Union Central Elementary School
| Union Central Elementary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
32°04′35″N 92°04′47″W / 32.076363°N 92.079616°W | |
| Information | |
School district | Caldwell Parish School Board |
NCES District ID | 2200360 |
NCES School ID | 220036000283 |
| Grades | 4–5[1] |
| Enrollment | 224 (2022–2023[1]) |
Student to teacher ratio | 12.31[1] |
| Mascot | Eagles |
| Website | uces |
Union Central Elementary School (UCES) is a 4th and 5th grade elementary school in rural Columbia, Louisiana[1] and is part of the Caldwell Parish School Board. Founded during the Jim Crow-era as a K–12th grade school for African American students, the school was known as Union Central School,[2] and Union Central Colored School,[3] until desegregation in 1971.[4][5]
History
Caeser W. Brown donated land for the school. In 1918, the school had 127 students and 2 teachers.[6] It was established in a consolidation of community schools, hence its name "union".
Union Central High School
It opened in 1937 as a high school, the Union Central High School,[4] and the Panthers were the mascot.[7] Former principals of Union Central High School included Oscar Johnson, O.C. Rollins, C.B. Haynes, C.H. Chapman, and W.P. Moore (1945–1971).[4]
Union Central Elementary School
After desegregation it was used as an elementary school, named Union Central Elementary School, and it served mostly an African American student body.[5] The community moved away from school choice, and shifted to a center school model by having the three elementary school campuses serving particular grades.[5]
In 2024, Education Week described the school as being located in an area with housing projects and bumpy roads.[5] In November 2025, a teacher from the school faced charges for allegedly hitting two children.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Union Central Elementary School (220036000283)". National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ↑ "Union Central School Reunion". Caldwell Watchman. August 10, 2016. p. 8. Retrieved August 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Many Parish Children Are Vaccinated During Week". Caldwell Watchman. December 9, 1927. p. 1. Retrieved August 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 "Union Central High School" (PDF). AfricanAmericanHighSchoolsinLouisianaBefore1970.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Klein, Alyson (July 25, 2025). "How One District Reimagined Elementary School". Education Week.
- ↑ Brawley, Benjamin; Dillard, James Hardy; Johnson, James Weldon; Fund, John F. Slater; Favrot, Leo Mortimer; Questions, University Commission on Southern Race; Alexander, Will Winton; Williams, William Taylor Burwell (August 24, 1918). "...Reference List of Private and Denominational Southern Colored High Schools and Colleges". J. P. Bell Company, Incorporated, printers – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Union Central High School, Columbia, Louisiana, Caldwell Parish". africanamericanhighschoolsinlouisianabefore1970.com. May 28, 2018.
- ↑ Atiyeh, Alayna; Gartner, Jordan (November 19, 2025). "Elementary school teacher arrested, accused of hitting 2 children with intellectual disabilities". KLTV.