As of 2022, there are over 630,000 students enrolled in the 1,214 schools that make up the 72 districts in the state of Louisiana. That’s a lot of kids, and they’ll all strive to learn everything they can so they can grow up to be smart and ready to take on adult professional lives. While some of the districts have only a handful of schools, some of the largest school districts in Louisiana are truly massive. Today, we’ll talk about some of those huge districts. We’ll tell you how many schools they contain and interesting facts about each. Then, you can decide if you want to enroll your children.
Jefferson Parish School District
The first on our list of the largest school districts in Louisiana is Jefferson Parish, which, at the time of this writing, has 82 schools in the group. All in all, there are about 46,900 students in all the different institutions. The school district is located in Harvey, LA, and the schools educate students in grades Pre Kindergarten-12th grade.
The school has a few great things to boast about, including being #5 when it comes to diversity and #42 when it comes to athletics. Students in this district graduate about 78% of the time, and there’s a 34% reading proficiency and a 24% math proficiency in the schools. There’s a fairly decent student-to-teacher ratio of about 21:1.
High-ranking schools in the Jefferson Parish School District include:
- Marrero Academy for Advanced Studies
- Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy
- Congetta Trippe Janet Elementary School
- Marie B. Riviere Elementary School
- Laureate Academy Charter School
East Baton Rouge Parish Public School District
Next on our list of the largest school districts in Louisiana is the East Baton Rouge Parish district that is home to 83 schools at the time of this writing. There are just over 41,000 students who learn in these schools every day. The schools serve kids in grades from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade.
As far as ratings, this school district is in the middle of the pack. The schools rate as #36 in the state for diversity and athletics. Currently, the reading proficiency level is 34%, and the math proficiency is 22%. There’s a student-to-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.
High-ranking schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish public school district include:
- Mayfair Laboratory School
- Baton Rouge Visual & Performing Arts Center
- Woodlawn Elementary School
- Parkview Elementary School
- Forest Heights Academy of Excellence
St. Tammany Parish Public School District
Next, we have the St. Tammany Parish public school district, which is ranked as #3 of the best school districts in the state. At present, there are 55 schools here and 37,048 students. This district is located in Covington, LA. There are about 37,050 students in these schools within grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.
The schools here are a bit higher on the rating scales, with position #8 out of 69 for athletics, #20 for diversity, and #15 as the overall best school district. On average, the schools have a student-teacher ratio of 18-1, which is better than some of the other districts. That ratio is good for the students, as this district has a 55% proficient reading score and 43% proficiency for math.
High-ranking schools in the St. Tammany Parish public school district include:
- Fontainebleau Junior High School
- Madisonville Junior High School
- Boyet Junior High School
- L.P. Monteleone Junior High School
- Mandeville Junior High School
Caddo Parish Public School District
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Then, we have the school district of Caddo Parish, which has 59 elementary, middle, and high schools. This district is located in Shreveport, LA. There are close to 35,000 students in the schools of this area, and they’re in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. There’s a higher ratio of 22 to 1 ratio for students vs teachers.
At this point, the district has a 32% reading proficiency and 21% proficiency rate. But despite that, the district is rated as #9 for the best places to teach, #14 for athletics, and #15 for diversity. The Shreveport area is a nice place with nice housing and a decent cost of living, so it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a school district for your kids.
High-ranking schools in the Caddo Parish public school district include:
- Caddo Parish Magnet High School
- C.E. Byrd High School
- Captain Shreve High School
- North Caddo High School
- Southwood High School
Lafayette Parish Public School District
Voted as the #2 best district in the area, the Lafayette Parish school district, which has 46 schools, in which 31,271 students call home in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. One of the secrets to this large district’s success is that there’s a student-to-teacher ratio of 18 to 1, so the kids get more individual attention. The results have paid off since testing has shown 46% of the students with a proficient reading score and 38% with a proficiency in math.
The district is rated as #2 of all districts when ranked for diversity, #27 for athletics, and #29 for the best district for teachers. This district is located in Lafayette, LA. The district does provide AP classes and gifted programs.
