A perennial tradition and popular community event, the 49th-consecutive Haughton High Homecoming Parade will roll on Oct.18, beginning at 5 p.m
The parade, which will include many school and community non-profit and non-political groups, is sponsored by the Haughton High Student Council and marshaled by the school’s J.R.O.T.C. corps. It will begin in the school’s student parking lot by and follow a route of south on North Hazel, left onto South Myrtle, right on West Jackson, right again on South Elm (Hwy. 157), with a final turn at the Haughton Post Office on West McKinley Street leading back to the high school. The school is located at 210 E. McKinley in Haughton.
HHS Principal Mr. Gene Couvillion selected the 2018 parade Grand Marshal, Billie Jo Cryer Brotherton, who is currently serving as the President of the Bossier Parish School Board. Mrs. Brotherton is a life-long resident of Bossier Parish who attended Haughton High School from first grade until graduating with honors in 1971. She attended Northwestern State University, where she graduated with honors once again with a B.A. in Kindergarten/Elementary Education. Billie Jo continued her education and graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Masters +30 in Elementary Education. After teaching in Caddo Parish for a year and a half, Billie Jo returned home to teach Kindergarten at Platt/T.L.Rodes for the next twenty three years. In 1999, she became the assistant principal at Platt Elementary and remained in that position until retirement in 2007. After thirty three years in education, Mrs. Brotherton reflects that she “was so blessed to have a career that I truly loved and to be able to teach in the community that I grew up in made it even more special.” Mrs. Brotherton says. “It was fun to watch the kids I had in elementary go through the Haughton school system and to see how they turned out.”
Her love for her community and the Bossier Parish School System brought her back to service in 2015 when she was selected as the District 1 representative for the Bossier Parish School Board. She was selected to be the Vice President for the 2017-18 year and is currently the President of the Bossier Parish School Board.
Billie Jo is blessed to have married her childhood sweetheart and 1970 graduate of HHS, Bob Brotherton. During their forty seven years of marriage, the Brotherton family has given time and love to the Haughton community. Bob taught and coached – football and Head Track coach – at Haughton High School for thirty three years. He retired in 2007 as well and is currently representing District 1 on the Bossier Parish Police Jury. The Brotherton’s have two sons, Jason and Coy. Jason, a 1994 graduate of HHS, is currently the head football coach and Athletic Director at his alma mater. He and his wife, Kenda Bockhaus, have two children in the Haughton school system, Kinsley and Brock. Coy, a 2001 graduate of HHS, is currently the offensive coordinator at Captain Shreve High School. He and his wife, Stacey Brown- a math teacher at HHS, have two children, Blair and Broox.
Billie Jo is honored to represent Haughton as Grand Marshall of the 2018 Homecoming parade. “My family loves Haughton High School! We always say, ‘When we bleed, we bleed Buccaneer Red!’ Go Bucs!”
In related Homecoming events, the varsity football team will play the Southwood Cowboys for the Homecoming game at 7 P.M. on Oct. 19. Pre-game activities, including Senior Night, are scheduled to begin at 6:15. The admission charge will be $8 at the gate. The 2018 Homecoming Court, serenaded by the Big Red Buccaneer Band, will be presented at halftime. All alumni and several specific classes of graduates will be recognized at halftime as well.
The school’s website can be found at http://haughtonh.bossierschools.org for more information.
