A.C. Steere Elementary School

A. C. Steere Elementary School is located at 4009 Youree Drive in Shreveport, Louisiana. It opened its doors Oct. 29, 1929 as the new Broadmoor School, formerly located at 305 Albany Ave. The new school housed 225 students and 12 teachers. The first graduating class of the Braodmoor School - now A.C. Steere Elementary - included 13 of the original 17 students enrolled. The school flower was the yellow and green dandelion, which is believed to be the source of the school's colors. In the mid 1920s, A.C. Steere donated 12-17 acres of land in Broadmoor for schools and recreational parks. Following his death in 1930, the Broadmoor School was renamed in honor of the man whose contributions made it possible. The east wing, with four classrooms and a central office was added to the original school structure in 1939. Sixth-grade classes were moved to Broadmoor Junior High in 1952. In 1954, A.C. Steere's enrollment topped out at 1,078 with classes housed in permanent classrooms, temporary buildings and borrowed space from Broadmoor Baptist Church. Renovations and additions in 2010 updated the campus structures, with a central air and heating system and new Library/Media Center. Also in 2010, the title to the domed gymnasium that formerly belonged to Shreveport Parks and Recreation was accepted by Caddo Parish School Board and became a permanent part of the school campus.

On Dec. 3, 1936, the A.C. Steere Parent Teacher Association was chartered under the Louisiana Parent Teacher Association, which was then a branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. In 2011, A.C. Steere PTA will celebrate 75 years—its Diamond Anniversary—as a unit in good standing, the longest standing active elementary school unit in Caddo Parish. The current Executive Board members are: Becky Celli, President; Sarah Marr, Vice President for Communications; Sommer Picou, Vice President for Fundraising; Kristin Nelson, Vice President for Membership; Patrick Marr; Treasurer; Michelle Peyton, Recording Secretary and Staci Thomas, Corresponding Secretary. Unit rolls exceed 600 members. Programs introduced to the school through PTA efforts include Accelerated Reader, Watch DOGS and National Elementary Honor Society.

On Feb. 20, 1991, A.C. Steere solidified its place in history when it was named to the National Register of Historic Places because of the significance of its architecture. Renovations in 2010-2011 restored the clay roof tiles and copper gutters to their original state. The school's bell tower houses the bell from the USS Shreveport.

A.C. Steere is one of the highest performing nonmagnet schools under the direction of the Caddo Parish School Board. It features staff who are Nationally Certified and hold Masters Degrees in elementary education; and it is home to the gifted preschool program for Caddo Parish, which houses the brightest three- and four-year-olds in the area. It has a student population of nearly 500 and sits on 17 acres. The adjacent public park is closed to the public during school hours and is reserved for use by the school during this time. Louisiana's largest recorded Sycamore tree provides shade to a portion of the A.C. Steere Park area. This campus houses the first full-access Right-To-Play Park in the state of Louisiana. Enrichment curriculum and programs include art, general music, library, choir, strings, PE, Gateway, Discoveries and Talented Arts Program. Parent sponsored activities include football, cheer, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Running Club. The current principal is Kim Anderson Derrick.

Noted alumni include author, illustrator and producer William Joyce.

References

External links

• A.C. Steere Elementary School