River Parish News

There were six Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students enrolled in St. John the Baptist Parish schools in the 2022-23 school year, 100% more than the previous year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Data showed that St. John the Baptist Parish welcomed 4,980 students during the 2022-23 school year. Among them, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students comprised 0.1% of the student body to be the second least represented ethnicity in the parish.

Among the 10 schools in St. John the Baptist Parish, Emily C. Watkins Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of five students.

The majority of Louisiana students were either white (48%) or Black (37%) in the 2021-22 school year.

In 2022, there was roughly one teacher for every 18 students compared to the national average of one teacher for 16 students. Teachers handling a higher number of students was found to have negative consequences for students’ school performance.

School name	% of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students enrollment	Enrollment of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Students
Emily C. Watkins Elementary School	1.1%	5
John L. Ory Communications Magnet Elementary School	0.3%	1