C. E. Byrd High School


C. E. Byrd High School, a Blue Ribbon School, is a high school in Shreveport, Louisiana. In continuous operation since its establishment in 1925, C. E. Byrd is also the eighth-largest high school in the state of Louisiana as of February 2019. Byrd students come from its neighborhood or throughout the entire Caddo Parish school district through its selective math/science magnet program.

History

1970: In an attempt to further desegregate, Valencia High School was merged with Byrd. Students class schedules were changed at the start of the new semester in order to "mix" the students from the two schools. The Black administrators from Valencia were given minor roles at Byrd.
Tensions were high with student protests. As a result of these protests, police were called in to guard the doors of the school. Students were not allowed to leave the building once they came to school for the day. Senior rings had been ordered the previous year, so each wore their own class rings. While students from both schools participated in the same commencement exercises they wore different colored academic regalia, that represented their schools.
Byrd High subsequently fell victim to "white flight" with many parents sending their children to Jesuit High School, St. Vincent's Academy, or one of several new private schools. Enrollment decreased to the point that Byrd faced possible closure. Byrd returned as a powerhouse by re-inventing itself as a Math and Science magnet school.
The area comprising the school building and three other non-contributing properties were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The elaborate four story brick structure designed by Edward F. Neild has seen several alterations since its construction in 1924. The structure, however, still retains its original visual impact and is significant in the area of architecture. Byrd remains one of few examples of Jacobean Revival architecture.

Student media