In August of last year, O. Perry Walker and L.B. Landry High Schools combined to form one larger school in a state-of-the-art facility.
The merger of the two Algiers high schools, now called L.B. Landry–O.P. Walker College and Career Preparatory High School, was controversial among residents and alumni: public debate raged over everything from student uniforms to the school's official name.
Now, midway through its inaugural year as a single school, Landry–Walker High School is facing a major test: how will its combined marching band fare in the city's Mardi Gras parades. We spoke with students hailing from both schools, and with band director Wilbert RawlinsJr., to see how the merge affects the music.
You can catch the Landry–Walker Broncos in five more parades this season, including the Krewes of Muses, Morpheus, NOMTOC, Bacchus and, for the first time, the Krewe of Grela in Gretna on Mardi Gras Day.