Second Ward High School History
Second Ward High School was a consolidation of the church community schools in northern Desoto Parish in compliance to an educational amendment that established an Elementary/High School to serve the northern area of Desoto Parish. The school was built on a fifteen-acre tract of land that was a former farm land that was purchased from the estate of Mr. Rochelle Fuller east of Gloster, Louisiana in Ward 2 on Highway 5. The following frame buildings were transported from the surrounding Church-Communities and the construction of brick buildings was begun which constituted the original campus: Antioch, Bethel, Canaan, Faltine, Friendship, Holly, Morning Star, Mt. Mariah, Mt. Zion, Providence, St. Mark, St. Mission and St. Rest.
The institution was opened September 1953 with an enrollment of 618 students with Mrs. Netta Greggs serving as the first principal. she served from 1953-1954. Mr. A.J. Williams, Jr. became the second principal and served from 1954-1973. In May of 1956 Second Ward High School held its first graduation exercise with a total of 24 graduating seniors. As the years progressed the number of students began to increase, new programs and extracurricular activities were added, and the faculty and staff increased. Mr. Samuel Johnson was the third and final principal, he served as principal from September 1973 until October 1988. There were twenty-seven graduating classes with the last class graduating in May of 1982. More than 1300 students graduated from Second Ward High School and are now experiencing productive lives within their chosen careers. Many have been very successful in their pursuit of higher education and are ranked among the high professionals throughout the country.
In September of 1982 the school added an elementary school with grades kindergarten through the sixth grade. In September 1982 seventh grade through twelfth was moved to North Desoto High School in Stonewall, Louisiana. North Desoto Elementary School was completed in October of 1988, and Second Ward Elementary School closed, and the students were moved to North Desoto Elementary School. Students were blessed to have many caring and dedicated faculty and staff members who worked together to maintain excellence in the operation of Second Ward High School/Second Ward Elementary School.
Composed by Principal Samuel Johnson.
African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970 