Lisa Burns Named State Principal of the Year Semi-Finalist

Lisa Burns is not only Bossier Schools’ Elementary Principal of the Year, but is now a semi-finalist for
Louisiana Principal of the Year.

Chosen from a field of outstanding principals throughout the state, the W.T. Lewis Elementary School principal
will be honored and celebrated in July at the 13th annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala in
Baton Rouge, at which time the 2020 Principal of the Year will be named.

Burns has served as an educator for 22 years at Bossier Schools. Her teaching career began at Stockwell
Place Elementary and after 11 years in the classroom, took an administrative turn. Burns was named Assistant
Principal at W.T. Lewis in 2008 and took the reins as Principal five years later.

Recognized in her community as a passionate and innovative leader, Burns said she is committed to the
success of her students and maintaining a standard of excellence. W.T. Lewis Elementary has earned an ‘A’
rating every year of her principalship, and in 2018 was named a Top Gains School and earned the Equity
Honoree award from the Louisiana Department of Education.

Burns leads with heart and purpose, inspiring students and educators to find their strengths and be their best.
She strives to provide a highly engaging, supportive learning environment where children and adults thrive,
succeed and continue to grow.

“Lisa Burns has an amazing heart for kids and it is evident,” Bossier Schools Superintendent Mitch Downey
said. “She understands the student is the priority and goes above and beyond when there is a child in need.
Not only does she recognize it, but she acts on it. She is an outstanding principal and there could not be a
better educator to represent Bossier Schools at the state level than her.”

If chosen as Louisiana Principal of the Year, Burns plans to share at the state level how she has inspired
positive change in her school through collaboration, collective responsibility for student learning, cultural shifts
and commitment to the purpose as educators.