HLS 171ES-204 ORIGINAL
2017 First Extraordinary Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 18
BY REPRESENTATIVES HOFFMANN, HUNTER, JACKSON, AND JAY MORRIS
COMMENDATIONS: Commends Crosley Elementary School in West Monroe upon the
celebration of its centennial anniversary
1 A RESOLUTION
2To commend Crosley Elementary School in West Monroe upon its centennial anniversary
3 celebration.
4 WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Crosley Elementary School in West
5Monroe, Louisiana, upon the joyful, memorable, and historic occasion of its centennial
6anniversary; and
7 WHEREAS, Crosley Elementary School holds a special place in the history of
8Ouachita Parish as the parish's first school that stood as a permanent structure on the west
9side of the Ouachita River; and
10 WHEREAS, prior to the establishment of Crosley Elementary School, the only public
11school in West Monroe was a two-room wooden structure, known as Haynes School, in Old
12Trenton, and most West Monroe children attended school across the river in Monroe; and
13 WHEREAS, a bond issue was approved in 1913 to build the first brick school
14building in the western part of Ouachita Parish, and the school site was donated in 1914 by
15E.S. and Stella Crosley Eby and J.T. and Clayton Crosley Austin; and
16 WHEREAS, the school was constructed in the middle of a cotton field, just west of
17the original town of Trenton; it was named West Monroe Grammar School and offered first
18through sixth grades; and its students came to class by wagon; and
19 WHEREAS, in 1929, a new wing with twelve additional classrooms, an auditorium,
20and a cafeteria was dedicated, and the name of the school was changed to Crosley Grammar
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HR NO. 18
1School; during the Great Depression, this cafeteria played an important role in supplying
2meals to students in a time of great need; and
3 WHEREAS, the school remained West Monroe's flagship school well into the 1950s,
4and the school became more competitive in extracurricular activities, including a winning
5football team, basketball for boys and girls, chorus, band, and numerous clubs; and
6 WHEREAS, in 1971, fire destroyed most of the school, and in 1974, a new wing
7containing four classrooms and a library was completed; by the end of the 1970s, the school
8had transformed into a prekindergarten and kindergarten center, and today it serves schools
9in the western half of Ouachita Parish that do not offer such programs; and
10 WHEREAS, these grades lay a vital foundation for students, and Crosley helps them
11to develop into lifelong learners and sets them on a path to success in the classroom and in
12life; and
13 WHEREAS, the Crosley Elementary School family, past and present, are gathering
14on Sunday, February 26, 2017, in the school auditorium to celebrate the school's special
15legacy over the course of a century; and
16 WHEREAS, as it celebrates one hundred years as a true Ouachita Parish institution,
17Crosley Elementary School merits a sincere and heartfelt measure of commendation for its
18enduring commitment to excellence in education.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
20Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend Crosley Elementary School upon its
21centennial anniversary celebration and does hereby recognize and record for posterity the
22tremendous pride and honor that this exemplary school brings to the city of West Monroe,
23Ouachita Parish, the state of Louisiana, and all who have walked its halls over the past one
24hundred years.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
26to Tracey Flaherty, principal of Crosley Elementary School, and Dr. Don Coker,
27superintendent of the Ouachita Parish School System.
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HR NO. 18
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 18 Original 2017 First Extraordinary Session Hoffmann
Commends Crosley Elementary School in W. Monroe upon its centennial anniversary.
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