Woodlawn High School

Woodlawn High School has a new principal this year and there has been a bit of staff turn over. I have a child in Gifted and one in "General Population". The Gifted children get a superior education. There are TONS of programs (more than Baton Rouge High) and the teachers are great. The General Population kids get bo-diddly squat. Some of the teachers are good but when you are fighting apathetic parents, an ineffective district administration and inane expectations regarding being rated on how well your students pass the tests, well ... there is bound to be an aura of despair and "just get the kid through here". That said, I have high hopes that the new principal will change things up for the better. If you are thinking of moving to the BR area and believe the hype that Ascension schools are better - that is false. We attended Ascension schools - primary, middle, and high - and they were far worse than the Woodlawn trio.
—Submitted by a parent

nicer building and good teachers, all the stuff is trying to make the school better
—Submitted by a parent

My children attended this school
—Submitted by a parent

This school is all about the dress code, even down to requiring students to purchase their in-house, poorly made and overpriced $15 polo shirts. Unlike the rest of the parish high schools, which require a simple shirt with a collar and plain khaki's, Woodlawn restricts the children to khaki's with EXACTLY FOUR REGULAR POCKETS only, and the aforementioned $15 polo shirt. The staff is rude, and will not return telephone calls. The school is subjected to seemingly constant lockdowns, and the school cannot even send out a timely report card. Pathetic. I am glad my child only has one more year, but wish I had not moved from Ascension Parish this past year and instead, waited until she graduated high school. If you can, send your child elsewhere, preferably somewhere in Ascension or Livingston Parishes where the concentration is on education and not an overly strict dress code.
—Submitted by a parent

Pros- The school is great. I am a senior and about to graduate. I love this school. I gave my heart to this school. With so many new programs and so many new teachers. This is becoming a lead school in East Baton Rouge. Woodlawn was and is the only school in East Baton Rouge to have U.S. First Robotics club. We place 19th out of 32 team while being the top 2 rookie team. Woodlawn students also visited Atlanta for the Model United Nation at Emroy University. Woodlawn also have Great Scholars and Gifted and Talented program. We are also working on having an International Day. Cons- Students are not encouraged enough to participate in activities. I tried two years to have an International Day but my ideas were rejected and ignored. The administrators act like little children.
—Submitted by a student

Being a parent of a 16 yr old son, I am very involed in whats going on, his teachers & his classes. It's hard keeping a child interested in school when you feel like the teachers don't want to be bothered, staff is very rude and not prone to listening. It has gotten even worse with the extra kids they have taken on from Lee High. I think having a beautiful school is a waste if your heart isn't in teaching the students. My son was sent to TOR because his uniform shirt became un-tucked while he was sitting. when I called the school to inquire, the Asst Principle sent him back to class only for the same teacher to refuse to give him class materials. When he got the assigned lesson from another kid, she refused to take it.
—Submitted by a parent

I have to agree with the previous (poor) comments about the staff and teachers. The building is beautiful but my son would learn more if (1) the teacher's actually cared and (2) they gave the students the materials that the school can afford! my son was an honor student (straight A's) through K-5th. During 6-(going into 8th now) he's been just about failing with a below C average. I have contacted every one of his teachers every month the first two years. Every teacher had said that they would comply with my requests (such as keeping their online websites up-to-date with posted assignments. One teacher, the worst, still had her assignments from october posted when it was april. No phone calls are returned promptly. I've requested to have my son taken out of the gifted classes & they refused! Attitudes are horrible. Ms Brown is the only one who cares.
—Submitted by a parent

Dispite the fact that I do like some of the teachers, the front office and administration at this school are some of the rudest people I have ever encountered in my life. I personally have also had problems with them not communicating my sons progress with me, but if you initiate conversation with the teachers they will keep you informed. They suspend for the smallest infraction which they want to keep the kids in line, but I think it's so much that it affects their learning. There is also the TOR - Time out room that kids are sent to for being tardy or acting out - This room is also used excessively.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is absolutely horrible academically and the students dont get the attention that they need from the teachers or staff. They are worried more if your shirt isnt completely tucked in or if your ID card is on backwards. The school is really nice, but they dont use the money for new books or new equipment and supplies that the students need to achieve better scores. For the fees this school charges for 'things' that will help the kids achieve it could be a private school.

I graduated from woodlawn 1 yr ago and I know from 1st hand experience that it is a horrible school. The only thing that school cares about is the dress code and your id badge. They spent too much money to build a nice looking school but no money to aid in what the students need like new books or money for activities like band or chior.
—Submitted by Sarah Davis, a former student

My children moved down here from Ky. 2 years ago. My oldest was on the the A/B honor roll in Ky. and my youngest had over a 'C' average. Now both are failing school. My daughter complained that the teachers and staff are more worried about the uniform dress code more than anything else;after talking to other parents and a teacher who has since transferred to Central High, I'm convinced that the uniform dresscode does outweigh the accademics being taught by far. My children will be attending a different school next year. .
—Submitted by a parent

The school has a beautiful, clean campus. However, the academics are severely lacking. Our child has been enrolled in the Honors classes, and she is still bored & frustrated by the slow pace. In addition, most of the teachers are disinterested in the students. The teachers don't discipline the students and the time-out room is not effective when it is utilized. The only requirements for the Honors classes is teacher recommendation which means that most anyone who requests placement in Honors is accepted. The result is students who should not be in those classes. The standards are mediocre. We are disgusted & frustrated by all of it and are searching for a new school. In addition, the kids rarely socialize after school and there is limited participation by the students in activities. Not much school spirit there & apathetic students & staff, alike. It is a Title I school.
—Submitted by a parent

Since they moved to the new school, it's not the original Woodlawn that I graduated from not that long ago. It has changed in my opinion a little bit worse, but it is building itself into the woodlawn it used to be. Some extracur. activities are no longer good and they aren't funded enough as they should be. If you have a child in Band, I was on the Drumline for 3 years, the funding for the music program is horrific!
—Submitted by SPC Christopher Jones (U.S. Army), a former student

i think woodlawn is a very good school the students and the staff there is lovely i think that every parent should send their kids their i am a student there now.
—Submitted by a student

This school is a very good school, though the test scores might not be very good the administration is doing all that they can to improve these scores. Overall this is a great school. The school is at a new location that was completed for the 2003-2004 school year. This school has a very clean environment. I am a student there and I really do look forward to going to school everyday.
—Submitted by Matt Carmouche, a student