1 9 3 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁high ▁school . ▁It ▁also ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Louisiana ▁to ▁be ▁named ▁after ▁an ▁African - American . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁high ▁school ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁bank ▁of ▁New ▁Orleans ▁to ▁en roll ▁African - Amer icans ▁regardless ▁of ▁income ▁level . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁joint ▁junior / sen ior ▁high ▁school . ▁The ▁main ▁building ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁fire ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁and ▁was ▁re built ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁an ▁an nex ▁opened . ▁It ▁contained ▁an ▁assembly ▁hall , ▁a ▁the ater , ▁and ▁ 2 2 ▁class rooms . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁H urr icane ▁K atr ina ▁caused ▁the ▁school ▁to ▁close . ▁The ▁h urr icane ▁resulted ▁in ▁m old , ▁rain , ▁and ▁wind - related ▁dam ages ▁in ▁the ▁school ' s ▁building . ▁L ent z ▁said ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁few ▁people ▁who ▁expected ▁Land ry ▁to ▁re - open . ▁The ▁architect ural ▁firm ▁Es ke w + D ume z + R ipp le ▁designed ▁the ▁new ▁school . ▁A ▁ ▁replacement ▁campus , ▁with ▁a ▁price ▁tag ▁of ▁almost ▁$ 5 4 ▁million ▁in ▁federal ▁dis aster ▁funds , ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁with stand ▁wind s ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁per ▁hour , ▁and ▁solar ▁pan