High-ranking schools in the Lafayette Parish public school district include:
- Green T. Lindon Elementary School
- Ernest Gallet Elementary School
- Truman Early Childhood Education Center
- Early College Academy
- Lafayette High School
Calcasieu Parish Public School District
Next on the list of the largest school districts in Louisiana is the Calcasieu Parish. There are currently 58 schools in this district and close to 27,500 students. This district is located in Lake Charles, LA. This district has one of the best student-to-teacher ratios in the state with a ratio of 15 to 1, so the kids get close attention that that helps with their math and reading proficiency. Currently, the district has a 44% reading proficiency and a 30% math proficiency.
Overall, the district has solid numbers. It’s rated as #7 for athletics, #10 for diversity, and it’s rated as the 10th best district for teachers. It’s also well paying as the average salary is $75k. There’s a lot to like in this large school system, which is why it’s the overall 14th best district in the state.
High-ranking schools in the Calcasieu Parish public school district include:
- Vincent Settlement Elementary School
- Frasch Elementary School
- W.W. Lewis Middle School
- Vinton Middle School
- Sulphur High School
Livingston Parish Public Schools
Located in Livingston, LA, the Livingston Parish public school district is another of the largest school districts in Louisiana with 44 schools and over 26,000 students that call them home. The kids attend classes in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, and they get a pretty good education in this large district. There’s a student-to-teacher ratio of 20 to 1, which isn’t perfect, but the educators are good at what they do. The district boasts a district-wide 52% reading proficiency and 40% math proficiency.
Those are a couple of the reasons why the Livingston Parish school system is ranked as #3 overall in the state. When we drill down into those numbers, we see that they rank as #10 in athletics. Plus, it’s ranked as #30 for best district for teachers. The town of Livingston is very nice, with a decent cost of living, and it’s considered good for families, so it’s worth a visit.
High-ranking schools in the Livingston Parish public school district include:
- Eastside Elementary School
- Albany Upper Elementary School
- Frost School
- Denham Springs Freshman High School
- Live Oak High School
Ascension Parish Public School District
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Located in Donaldsonville, LA, the Ascension Parish school district gets great scores from reviewers due to the teaching environment and the results they produce. This district has 31 schools that are home to just over 23,000 students in classes from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The district rates as #4 as far as the best schools, #4 for diversity among the state, and #11 for athletics.
Students who graduate from these schools are showing a relatively high 58% reading proficiency and a 48% for math proficiency. The classes offer a 17 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio, so the students get more attention then they get in other districts. The schools of Donaldsonville show some great promise.
High-ranking schools in the Ascension Parish public school district include:
- Prairieville Primary School
- Dutchtown Primary School
- Prairieville Middle School
- Dutchtown Middle School
- Dutchtown High School
Rapides Parish Public Schools
With 49 total schools, Rapides Parish is next on our list of the largest school districts in Louisiana. With overall positive reviews, this is a growing district that’s showing great promise, and with close to 50 schools, they show no sign of stopping. There are close to 23,000 students in these schools, and they attend classes from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.
The district ranks closely to others in the state, coming in #4 for having the best teachers, #6 for being the best place to teach, and #12 for their athletics programs. At this time, students come out of the program with 44% showing proficiency in reading and 29% showing proficiency in math. There’s a student-to-teacher ratio of 16 to 1, so the students get a fairly hands-on education.
High-ranking schools in the Rapides Parish public school district include:
- Phoenix Magnet Elementary School
- Caroline Dormon Junior High School
- Alexandria Senior High School
- Pineville High School
- Caroline Dormon Junior High School
St. Landry Parish Public Schools
Comprising 45 schools, the St. Landry Parish school district is located in Opelousas, LA. There are about 12,143 students in this district, and they are in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th. This is a large district, but it has some room to grow. The city of Opelousas itself is nice but it’s not the highest scoring in the housing department.
In school, the students enjoy a ratio of 15 to 1 of kids to teachers, and 33% of students come out with proficient reading skills, and 20% come out with proficient math skills. The district comes in at #35 for diversity and 51 out of 69 for athletics.
High-ranking schools in the St. Landry Parish public school district include:
- Palmetto Elementary School
- Grand Prairie Elementary School
- Arnaudville Elementary School
- Leonville Elementary School
- Magnet Academy for Cultural Arts
Conclusion
These are 10 of the largest school districts in Louisiana, and they all have their benefits and many schools that help to educate the minds of the youngsters in the state. Of course, you should always do your research before choosing a district, so hopefully this information will help. If you have young kids and you’re ready to enroll them in public school, then consider one of these districts.
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