Grambling Lab & Lincoln Prep

History

The Grambling Laboratory Schools have been the only public schools in the Grambling Community for more than a century.  They began in 1901 as a small school founded to teach former slaves to read and write, eventually becoming a state junior college, a senior college, and eventually Grambling State University.  As the original school grew in size and mission, it continued the mission of primary and secondary education to the citizens of Grambling and the surrounding community.  For much of its rich history, the school was an exemplary school where students excelled in and out of the classroom. 

In 2015 the school was up for a possible school closure due to lack of funding.  In the past, Grambling State University provided more than $700K annually to support Laboratory School operations.  Although this left the school woefully underfunded, it was enough to keep the school doors open.  Higher Education budget cuts made it impossible to continue the subsidy to support primary and secondary education. 

In fact, private funds were being raised to replace University funding for the 2015-16 school year. However, this arrangement is unsustainable in the long term.  Unless the schools were successfully converted into a charter school, the schools will be forced to close, leaving the City of Grambling with no public schools.  This would be a devastating blow to the city and larger community, as parents would be forced to return their children to schools, they have previously rejected.

Mission

By converting the current schools to the properly resourced and operated Charter School we could deliver on the hope of Lincoln Preparatory Mission:

Mission is “To educate children to excel academically, socially, and emotionally for lifetime self-sufficiency.”  According to The Bell Policy Center: “Self-sufficiency means families are able to meet their basic needs without having to rely on any public or private assistance. That is the definition that underlies the Self-Sufficiency Standard, which we have long recommended as the best way for the state government or anyone else to measure the economic well-being of families.”

The Center goes on to say:

“. . . to escape poverty as defined by the federal poverty level, one need not worry about going any further than high school. But to be self-sufficient – and to have a shot at entering the Cycle of Opportunity – one should aim for college.”

and finally:

“If we want to break the Cycle of Dependency, it often isn’t enough for people to move from welfare to work unless they also improve their education and training so they can get the jobs that pay higher wages.” Thus, the emergence of Lincoln Preparatory School in 2016.

Vision

As stated in our Mission Statement, the long-term Vision of the Lincoln Preparatory School’s is self-sufficiency for our graduates.  Graduates of our school will become productive citizens and break the cycles of dependency that harm our communities

In ten years, all graduates of the Lincoln Preparatory School will graduate with minimum proficiency for college and career success.  This will prepare them for a life of self-sufficiency whether they choose to attend college or not.  However, we expect the combination of preparedness for college, dual-enrollment opportunities, TOPS and TMCF scholarships to propel the vast majority of our students into college and greater self-sufficiency.

Ultimately, graduates of the Lincoln Preparatory School will become self-sufficient leaders in our community, breaking the cycles of dependence and blazing a trail of self-sufficiency for their children and future generations.