River Parish News

Of the many ethnicities represented in St. James Parish schools, Black was the most prevalent ethnicity among St. James Parish students in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Louisiana Department of Education.

Of the 3,416 students attending St. James Parish schools, 60.7% were Black. White students were the second largest ethnicity making up 36.3% of St. James Parish students.

In the previous school year, Black was also the most common student ethnicity in St. James Parish, representing 60.1% of the student body.

Gramercy Elementary School had the most even distribution of races among the county schools, which included 49.6% Black students, 46.7% white students, 1.8% Hispanic students, 1.3% multiracial students, and 0.5% Asian students.

Compared to the previous year, total enrollment in public schools in the county dropped by 1.1%, in the 2022-23 school year

In 2022, there was roughly one teacher for every 18 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. A higher student-to-teacher ratio has been found to negatively impact students' school performance.

The majority of Louisiana students were identified as white and Black, representing 48% and 37% of the state student body respectively during the 2021-22 academic year. Hispanic students made up 8.6% of the student body, and other ethnic minorities made up 5.6%.

Only 22% of Louisiana’s teachers are Black or Latino, compared to about 48% of the state's K–12 students who identify as either race.

School name	Most prevalent ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Enrollment
Lutcher High School	White	51.6%	986
Paulina Elementary School	Black	59.2%	770
St. James High School	Black	74.3%	602
Gramercy Elementary School	Black	49.6%	383
Vacherie Elementary School	Black	74.3%	378
Sixth Ward Elementary School	Black	80.1%	297