History
Ballou High School was founded in the early 1960s to serve residents in the southern part of Anacostia, including Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue. The school was named for Dr. Frank Washington Ballou, superintendent of the DC public schools from 1920 to 1943. Ballou SHS is known for having one of the best choirs and bands in the District. The Ballou SHS band has traveled to California and Alabama and placed in the top three in both national competitions. The Ballou SHS band is directed by Mr. Darrell Watson. and his all volunteer Ballou alumni staff. The Ballou choir directed by Gary Stanley has been one of the more positive aspects of the school. They have traveled and performed in various states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida just to name a few. The choir and the band have also had an impact on the type of media the school has gotten in the last couple of years. They have brought a more positive outlook on the school and the students who attend. In addition to an outstanding band and choir, Ballou is known as one of the best athletic programs in the area. Ballou over the years has produced several DCIAA City Champions and countless NCAA Scholarship Athletes.
The previous principal Dr Art Bridges is the Uncle of Rapper/Actor Chris (Ludacris) Bridges. Ludacris has visited Ballou several times to give motivation speeches to the youth.
In 1998, author Ron Suskind published the book "A Hope in the Unseen" about a Ballou High School student named Cedric Jennings. The book was based on a series of pulitzer-prize winning articles written in the Wall Street Journal by Suskind. The story follows Jennings efforts to attend an Ivy League University in spite of his troubled upbringing.
In 2003 a major instance of mercury being spread throughout the school caused for its closure for several weeks and the redirection of students and staff to nearby educational facilities.
On February 2, 2004, 19-year-old Thomas J. Boykin fatally shot 17-year-old James Richardson. Boykin was later acquitted on the charge of murder.
In 2008, director Michael Patrei, released a documentary " Fall 2009.
NBC4 News reports another shooting on August 26, 2008 of a 16-year old just off the campus grounds results in a lockdown of the campus. This comes after a spree of violence in and around the school.
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