Vote!
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